Team #832 Lisa Goretta and Indy
Team #832: Lisa Goretta and Indy
From: Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Ages: 70 & 31
Combined Age: 101
Test: Introductory Level Test B
On a beautiful Northeastern Ohio Fall Sunday a group of friends and awesome staff of the retirement facility and his healthcare community gathered to watch Indy, my Swedish Warmblood dressage partner of 26 years and I perform our Century Club test. The journey to that centerline was not the one that I had thought about as we both advanced in age toward that magic number. I had frankly abandoned the plan.
At age 28 Indy suffered a serious stifle injury. Despite a guarded prognosis, he recovered enough for light work at walk, trot and canter in the arena and light trail rides out that he had always loved. At 29 his cataracts took a sudden turn for the worse and the pleasure in the trail rides disappeared for him. In 2022 Indy and his somewhat less senior turnout buddy were moved to “BridgeHaven.” an equine retirement facility. Their routine changed to long pasture turnouts with a herd of five, a very big adjustment for my show horse.
In July 2024, a few months after the entire BridgeHaven operation moved to HavenSafe Farm North, owned by Betsy Juliano, and just days before I was to leave to Steward at the Olympic Games, I got a phone call from the farm to tell me Indy had contracted cellulitis in an upper foreleg. The wonderful barn staff took on the recovery work and did such great work, with a frankly life-threatening situation. After my return from Paris, I spoke with his vet about starting some light lunging to keep the mobility in his affected knee. She wisely suggested that knowing Indy, even at his age, under saddle work would be the safer option. (He was a rambunctious four-year-old when I “imported” him from Oregon to Ohio. From Training Level through Prix St Georges and my USDF silver medal…Indy always had an somewhat unpredictable “joy of life” streak that kept things interesting and improved my seat!)
I brought out his tack and got back on. I set up a conservative work schedule and after a couple of weeks, with Betsy’s encouragement, we decided to dust off the Century Club ride plan. It has been quite a while since the two of us did an entire test!
USDF Region 2 Director and USEF S judge Debby Savage kindly accepted our invitation to judge our ride. A perfect Ohio Fall weather day, made more even more so by one last center line, a square halt and the final salute.
