At 100 years old, Elizabeth Breton has no plans to stop doing what she loves most—horseback riding. The great-grandmother from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, has been riding since before she could walk, and she still saddles up twice a week, proving that passion and determination know no age.
“I’ve been riding since I was two—for 98 years,” she said. “I could ride rather confidently by the time I was six—I must have started before I could walk, really.”
Born in 1924, Breton was introduced to horseback riding by her father, a farmer, who placed her on a pony before she could even take her first steps. Growing up in rural Lincolnshire, where horses were central to daily life, she quickly became a skilled rider. One of her earliest memories is riding a pony named Snowflake.
“My father was a farmer, and in the early days of the 20th century, if you didn’t ride and you didn’t hunt, you had no social life,” she recalled. “You couldn’t go out to an evening meal without carriages and horses, so it was a very different scene than the one today.”
For many years, riding was an integral part of her life, but after suffering heartbreak from the loss of two horses—one with a broken leg and another with a severe heart condition—she stepped away from the sport for three decades.
“We had two awful tragedies with horses,” she explained. “I lost two horses—one broke a leg and the other had a bad heart, so we had to put him down, and it broke my heart really, so I didn’t bother anymore.”
However, in her 70s, a simple invitation from her son reignited her lifelong passion.
“My son kept having horsing girlfriends, and they persuaded him to buy a horse one day, so then he asked his mother if she would like to come and ride it,” she said. “So I got going, and it took me about three months, riding twice a week, to get the feel of it again—I feel at home on a horse.”
Breton not only returned to riding but also took up competitive events, winning a cross-country championship class at the age of 78. Although she no longer competes, she still enjoys her regular rides through the picturesque village of Stanton, visiting Cotswolds Riding at Jill Carenza Equestrian twice a week.
“I think once a week would be barely enough—twice a week keeps you up together,” she said. “I don’t know how much longer I’ve got. There are people who enjoy me being around because sometimes I think I’m quite ready to go.”
Despite her age, she remains undeterred, embracing the deep connection she has always felt with horses.
“It just feels right in every department. I feel it right up through my body, and I love horses,” she said. “I like dogs—I had one very special dog—but I do feel a connection with horses.”
Looking back on her lifelong love of riding, Breton embraces every challenge that comes with it, including the occasional fall.
“They used to say when I was a young girl that you had to fall off 90 times before you could ride—part of riding is falling off,” she said. “And I must have learned how to fall because I do know how to fall—I don’t want to put it to the test, but I should probably cope.”
Even after a century, Breton’s love for horseback riding remains unwavering.
“Despite giving up for 30 years, I’m not worn out. It’s in my DNA,” she said.
For her, riding is not just a hobby—it’s a way of life, and she plans to continue as long as she can.