A Man and His Horse Take the Ride of a Century

Vaughn resident Brian Combs, 73, and his trusty steed, Bear, made history by joining The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club Sept. 8 at the Kitsap Saddle Club in Port Orchard.

Conceived in 1996, the Century Club recognizes dressage riders and horses whose combined ages total 100 years or more. With a goal of encouraging senior riders to remain active in the sport, Century Club riders also inspire the younger generation. To qualify, the club stresses the serious nature of a riding test as it also celebrates the fun of the sport and the connection between horse and rider.

Riders need not show everything at their level, although it is important to demonstrate that rider and horse work well together. To date, 723 horse and rider teams have earned the coveted black and gold ribbon and a bouquet of red roses.

Combs first rode a horse at a summer day camp when he was 6 years old and continued to ride sporadically through childhood. Tours of duty with both the Army and Navy, and a stint as a mechanic in Antarctica, interrupted his relationship with horses. After returning to the States, earning a degree, and starting a family, Combs settled in Vaughn in 1986. He retired after a long career as a social worker in Kitsap County.

Bear is a 27-year-old thoroughbred Shire cross who was only 8 years old when he was purchased from Kathi White, their dressage trainer, to become part of the Combs family which also included cats, dogs, goats and two little girls involved with the Pony Club. Combs volunteered there for many years, teaching children about safe riding and the responsibilities of horse ownership, while introducing them to the skills of dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

Combs said the discipline and interactions are good for both horse and rider, teaching the horse to focus while building muscle and strength and adding years to their lives. He likes the challenge of developing a horse, which generally takes one to two years, to train on the skills to ride within their discipline, and the fine, wordless communication delivered through the rider’s legs, seat, weight shifting and reins, with the whip used only as a gentle nudge.

Together Combs and Bear have done it all. They settled on dressage after an accident in 2016 left them both out of the sport for several months. After 19 years of riding and competing together, this is their first year to be eligible for the Century Club qualifying ride. A misstep on the trail last year that left Bear lame for four months, and his own aversion to bouncing on the ground, convinced Combs to take up the challenge this year.

Combs and Bear both enjoy dressage, and both are a bit lazy, Combs said. However, it’s hard to believe that of Combs, who also volunteers teaching printmaking at the YMCA.

Equestrian sports generally separate kids from adults, but place women and men in the same event. Schooling events are judged unrated and not sanctioned by the U.S. Equestrian Federation. The Century Club test of rider and horse is a Schooling event, scored on a 0-100% scale, with 50% as the bar for passing and completing each task: walk, trot and canter with circles and change of direction.

Before entering the arena, each pair takes time to practice outside the performance ring where lettered markers denote places for changing tasks. Combs said that he’s always a bit nervous entering the ring, even though there is not a lot of pressure. “It’s just communicating with my buddy and remembering the sequence of tasks.”

Bear appeared nervous during the warm-up laps, distracted and a bit skittish, but from the moment they entered the ring Combs and Bear moved as one. They worked through the level two test routine, performing each task without a missed step or moment of hesitation. When they came to a stop in the center of the arena and Combs gave his final nod to the judges, his family and friends were cheering in the stands. Their last hoorah was over in just eight minutes.

Combs’ wife and daughter were there to present the ribbon and roses, and to lead Bear back to his favorite reward — after dinner mints that he savored as he was brushed down and showered with the affection of his family.

Other riders at the event included little girls and adults on all types and sizes of horse breeds. Each sporting the accoutrement of their sport, caring for animals that “eat like a horse” in this era where the price of hay has shot up. All rode to the best of their abilities, and ribbons were in most hands as the riders returned to their horse trailers.

But the senior team of Combs and Bear were the celebrities of the day, honored for their commitment, experience and longevity

in the team sport, celebrated as they joined the “Centurion Class” of athletes — experienced not just in horsemanship but in unique life experiences in and out of the saddle.