Shapleigh rides into the Century Club for a second time
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Joan Shapleigh and her horse teammate Tuffy’s Business (also known as Simon Says) rode into history when the pair took part in a dressage show at Infinity Farm on Aug. 17.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CENTURY CLUB MEMBERS — Joan Shapleigh of Dover-Foxcroft and the horse Tuffy’s Business (also known as Simon Says) became members of the Century Club during a dressage show at Infinity Farm in Dover-Foxcroft on Aug. 17. The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club recognizes teams of riders and horses who have a combined age of 100, and Shapleigh previously joined the club with another horse in the fall of 2011.
Shapleigh, 77 of Dover-Foxcroft, and Simon Says, 24, have a combined age of over 100, and this statistic enabled them to join the Dressage Foundation’s Century Club once Shapleigh rode the horse for a dressage test and had the performance scored by a judge. Shapleigh became a club member for the second time, as in October of 2011 she rode a quarter horse named One in a Million, owned by Dottie Hadler, during a show at Infinity Farm to become at the time only the 95th team nationwide to earn the distinction (the number has now grown to about 160).
In-between a pair of late morning rides with Simon Says, Shapleigh said, “I’m still the only one from Maine” to earn Century Club membership. She said she has used social media to encourage “older people and older horses” to ride and stay active.
Seeing Shapleigh ride into history were her sisters, who traveled from Greenwich, Conn. and Omaha, Neb., her daughter, a niece and family from Bridgeport, Conn. as well as “my whole barn family.”
Growing up in suburban New York City, Shapleigh always loved horses as she dreamed of having one of her own. Due to financial constraints she was unable to own a horse, but Shapleigh was able to occasionally ride at a local hack stable on an hourly basis. She never had any instruction and would simply ride the trails on a small Shetland pony with a western saddle.
Shapleigh moved to a farm in Dover-Foxcroft in 1962 with her young family, promising her then 6-year-old daughter Sandy they would buy a pony. By coincidence Shapleigh saw an article in The Piscataquis Observer informing of the formation of a Pony Club. She did not know what a Pony Club entailed, she only knew her family was getting a pony. Sandy joined the club, and in the spring of 1963 they bought a sturdy red and white pony they called Tinkerbelle.
During those years Shapleigh rode only occasionally, her focus was assisting her daughter and helping the Pony Club. When Sandy graduated from high school and went off to college Shapleigh stopped riding, being involved with her career as a social worker and volunteer efforts.
Shortly before she retired Shapleigh decided to leave the farm and move to a smaller home. Her new home happened to be next door to the Infinity Farm riding and training stable owned by Gail McCormack. When McCormack had an indoor arena built she encouraged Shapleigh to join an adult riding group. Sixty-eight at the time, Shapleigh was somewhat hesitant after not having ridden in 30 years. She soon found a supportive group of fellow riders who encouraged Shapleigh to ride on a regular basis.
After riding in the indoor arena throughout the winter, Shapleigh rode her first dressage test in 2007 at Infinity Farm’s spring fling, where she scored in the 40s. Over the ensuing few years Shapleigh rode a variety of horses. She had a couple of falls, which shook her confidence, before getting the chance to ride Hadler’s Million, then 23. Million served as a great confidence builder for Shapleigh, and together they began to ride in more dressage shows.
Over time Shapleigh began to ride other horses and compete at the training level, but she still occasionally rode Million.
Shapleigh was reading the August 2011 issue of Dressage Today when she came upon information on the Century Club. Realizing the age of herself and Million qualified them, Shapleigh decided the team should join and soon the arrangements were made to join the Century Club.
In mid-October 2011 Shapleigh and Million rode together at the Training Level 1, achieving a score of 66.67 percent in the process of joining the Century Club. The score was the final tally of 60 percent needed to qualify Shapleigh for the Bronze Medal for the Maine Dressage Association.
The Century Club was established by the Dressage Foundation — a national equestrian organization based in Nebraska — in 1996 at the suggestion of Dr. Max Gabwyler, a noted dressage judge and clinician, to recognize senior dressage riders and horses still active in competitions.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CENTURY CLUB MEMBERS — Joan Shapleigh of Dover-Foxcroft and the horse Tuffy’s Business (also known as Simon Says) became members of the Century Club during a dressage show at Infinity Farm in Dover-Foxcroft on Aug. 17. The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club recognizes teams of riders and horses who have a combined age of 100, and Shapleigh previously joined the club with another horse in the fall of 2011.
