‘I’m not giving up or giving in’: rider aims for national championships as she nears 85th birthday

A rider who is aiming for the British Dressage (BD) national championships this year, mucks out every day, drives to shows and is always hoping to improve said she is not giving up – as she approaches her 85th birthday this summer.

Judy Nolan has been riding for 80 years, switching from showing to dressage along the way. She and her cob Furlongs Black Jack (Bazel) have won at elementary level but stepped down the levels after Judy caught Covid.

“I’ve been out a couple of times [this year] at prelim, and we just need one more sheet to qualify for the Area Festivals, and then I intend to move up,” she told H&H. “I don’t know why people think it’s odd someone of nearly 85 is doing what I’m doing!”

Judy said she got “hooked on ponies” aged about four, when she was put on a Shetland.

“I’ve ridden all my life,” she said. “I spent most of my time showing, for my children too, then when they gave up, I carried on. I produced hacks and riding horses, then when I was about 65, I gave up showing and got hooked on dressage. I think I’ve been a member of BD since the 1970s.”

Judy said it was not necessarily the sport itself that first drew her in.

“I liked the fact that you knew your time and you weren’t hanging around!” she said. “But I also liked the fact you didn’t necessarily, years ago anyway, have to have a special horse; it was all down to training and production.

“I’ve had my present cob for 12 years; I bought him because, prior to him, I bought myself a little warmblood who had to be put to sleep at the age of six. I was determined to buy something I thought would be suitable for my old age, and for some unknown reason, I fell for Bazel, who’s a Welsh section D/gypsy cob. I don’t know to this day why I fell for him, because I’ve never had hair in my life!”

Judy said she then found out that Bazel is “very sharp and strong”, but the two of them have had huge success; winning multiple elementary classes, and “holding our own against all the warmbloods”.

Then Judy caught Covid, which meant she struggled with shortness of breath, and had to step down. But she is working her way back up, and has been training with Pammy Hutton.

“I have to pick my tests,” she said. “For example, novice 23 is easier for me, because you trot and canter on one rein, and then you do your walk, and I get my breath back, and then do the trot and canter on the other rein. If it’s got loads and loads of cantering, at the moment, I can’t manage it, but hopefully we’ll get a lot fitter, and then I will be able to.

“I felt a bit ashamed, dropping back to prelim, but if it means I can go out and compete, so be it. And as everyone tells me, there are so many people of my age not doing anything and sitting in nursing homes, so shut up and get on with it!”

Judy said she has always driven the lorry and done everything herself; she and Bazel have their routine and “off we go”.

“I go twice a day; I’ve missed a couple of days when it was so flooded, I couldn’t get there,” she said. “Then I had a cataract operation just before Christmas and wasn’t supposed to go near him for four weeks, but we got some goggles – but I didn’t ride, I was very good!

“He’s a scream; we have a little routine where when we’ve finished training or competing, he has a sloppy feed outside the lorry while I’m getting changed, and while I’m doing that, invariably he puts himself back in the lorry, just climbs up the ramp and gets back in. And I know why: ‘You’re not starting your sandwiches without me’! And he loves cheesy chips; if I’m eating it, it has to be edible for him.”

Judy’s horsey involvement has included the whole spectrum, including breeding racehorses. And asked what it is that keeps her riding, she said: “Goodness knows, I’ve often wished that it was guinea pigs, because it would have been a lot easier! I suppose they’re like a drug, aren’t they? When I was showing, it was always the next championship or final, and I used to buy three-year-olds and bring them on.

“Then I got into dressage and I like the training, and challenge of improving. The money that’s in the sport now is unbelievable so if you’ve got a cob like me it can be a bit disheartening but I’m not giving up, and I’m not giving in.”

Qualification

As well as her prelim Area Festival qualification, Judy is aiming for novice, with the prelim to fall back on.

“If I get the results, I might end up doing the regionals at prelim and the area festival novice, but it will depend,” she said. “We qualify every year for the winters, but never go because, well, I look at the weather in January and think ‘sod it’!

“I don’t know if it was the effect of the Covid or old age but it sort of made me feel I couldn’t be bothered, but I’ve got over it so we’ll get going. I certainly need to keep going, otherwise it would be very easy to stop. I always remember my mother, who died at 97 and carried on driving until she was 92 and got caught for speeding! She always said, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

“I know I’m lucky because I haven’t had anything wrong with me, and I appreciate that some people have health problems – but I don’t do that.

“I put things on Facebook, and let it be known that I’m as old as I am, simply because so many people give up. They just think old and stop doing things.”

Inspiration

Judy’s friend of 20 years Vicky Taylor, who contacted H&H about her, said she is an inspiration.

“She’s very competitive and focused on results and improving, and it just doesn’t occur to her that she’s 84,” she said. “I thought she deserves recognition as there can’t be many people doing that, and I thought it would be nice for her to realise what she’s doing is quite special. She really is amazing.”

BD chief executive Jason Brautigam told H&H BD always says it welcomes riders of all ages, from eight to 80.

“But Judy has smashed this upper limit and it’s wonderful to see that she is still going strong at 84,” he said. “The fact that she’s preparing again to qualify for the Area Festivals and regionals this summer is not only testament to Judy’s redoubtable and indomitable spirit, but she also provides a real inspiration to all BD members, young and old alike.”

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