OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Defying the odds would be an understatement, sometimes certain things are just meant to be.
It seemed unfathomable, but that’s because you don’t know Jill Henneberg or Nirvana II, and the bond between horse and rider.
The thought that a horse who was purchased for $600 would find its way to the Olympics, doesn’t seem possible. But for Henneberg, now an Ocala resident, nobody was going to tell her that she couldn’t do something.
A determined teenager with an intrepid spirit seemed to be the right fit for a diminutive thoroughbred mare with a feisty demeanor. The two forged a bond that would eventually find them at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games, as part of the U.S. eventing team.
“It’s pretty special to be able to do that on your first horse. One you bought for $600. One that nobody thought would amount to anything,” said Henneberg. “She was just all heart. She was a tiny little pip of a thing. She was probably 15.3 hands on her tallest day. But she had a huge jump, big gallop and great heart.”
Nirvana II, because of her inexpensive price tag, was nicknamed Cheapers, the antithesis of her athletic ability and her willingness.
“We were a force to be reckoned with in many ways,” said Henneberg. “I would definitely say she took on my personality a bit. We had a really deep friendship. Me and that horse, bonded sort of like none other, which also helped. I don’t know if she would’ve gone the way she went for me, if a professional would’ve come in and just taken over the ride. It was definitely a relationship.”
However, her scopey athleticism proved to be a huge part of her character, something that helped pave the way for the combination as they made their way up the levels and caught the eyes of the U.S. team selectors.
“The horse was as brave as a lion. There was no saying no, when it came to jumping the jumps,” said Henneberg. “She loved every bit of that job.”
Success started to become routine for the horse and rider. An opportunity to compete on the international stage provided Henneberg and Nirvana II with a chance to realize their dreams. But their journey to Atlanta wasn’t as seamless as one would imagine.
Even after success at the highest level in the United States, the chance to compete in the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina didn’t materialize.
“Making that phone call to pull myself off the Pan Am team wasn’t the most fun phone call I’ve ever made,” said Henneberg. “I credit Brendan Furlong for figuring out what was going on with the mare, and getting her right, and keeping her right. At the end of the day, it’s such a massive team effort to get these horses at the top of their game and keep them sound, happy and fit. To make sure they’re at their peak fitness when they go to the Olympics games.”
A few months later, a phone call would change Henneberg’s life.
“I was always a very competitive kid, a competitive person. But when you actually hear the words that you made the Olympic team, it’s a feeling like none other,” said Henneberg. “It was an incredible experience, one that’s surreal.”
This year’s Olympics in France are evocative of Henneberg’s own experience at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. Memories that the Ocala realtor cherishes.
“What an experience to go to an Olympic Games in your home country,” said Henneberg. “I got chills last weekend watching the cross-country, listening to the cheers of the Frenchmen going around on cross-country because I remember what that was like. I’ve always been a proud American, but that moment on the podium, and the honor that I felt to represent this great nation. It’s one of those feelings that you’ll never have again. You’re so incredibly lucky to have that experience in your life.”