By Jen Macklin
This article received first place in the 2025 GMO Newsletter Awards for general interest articles for GMOs with 499+ members. It appeared in the Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association newsletter, Collected Remarks, May 2025.
Under the clear Georgia skies, the second day of GDCTA’s Spring Fling schooling show marked a significant milestone among the many horses and riders competing over the weekend. With an attentive audience dotting the fence line, 22-year-old Morgan-cross gelding JEB Stuart, ridden by 78-year-old Robin Puryear, trotted down the centerline to complete their first Century Club ride, sponsored by The Dressage Foundation.
The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club celebrates horse-and-rider pairs whose combined ages total at least one hundred years, recognizing the perseverance ingrained in equestrians that proves age is no barrier. Each ride is a tribute to years of dedication and connection between horse and rider, highlighting a special milestone in equestrian sport.
Robin is known for her strong character, proven by steadfast loyalty to her friends and her willingness to help others. She began riding at age four on a Shetland pony named Rusty and accumulated decades of riding experience ranging from hunterjumpers to fox hunting, capturing a slew of ribbons along the way. Dressage has been a new challenge, requiring a change in position after more than sixty years of riding forward over fences. “There are days when it’s hard to adapt from a lifetime of hunters and jumpers to the finesse of dressage,” she admits.
JEB Stuart, owned by Robin since 2020, has boundless energy that belies his age. Her path to finding JEB was unforeseen. Their partnership began in the shadow of heartbreak, following the untimely loss of her previous horse, an Appaloosa mare affectionately called Rudi and registered as Goin Zippin. After losing Rudi, she was not sure she would ride again and reluctantly agreed to look at a Morgan-cross gelding at her friends’ urging. Initially uninterested, she soon realized this hot-blooded horse had chosen her as much as she had chosen him. “He made it abundantly clear that I was HIS PERSON,” she recalls.
One of the foremost goals of dressage is to achieve harmony between horse and rider. Robin notes that directing JEB’s energy into constructive dressage practices can be challenging. Nevertheless, through patience and consistency they worked to refine his energy into precise dressage movements.
Although the Century Club ride has concluded, their journey continues. “Still being able to actively work a 22-year-old horse with my 78-year-old body keeps me going,” she says. Their partnership eased the healing process and inspired new goals. With JEB’s cooperation, Robin aims to compete at First Level next.
“I thought my Century Club ride would be on Rudi, but I know she is watching from above,” she shared. “JEB, in his own way, has tried his best to fill Rudi’s hoofprints.”
Despite the dressage test lasting a mere five minutes, it signified challenging work and an unwavering bond with horses developed over a lifetime. As Robin rendered the final salute at X, it became clear age is not a limitation but a testament of experience and devotion.
Thank you to The Dressage Foundation and GDCTA for making this induction into the Century Club possible. Their support and commitment to fostering a strong dressage community helps riders of all levels and backgrounds celebrate achievements and share their stories.
