Team #526 Brigid Ripley and Freedom's Spirit
Team #526: Brigid Ripley and Freedom’s Spirit
Ages: 67 & 33
Combined Age: 100
Freedom’s Spirit
I have been riding horses since I got my first pony at the age of five. When I had my own family (three daughters, one son) I continued the pursuit of riding, primarily for pleasure, and did my best to encourage a love of horses and riding in my children. They all continue to love horses, and two of them ride regularly…but this is not about them, so I’ll move on.
In 1989, I adopted two yearling Mustang colts from the BLM Adopt-a-Horse program which was held at the St. Paul Civic Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Initially, I called the colts Chestnut Colt and Bay Colt. Bay Colt, through the process of swapping first letters and changing C to K became Kaybolt, and Chestnut Colt became Freedom’s Spirit in honor of the Mustang spirit, simply called Spirit by family.
My second daughter rode and trained Spirit when he turned four, and he became the favorite and most reliable riding horse for all of us, out of our herd (at that time) of 14 horses. His most frustrating issue was his unwillingness to be caught, and although he is not as fleet as he was back then, he can still be pretty adept at avoiding “capture.”
I was not his primary rider, but through the years I have ridden him many miles – down the road, on the trails, and on horseback orienteering (HOBO) rides put on by a regional organization. My children rode him in various classes at the county fair – a very small event, but one we all enjoyed.
He has been mostly retired since the age of 28, but he acted like a real champ when I pulled him out of retirement and asked him to participate in my Century Club ride. He’s been a wonderful member of my Equine Family!
Brigid and Spirit rode Intro, Test A, on October 8, 2021, to join the Century Club.
Freedom's Spirit in the corner (unfortunate view) and Kaybolt as yearlings in 1989
