‘The only thing I ever wanted’: Local octogenarian inducted into dressage Century Club
Courtesy of Emily Morris
Janet Hadden, 80, and Pippin Der Kurze, 20, complete the Century Club ride before family, friends and a dressage judge May 27 during The Mountaineer Flight Dressage Show at J.W. Ruby Research Farm in West Virginia. Hadden began riding at age 40 and has spent the last four decades loving every minute of the sport.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Pippin Der Kurze sports his Century Club ribbon earlier this month outside Keepsake Equestrian Center in McDonald, where he and Janet Hadden train and ride. Hadden and Pippin, whose total combined age is 100 years, were inducted into the Century Club after passing their test ride in May.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Janet Hadden, 80, looks lovingly at her best horse pal Pippin Der Kurze outside Keepsake Equestrian Center in McDonald, where the duo, recently inducted into the Century Club, rides and trains. “Horses are living longer and staying sound longer. People are doing better, too, as long as you keep active,” said Hadden, who has no plans on slowing down when it comes to horse riding. “Riding is very good activity because it does require you to use a lot of your body and you have to keep your balance.”
Janet Hadden has always been a horse girl.
“I always wanted a horse from the time I was a little kid, even though I lived in the city of Pittsburgh and never was around horses,” said Hadden, an energetic octogenarian. “I always had horse books. I used to make saddles out of clothesline and knit them and put them over the porch railing. When I was little, that’s the only thing I ever wanted, was horses.”
Hadden’s parents were German immigrants who survived the Great Depression and her father couldn’t justify spending money on things like piano or riding lessons, she said.
It wasn’t until age 40 that her childhood dream came true, and last month, after four decades of horseback riding, Hadden was inducted into the prestigious Century Club.
“It’s a personal achievement,” said Hadden, who completed her Century ride during The Mountaineer Flight Dressage Show at J.W. Ruby Research Farm in Reedsville, W.Va., on May 27. “Everybody was very supportive and they were cheering me on and, you know, congratulating me. We had charcuterie and wine and a big cake. Champagne. That was nice.”
The Century Club was founded in 1996 at the suggestion of Dr. Max Gahwyler, a renowned dressage judge and instructor who wanted to encourage older riders to keep getting in the saddle.
To be eligible for the Century Club, the combined age of horse and rider must be 100 years or older. The duo registers for a test ride at any level of competition, to be held during a recognized or schooling show, which is scored by a professional or a dressage judge.
Hadden and Pippen Der Kurze are Team No. 645 to be inducted into the club.
For Emily Morris, an emergency room nurse, horse trainer and rider – and Hadden’s daughter – watching the 80-year-old Avella resident ride into the Century Club was nothing short of incredible.
“We were all bawling. Everybody came from the barn and everybody in this area went to this show and it was like everything stopped and there wasn’t a dry eye,” said Morris, who along with other trainers helped prepare her mother for the ride. “It was totally awesome.”
Morris said it’s special to share a hobby as heart-grabbing and time-consuming as horseback riding with her mother, considering how some mothers and daughters grow apart as they age.
“I would not be the rider I am without the support of my – I mean, I train here because I’ve had such an amazing mom. She inspires everybody,” Morris said.
It’s fitting the two still ride together at Keepsake Equestrian Center, considering Morris’ passion for riding helped her mother take up the hobby in adulthood.
“My older daughter (Anna), they were going to work on their Girl Scout badge. They took riding lessons at South Park and they needed mothers to drive there every week. I said, ‘I’ll drive,'” Hadden recalled, noting Morris was 5 or 6 at the time and tagged along. “She took riding lessons and she loved it. She never quit riding.”
Hadden’s father, who had never seen value in horseback riding lessons when she was a girl, bought his granddaughter her first horse. When Chester became part of the family, Hadden saddled him up and started riding, too.
“I used to ride, I used to ride him in South Park by myself. I didn’t know how to ride. I’d just throw a saddle on him and go. I didn’t know I could die,” said a wide-eyed Hadden.
Eventually, the horse girl from Pittsburgh started taking lessons. She fell in love with dressage, a focus on correct horse movement and one of three Olympic horse events. About three years ago, Hadden met Pippin Der Kurze and it was best friendship at first sight.
“We’ve had a lot of nice horses over the years. I’ve loved every one of them,” she said. “It’s hard to find a good match, especially if you don’t want to fall off. This guy here is a registered Canadian warmblood. He was a para-equestrian horse; we got him because he’s pretty safe. These horses are amazing. I tried him and I bought him because of the way he was trained and his character. He’s a cranky old man. He’s really pretty funny.”
Hadden set her sights on the Century Club shortly after bringing home the horse that would ride her to the achievement.
“I did the math with him (Pippin Der Kurze) and figured it would be a possibility that I could learn to ride him by the time I was 80,” she said.
A horse and rider have a special bond. Hadden knows Pippin’s mood when she hops into the saddle, and can tell if he’s having a good day or doesn’t feel like practicing that morning. The two had to really get to know one another before competing for entry into the Century Club.
Hadden and Pippin Der Kurze were surrounded by their riding community, especially friends from two local clubs, the Western Pennsylvania Dressage Association and the Three Rivers Equestrian Association, during their Century ride in May. The event was one for the books.
“All those people were here and they’re all the people that I’ve known for 40 years. Everybody was very supportive and they were cheering me on, and congratulating me. So that was nice,” she said.
Following the ride, Hadden and Pippin Der Kurze were awarded the Century Club’s signature black and gold ribbon and a plaque for their accomplishment. Hadden already has plans to compete for a second Century Club award, with another horse when she turns 83 and the horse turns 17.
“It’s a singular thing. It’s a personal achievement. It’s an honor,” Hadden said, standing proudly beside Pippin Der Kruze inside Keepsake’s stables. “There are people that, they grew up wanting to ski or wanting to do things and they never have the opportunity. Once you have the opportunity, it’s, oh, my, this is it. My life kind of circles around horses.”