WELLS — A Native American proverb says horses truly help heal and guide us to discover hidden parts of ourselves and for one Wells resident, that’s an evident truth.

Mary Jordan of Wells has been riding horses from the time she could first walk growing up in Clinton, New York, and she now works in the hospitality and catering industry. She was diagnosed more than 10 years ago with relapsing multiple sclerosis and credits her passion for horses in helping her keep her illness in check and to realize her dreams of competing in some of the most prestigious equestrian events around the world.

Just two weeks ago, Jordan became the only person with RMS to compete in the highest-level dressage competition in the United States when she rode her horse Rubicon 75 in the  U.S. Dressage Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, against able-bodied equestrians. It was actually the third time she’s competed in that event and she finished 11th overall among dozens of riders in her class in the competition. She had qualified for the national finals by winning the musical dressage freestyle pro division in Saugerties, New York, in September.

“There’s definitely a bond and a relationship you develop when you’re performing with your horse,” Jordan said. “I chose to compete in dressage because it has all the challenges of a cerebral activity, but it’s also very expressive.”

Dressage is defined by the International Equestrian Federation as the highest expression of horse training and is an exercise where a horse and a rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements that require precision art of movement and maximum levels of communication between the two.

Jordan, the mother of a young son and a wife, is the third person in her family to have been diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis and turned to the sport of dressage as personal therapy instead of giving up and letting her illness dictate what she could accomplish in life.

“When I was able to stand and walk again, I got on my horse,” she said. “I wanted to show my son what could be possible.”

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s own immune system and destroys the myelin sheath that insulates neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Disruption of communication between the brain and other parts of the body prevent normal passage of sensations and control messages, leading to the symptoms of MS. A person with relapsing multiple sclerosis experiences attacks of worsening neurological functioning, followed by periods of remission in which partial or complete recovery occurs.

Jordan said that she encourages those living with a chronic illness to not only strive to reach their goals, but to use each hardship they may face as a stepping stone and motivation.

“I think I do grapple with muscular stiffness and bladder issues, but I have to say that being active and pursuing my sport has impacted my MS in positive ways,” Jordan said. “I’m training harder and my riding and physical activity has kept me in the game.”

Her battle against RMS has inspired Jordan to reach what many would have thought impossible following her diagnosis. She tried out for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, was a key member the US Para-equestrian Dressage Team in Melbourne, Australia in what resulted in a gold medal for the team, she earned a spot on the U.S. Grade 4 Para-Equestrian Team that competed in the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010, and she was the top-scoring U.S. rider at the 2009 FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championship in Norway.

According to Jordan, the bond she shares with her 13-year-old horse continues to deepen the longer she owns him.

“He’s been an enormous blessing,” she said. “He’s tall and it’s like riding a giraffe. He’s really a marshmallow deep inside and loves people. He lives in our backyard and we take care of him every day.”

To prepare for the intensity of dressage competition, Jordan typically spends four to six days a week working with Rubicon 75, in addition to his regular horse-care regimen and all of their training and hard work was rewarded in the U.S. Dressage Finals.

“Rubicon was so relaxed under the lights of the arena,” Jordan said. “It was obvious he was having a good time.”

To help share her inspirational story, Jordan has partnered with a sponsor, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and hopes to motivate and educate others about the possibilities available to them while living with a disability.

“The most challenging aspect of this sport is funding it,” she said. “I don’t think people realize how difficult it is to fund. To go to competitions you have to go halfway across the country and then there’s entry fees, stable fees, travel fees for you and your horse, veterinary care, the truck and trailer, hotels and food, coaching lessons and the blacksmith. It really adds up.”

Her goal is to keep riding as long as it’s possible and she wants to ride in the ParaOlympics in Tokyo in 2020.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this,” Jordan said. “My core mission is that I feel a bond with MS patients as much as horses. I hope I can connect with a the parents of children diagnosed with MS to show them there are ways to keep moving forward.”

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com  

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