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Team #534 Joan Swiderski and Composer

Team #534: Joan Swiderski and Composer
Ages: 74 & 26
Combined Age: 100

A bit of a late bloomer, I didn’t start riding seriously until after marrying and having three children. I acquired my first horse in my late 20s and immediately began a campaign to try every discipline available to English riders, settling on combined training. Dressage was my favorite part but flying over jumps cross-country had its allure, too.

I found my forever horse, Cassie, when she was four and I was 38. As we both aged, the jumping became less important. My middle child got the horse bug, so we shared my steed. Eventually, I made the decision to pursue my high school plan to become a mental health nurse while in my mid-forties. Of course, this put a big dent in the amount of time I had to ride but my daughter Kari had the room to stable Cassie and the desire to work with her.

At age 29, Cassie and I entered our last show. I wasn’t old enough to do a Century Club ride, but it was incredible to know she could do it at that age. She passed away the following year.

Kari was very involved with Connecticut Dressage Association and Centerline Events by that time, and I was always the first on her list to volunteer as a scribe. I had the honor of scribing for Dr. Max Gahwyler and learned of his founding of the Century Club.

The stars aligned and my daughter was given an 18-year-old Hanoverian named Composer eight years ago. His former owner came out to see my test! Doing a Century Club ride has been on my bucket list for a very long time.

My husband and I retired to Florida in 2007 and my background in nursing combined with my equine experience led to involvement with Special Equestrians of the Treasure Coast in Vero Beach. I eventually became a Certified PATH instructor teaching special needs riders and schooling the organization’s horses for the past 13 years.

During every visit to our daughter’s, she would school me on Composer, who is a Third Level competitor. This met my CEU requirement for PATH and helped keep up my skills.

My Century Club ride resulted in the highest score of my life due to Composer’s talent and my daughter’s relentless schooling. I heard her inside my head directing me through the entire test. I must give a special shout-out to my husband. I couldn’t have done this without his patience and support. As I write this, I’m still coming down from an adrenaline high. Many thanks to all who cheered me on and helped make this ride a reality. 

Joan and Composer rode Training Level, Test 1, on October 31, 2021, to join the Century Club.