Team #727 Linda Williams and Willamina
Team #727: Linda Williams and Willamina
From: Ashby, Massachusetts
Ages: 78 & 23
Combined Age: 101
Test: Introductory Level Test B
I have been fascinated by horses all my life. As a child, I read all the available horse books and drew horses on any scrap of paper I could find. In high school I was able to free lease a pony and we did some 4-H horse shows, and then I very unsuccessfully tried to train a very young filly. Fortunately, a friend took over her training before I could do too much damage.
My sketchy horse career ended when I went to college, got married, and started a family. Fast forward 48 years. I had retired from teaching middle school and expected to spend my retirement playing golf and weaving scarves and jackets in my weaving studio. Then my granddaughter decided she wanted to take riding lessons at a local farm which had just been developed into a wonderful equestrian center, the Ashby Stock Farm. I thought this might be something for me. I had wanted to learn to ride for so many years, so why not spend retirement on a horse!
I started lessons with Judy Nason and her wonderful Morgans and rode for a couple of years. When Judy moved her barn to New Hampshire, I hunted around for other barns and instructors, and through a fluke of fate was put in touch with my present teacher and friend Rebecca Eccard, who trains the most beautiful Friesians. With her guidance I was able to buy my first horse, a little Morgan mare. We rode together for a short time, actually doing some showing and winning at Morgan shows and Friesian shows. Little Ruby was eventually no longer sound enough for me to ride, but she went on to help other young riders learn horsemanship.
After much searching, trial and error, I found my unicorn, Willamina, a retired Hanoverian eventer. She is the sweetest and most patient pony, teaching me so much. Mina, Rebecca, and I have worked hard and with help from great teachers like Dot Demis, and Jenny Veenstra, we have been able to learn the basics of dressage. We are now working on moving up in tests levels, ironically back at the Ashby Stock Farm where I started my riding adventure, and where Rebecca trains those gorgeous Friesians!
