By Lynn Jendrowski
Note, many of these photos are used in a historical context. USDF strongly recommends all riders wear protective headgear when mounted.
I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a long and rewarding career as a dressage trainer, rider, and instructor over the last 40 years. During this time, I’ve earned my USDF Diamond Achievement – an award recognizing members who have earned their USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals, as well as the corresponding Bronze, Silver, and Gold Freestyle Bars. While I am very proud of this accomplishment. I’m always looking for my next challenge, and the USDF Master’s Challenge Award has been just that for the last few years.
I’m now proud to say that, in addition to my Diamond Achievement, I have earned Master’s Challenge Awards in Training through FEI Level. This achievement occurred on a mix of both clients’ horses and my own, from a Connemara pony to an Andalusian to Hanoverians. This accomplishment demonstrates one of my favorite parts of dressage – that it’s for all horses.
I’ve ridden many breeds over the years and learned something from them all. To me, the most important quality in a horse has nothing to do with the breed at all, but rather the horse’s character – do they try, do they have a good work ethic, is it a horse I want to be around, and do they want to be around me?
My current personal horse that I’m working toward Grand Prix with is a Hanoverian gelding named Diesel VT; in fact, he earned me my scores for the FEI Levels Master’s Challenge. Diesel embodies everything I love in a horse. Athleticism aside, he’s sweet and affectionate, and he wants to do well for me. That has been our saving grace as we navigated the last 15 years together.
I first met Diesel when he was just a weanling, at the Virginia Tech School of Animal Sciences annual horse auction, the Hokie Harvest. I had a client looking for a horse, and she brought Diesel home with her. I had the pleasure of starting him at three and a half years old, and when the client had a personal situation that forced her to sell him a few years later at age seven, I jumped at the chance to make him mine.
Diesel allowed me to do one of my very favorite things—bring a horse up through the levels, including attending the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championships and trips to the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®. One thing I had not fully anticipated was a health issue that would plague us throughout our time together; it took a while to fully diagnose, but we ultimately determined Diesel had cancer in his right eye. It was manageable for a while with medication, and Diesel continued to work hard for me. This last winter, though, we finally determined it was time for surgery and chemotherapy.
While it was tough for me to watch him go through that painful experience, the good news is that Diesel is back in action and stronger than ever, schooling Grand Prix. He has been one of my greatest teachers when it comes to patience, which we know is so important to the journey that is dressage. It was frustrating at times that we had to sit on the sidelines and delay the progress of such a talented horse, but it was the right thing to do for him. In this sport, you have to take the bad with the good, but we’re ultimately better for it.
That is one of the most important things I’ve tried to impart to my students over the years: first and foremost, be kind to your horse. We’re so fortunate to work with these special animals, and it’s our love and respect for them that should guide our training, riding, and care. It will come in their own time. Similarly, we need to be honest and ethical with each other to foster the type of community that puts our horses first. To sustain a lifelong career in dressage, relationships – whether with horses or people – are critical.
As I reflect on my career thus far, I’m thankful for the programs USDF offers, such as the Master’s Challenge, which have given me new and different goals to work toward. I’m hopeful we’ll continue to see more and more “seasoned” riders stay engaged with dressage.
One way USDF might consider doing so is by applying senior discounts, as we see in other facets of our lives. Whether for membership, show fees, member programs, or clinics, it might be a way to encourage older riders to participate at a time in their lives when budgets become a little tighter. I’ve yet to meet a horse person who loses their love of horses, so whatever we can do to remove barriers from participation seems like a win-win to me.
In the meanwhile, I plan to keep at it, working toward Grand Prix with Diesel while helping my clients meet their riding goals. From having a career in Germany and Hawaii to riding in the Friesian Train at the 2010 World Equestrian Games to coaching the Virginia Tech Dressage Team, I’ve had more amazing opportunities than I could have imagined, and I like to think there’s more to come. If USDF offers a new challenge, you know I’ll be there to give it a shot – no matter my age.
