Mary McNitt and Lance (PA)
Team #1,010: Mary McNitt and Lance
From: Bristol, Pennsylvania
Ages: 77 & 29
Combined Age: 106
Test: Introductory Level Test B
On Saturday, April 4, 2026, Lance took Mary on their Century Club ride. He did magnificently, and his rider did not fall off. A winning day for all! Lance is 29, and I, Mary, am 77 years old.
Lance’s story traces back to 2009, when he was rescued from Pennsylvania’s New Holland kill pen after arriving from the West, likely Arizona. The auctioneer claimed he had performed in an Arabian Nights show, where he jumped through hoops of fire. Then he was known as Lancelot, and he came with scars that hinted at a hard past.
When Michele Allen rescued Lance and brought him home, he expressed his thanks with a well-aimed cow kick to her thigh. Michele saw what lay beneath: a clever, sensitive horse that needed structure and patience. With Michele’s wisdom and Theresa Schmehl’s and Gail Pratt’s kindness, he found a forever home at Saddlebrook Farm.
Lance became a friend to mares and geldings alike. This gentle giant became a favorite of boarders and staff. He was known for lovely gaits and his clever antics, like running into the pond to avoid capture. One boarder, Melissa, took him into her heart, teaching him dressage and how to trust again.
My own story with horses began as a child preferring plastic horses, not dolls. At sixteen, I headed to Wyoming to work on a ranch where I learned the joy of riding. No one asked if I could ride as a job requirement, so I rode bareback to hide the fact that I had no idea how to manage a western saddle.
In 2008, I purchased Teuns, a 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood, and for 17 years, we shared a joyful ride of adventure and mutual respect. When I lost Teuns in 2025, Lance became my lesson horse.
Lance has shown me that second chances heal the soul, and that grace often arrives quietly, on four strong, patient legs.
