Marilyn Cantey and Cameo Leia

Team #96

Marilyn was horse crazy from her earliest memories.  But her parents had absolutely no money for horses, not even to rent now and then.  Every dollar was dedicated to sending their three daughters to college.  In 1947, they decided to move to a farm in Arkansas, thinking that the smog in Los Angeles was getting too bad (little did we know how bad it would get!).  That Christmas when the presents were opened, there was nothing for Marilyn.  Her parents finally pointed to a picture of a horse pasted in the window and that was Brownie, an aged mare they had found for $25.  What a thrill.  Marilyn quickly ruined the Western saddle that came with her, not knowing how to adjust stirrups, so learned to ride bareback.  It was Marilyn's and Brownie's chore each evening to herd Baby Doll, the Jersey cow in for milking.  But after a year of no electricity and water in the house, her parents pulled up stakes and moved to Tulsa, OK.

That was the end of horses until Marilyn was 55 and her boys were grown. She saw an ad for an "elegant grey Arab mare" which turned out to be Cameo Leia.  Miss Camy was far too much horse for a beginning rider, but Marilyn couldn't part with her.  She was 8 yrs old and very spooky, but somehow Marilyn finally learned to sit those "plant your feet at the canter and jump sideways 6 feet" spooks.  That was 20 years ago.  Lockheed Martin transferred Marilyn's husband, Dalton, to Orlando, FL in 1995 where Marilyn at age 60 showed Camy in Hunters for 3 years before returning to California.

After turning 70, Marilyn thought it might be time to switch to dressage and showed for a year.  But Camy developed laminitis and for 2 years, she didn't think Camy would make it.  But thanks to her veterinarian, Charles Kessinger, who was generous with plenty of visits, advice and x-rays, and with her farrier, Jim Kotecki's careful shoeing and long years of experience, and with her trainer, Dee White, who has such a good eye and supervised getting Camy gradually back into shape, the much hoped-for Century Ride finally happened.  Without them it wouldn't have been possible.  Marilyn thinks she deserves a little credit, too. . . she wrote the checks!

Marilyn and Camy rode down centerline on October 23, 2011, at the Seven Oaks Dressage Extravaganza in Portola Valley, CA, to become members of the Century Club.

Photos by Joe Pallas