Mary Alice Edwards and Littel Joe II (LA)
Team #1,026: Mary Alice Edwards and Littel Joe II
From: Lafayette, Louisiana
Ages: 70 & 30
Combined Age: 100
Test: Second Level Test 2
My horse journey started when I was rather young. My family went to a dude ranch in Mississippi and at three years old I was given a "big horse" ride. After that, my mom said I never stopped talking about horses. At the age of 12, I started lessons once a week at a local riding school. One summer day while playing Bingo at a local club, I won the jackpot, $150.00. I turned to my dad and said, "I want to buy a horse!" He and his friend, who owned a horse, went to the local auction place and came home with a saddle, bridle and an old Appaloosa— Freckles. Eventually Freckles landed up pulling the vegetable cart in town and was beloved by all.
Through high school and college, I rode any and all horses I could, including, Samantha. I continued my lessons with the instructor from the local riding club.
As life went on, I continued my education in law school, married and had children, all the while riding whatever horse I could find. I eventually found a barn with an instructor qualified in dressage and eventing. I purchased a local horse, and my dressage career began. This Quarter Horse/Paint, Sassy, taught me all about dressage and I earned my USDF bronze medal.
I had several horses after that: Fortoula, Pick Pocket Mike, Merry Mac, and Balou Hawaii. I have continued my journey of learning dressage with passion and realize that you never stop learning. I am grateful for all the horses and instructors I have had over the years, as they all taught me something I ride with every day.
Through horses, I have accumulated some of the most wonderful friends in the world. We all understand each other’s passion for horses and that is most important in friendship.
Now I am riding my Century Club ride with a horse, Littel Joe, aka “Joey," owned by one of those friends.
Jennifer bought Joey when he was eight years old and boarded at the same barn where I boarded my horse. Throughout the years we have crossed paths many times. As Jennifer says, Joey was German bred, but American trained. Joey at twenty-seven years old won the National Pony Finals. That was when the plan hatched to have him for my Century Club ride, as the ages would work out just right.
Because of Jennifer’s excellent care, Joey was more than capable of giving me a very successful ride. One more accolade for the thirty-year-old pony and the seventy-year-old rider.
