Helene DelleChiaie and her pony welcomed into the Century Club

The Dressage Foundation has welcomed the 500th member to the Century Club, which recognizes dressage riders and horses whose combined ages total 100 years or more and who have performed a dressage test.

Helene DelleChiaie of Oak Ridge, N.J., is 71 and her Connemara pony, Finnian’s Chase (Finn), is 29. Helene and Finn completed their Century Club ride on June 26 at the Greendell Dressage Schooling Show in Newton, N.J., with a score of 73.125 percent in Intro Level, Test A.

Helene has owned Finn for 26 years and has enjoyed many successes. Their prolific partnership includes several Awards of Excellence from the American Connemara Pony Society, the Master Challenge Award from the United States Dressage Federation, and three Horse of the Year Awards from the United States Equestrian Federation. Helene is a member of the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association (ESDCTA) which is the same United States Dressage Federation Group Member Organization (GMO) as the first Century Club rider, Lazelle Knocke, also of New Jersey. Lazelle and her horse, Don Perignon, joined the Century Club in 1996.

Helene said, “I would like to thank my husband Phil for his unrelenting support of my passion and my trainers Kara Stark McGrew and Suzanne Marshall for their patience teaching Finn and me how to dance. We would especially like to thank The Dressage Foundation and congratulate them on their 25th year of inspiring seniors toward achieving one more goal and honored to be the 500th team.”

Each year, The Dressage Foundation welcomes many new Century Club members, including 48 last year. To learn more, visit dressagefoundation.org or contact Sara Weiss, Director of Grants and Programs at sara@dressagefoundation.org or 402-434-8585.