Team #595 Jane Helmboldt and Lazy Creek Mr. Jim Dandy
Team #595: Jane Helmboldt and Lazy Creek Mr. Jim Dandy
From: Woodstock, Illinois
Ages: 78 & 22
Combined Age: 100
Test: Introductory Level Test B
Date: September 25, 2022
If you add your age to your horse’s age, what would it total? If it totals at least 100 and you both are still riding/rideable (a big “if”) – then you may want to try to seek acceptance into a very exclusive group of competitors: The Dressage Foundation's Century Club.
Jane Helmboldt, 78, of Woodstock, IL, and her loyal Morgan steed, Lazy Creek Mr. Dandy (Dandy), 22, did just that, and chose September 25, 2022, Fox Valley Saddle Association (FVSA) Dressage Schooling Show in Hampshire, IL, as the place to do it. The show is part of the Illinois Dressage & Combined Training Association (IDCTA) schooling show series.
Jane and Dandy competed in two classes at the show—the USDF 2019 Introductory Level Test A and Test B. They earned entry into the Century Club and high score champions among all adult amateurs competing in the show’s Green As Grass and Introductory Level classes.
After Jane and Dandy’s second ride, FVSA presented the pair with the Century Club’s gorgeous black and gold ribbon. Participating with Jane and Dandy in the ceremony was the dressage judge, Jenna Strauss; Jane’s trainer, June Pedersen; and show Secretary, Linda Holzrichter.
Jane, an IDCTA member, and Dandy have been regular competitors at FVSA shows over the years. Jane, a retired nurse, has loved horses since she was three years old. The first time she rode a horse was a friend’s pony when she was five. As Jane got older, she would try to ride here and there whenever time allowed, but she did not have the opportunity to devote significant time to her riding until she was in her 50s. She first started working at a barn, taking a weekly lesson.
Then, 20 years ago, she walked into June Pedersen’s barn, Castle Ridge Keep in Crystal Lake, IL, and everything just fell into place. After just three lessons there, June found Jane a perfect horse, a Morgan mare named Maddie. After Maddie passed, June located another mount for Jane, a Morgan mare named Stormer, which June bred. Jane purchased Stormer’s colt, Liam, and June trained him to ride and drive. Liam continues to be Jane’s driving horse. But you ask, “What about Dandy?” Well, Dandy came to June’s barn about a dozen years ago. When Stormer retired, Jane and Dandy paired up as a riding duo, and the partnership has been magic ever since.
