Team #524 Noel Aderer and Epic Finale

Team #524: Noel Aderer and Epic Finale
Ages: 77 & 24
Combined Age: 101

Our Century Ride
Epic Finale & Noel Aderer

The journey to our Century Club ride began in 1994 when Bo Peep was bred to Denny Emerson’s Epic Win. In 1995, a colt named Epic Finale, also to be known as “Beeper” throughout his life, was born. There was a huge number of people responsible for producing the final product who, at the age of 26, appeared, on October 10, 2021, at the GMHA Fall Dressage Show. This is where he garnered a 65 percent in Training Level, Test 2, to earn him and me (his owner, breeder, raiser, and trainer) a Century Club ribbon and plaque.

Throughout our lives, Beeper and I were kept trained and fit under the coaching of Denny Emerson and Mary Howard. When I had to tend to personal matters, that task reverted to Denny’s student Andy Cook. Beeper’s life proceeded, without a hiccup, under the watchful eye of Andy’s mother, Lisa. In return, Beeper took Lisa’s baby filly, Kelty, under his hoof and raised her to be a proper young mare with a bit of a cocky attitude.

After Andy, Beeper schooled with many other young students in basic dressage, trail riding, galloping, jumping, low level eventing, and good horse maintenance. From time to time, Kelty would forget her lessons and come over to Peep Willow Farm for a refresher. As the horses got older, they would go out on hacking dates.

As time passed and no one was getting any younger, the thought somehow erupted that Beeper and I should be recognized for our combined 100 years of effort together and do a Century Club ride. It took a village, and here is a list of all the people, who after a 10-year hiatus, made this six-minute effort come together and happen. Leading the parade was Lisa Cook, who did all the administrative work, which included: getting the entry paperwork in for the recognized dressage show, finding a jacket that would fit my no longer svelte body, and finding an amazing dressage coach, Penny Lowman, who left no stone unturned in her effort to have me deliver a perfect test. We almost made it. Finally, Michelle Gaffney, a CrossFit mobility coach, who in one week gave me enough energy to mount Beeper and ensure I could ride him for 15 minutes and still be able to breathe.

Another significant player in the effort was Beeper’s vet, who only saw him when she came to the farm to see a different horse because Beeper had never been sick, injured, or lame in his life. The worst thing that ever happened to him was that a student once cut his tail too short. Unfortunately, as soon as the decision to “go” with the ride materialized, every transition to the trot brought on a spasm of coughing. He was having an allergic reaction to something. Maureen Sullivan DVM threw the book at him and finally got him down to one cough per day. When I mounted him and crossed the bridge to the ready ring, he puffed himself up and said, “I got this Noel, you just hang on up there. I know exactly what we’re doing.” And he certainly did!

After the organizers came the cheerleaders and fixers. Jeanelle Boyer bought two pairs of tan breeches online. One pair actually fit me, and the other, conveniently, fit her. Her mother shortened the sleeves on my jacket the night before my ride. Loren Launen cleaned Beeper because it is already too cold for a bath up here in New England. Loren also cleaned all of Beeper’s tack and equipment. Robin Burgess stayed late into the afternoon to make sure Beeper would be perfectly braided, tail fluffed, and show sheened. Cynthia Hay tacked him up daily and warmed him up so that I only had to ride seriously for 15 minutes. Best of all, the tack department at The Cheshire Horse, with the guidance of saddler and dealer, Cindy Athans, sent a Wintec Artise dressage saddle. It was truly an amazing piece of equipment. It was fitted to Beeper and me, so all I had to do was sit in it and ride dressage.

My onsite support consisted of everyone above or “Team Beeper,” along with Bill Venne, Beth and Warren Witherell, and May and Denny Emerson who began this episode and ended it by presenting Beeper and I with our official Century Club ribbon, which had been sent to me by The Dressage Foundation.

Over the course of the month leading up to the ride, I went from: “How hard can this be? I rode Beeper’s mother to Fourth Level,” to “I’m a rolling rust bucket,” to “Thank goodness all of these people are here to help me. I will be able to do this,” to “It was really, really fun.”

A video of Noel's ride can be viewed here.

Noel and Beeper completed Training Level, Test 2, on October 10, 2021, to join the Century Club.