Team #766 Jean Pongratz and Atlantico
Team #766: Jean Pongratz and Atlantico
From: Hanover, Massachusetts
Ages: 81 & 19
Combined Age: 100
Test: Training Level Test 2
My love for horses began at age 10 when my family moved to Randolph, Massachusetts, near the Blue Hill Reservation. Surrounded by fields, woods, trails, and horses, I begged my mother for riding lessons. Once she took me riding, I was hooked. Despite hoping for a horse under the Christmas tree, I had to make do with occasional riding opportunities.
After high school, a generous lady gifted me a small Arabian mare. Suddenly, I was riding through the Blue Hills instead of hiking. Later, I met and married a former Hungarian Freedom Fighter who promised me a Lipizzaner, inspired by the Spanish Riding School’s visit to Boston.
Shortly after our marriage, we moved to Maryland, where I enjoyed riding across rolling hills, jumping banks, ditches, and fences. After five years and five children, we returned to Massachusetts, where I built a house and barn filled with various livestock, including two young half-Lipizzaner colts. My daughter and I rode these horses for nearly 30 years, enjoying horse shows, trail rides, and beach gallops. Their passing at age 29 left a void I feared would never be filled.
After a three-year search, my trainer found an Andalusian horse for lease. After my first ride, I was smitten and thrilled when the owner offered him to me. This marked the start of my journey with Atlantico, my partner for the past 12 years.
I’m grateful to my trainer, Kristen Whitaker, for her patient instruction, and to the Heritage Dressage Association for show opportunities. Special thanks to my supportive kids, especially my daughter Tina, who has coached me at numerous shows. As I walk Atlantico to his paddock, I tell him he’s my Mr. Wonderful.
