Team #719 Nancy Gannon and Madoc Medallion
Team #719: Nancy Gannon and Madoc Medallion
From: Crystal Lake, Illinois
Ages: 87 & 22
Combined Age: 109
Test: Training Level Test 3
Date: November 4, 2023
Animals have always been close to my heart, whether horses, dogs, or exotic animals. My sister and I received the gift of ponies when we were six and seven. This started us on a long journey, enjoying Pony Club activities, riding in local horse shows, and joining a Hunt Club. At this time, in this part of the country in the 70s and 80s here in the Midwest, there wasn’t anyone local who could teach about dressage, so I was enjoying an education centered around hunters and jumpers. I was offered a young mare to ride, “Going My Way,” and later competed with her at Madison Square Garden in a Ladies’ Jumping class. After college, I married my husband Mike, and we focused on building our careers and starting a family.
When the time was right to get back into horses, my daughter Shauna and I decided to take a trip to Wellington to look at horses. I knew I liked a horse with a stocky build, and we found a very nice gelding who had unfortunately already been sold. But his rider assured us that he had a young full brother who was available. That horse was Gem. Gem was learning to walk, trot, and canter with a rider, and I was thrilled that he hadn’t been sold. The young woman at Madoc Farm who was working with Gem let me know she would soon be coming up to Northern Illinois for a competition, and if I’d like to keep Gem, she would bring him along. If I didn’t want him, she would take him home. Of course, I loved everything about Gem. He had a quiet demeanor and was very affectionate with people he knew. I bought Gem and brought him home to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He was only four when I brought him home, and I thought he needed more time to grow up so he lived outside and did light riding. We rode him mainly around the property and sometimes ended up on the shores of Lake Michigan - always a treat!
In May 2018, my husband became ill, so we decided to move back to Crystal Lake, Illinois, to be closer to family. I started looking for a home for us and a home for Gem. We found both! I began taking regular lessons at Wild Rose Farm once we were settled. At the same time, I was Mike’s caretaker until the day I fell in August 2021 and broke my hip. I had surgery and three weeks of inpatient rehab. My goal during that time was to heal enough to get back on my horse and to be able to care for my husband again. I was determined to do both!
I started taking lessons with Katie Hiller in the spring of 2022, and it’s been wonderful to feel the changes in how Gem now carries his rider. Finally, I was learning about dressage! One day, Katie asked me what I thought about doing a Century Club ride. I was thrilled to think about it, and it was very exciting to start learning the pattern we had decided on. None of this would have been possible without the help I received from Katie and everyone at Wild Rose Farm. I am forever grateful!
