Team #827 Jean Walker and Caspers Jetalito
Team #827: Jean Walker and Caspers Jetalito
From: Iowa City, Iowa
Ages: 80.5 & 19.5
Combined Age: 100
Test: Training Level Test 3
I started riding in Ireland when I was 12, on a 12.2 hand pony, Rolo, belonging to my neighbor, who subsequently gave him to me. We had great fun riding around the neighborhood and on the main road from Dublin (to get to the farrier), Pony Club, and fox hunting. A friend and I also put on gymkhanas. Unfortunately, I had a growth spurt a few years later and ended up using him to teach the neighborhood kids to ride, while I caught rides on horses as they came my way.
Then there was a 50-year gap where life (and emigrating to the US) got in the way of my horse passion. A trip back to Ireland at age 67 re-ignited that passion, when I visited a schoolmate who had become a large animal vet and whose husband was Master of Hounds. He put me on his horse, watched for a few minutes and then walked away! I returned to Ireland to ride again but thought I’d better start riding at home in between my visits back to Ireland.
I ended up acquiring my best buddy, Caspers Jetalito (aka Murphy) when he was seven. He was at an eventing barn, and I said, “I’m not doing anything that requires my medical information on my arm”, but the local vet said, “Jean, grow some girl balls.” I took this as a challenge, and we did our first eventing show when I was 70. Afterwards I took the vet to my car to show him two pink tennis balls, and said, “There!”
Murphy has been such a wonderful teacher and companion. He carries little kids in the gentlest way but can step up his game to match the level of more advanced riders. He uses his brain and loves to show off in competition. He has quite the sense of humor but is all business when he has a rider on his back – and we have enjoyed our second childhood by participating in Pony Club.
Jumping has been our passion – particularly communicating with one another on cross-country. However, an injury to his front foot ended our jumping days and for the last few years we have been concentrating on the intricacies of dressage. We were very fortunate to be able to do our Century Club ride, as only five months before, he sustained a horrendous injury where a 2-inch piece of wood fencing shattered his skull and penetrated five inches into his head, and a 1-inch piece penetrated 6 inches into his neck, miraculously both avoiding all major structures. He is a very special horse.
Many thanks to TDF for offering the Century Club ride, and for all the work you do to encourage and support riding and riders in the US.
