'Boggled my mind': Woman finds 60-year-old photo of herself on souvenir while secondhand shopping

Secondhand stores always have interesting finds, and a former Nova Scotia lancer recently got more than she bargained for.

Elizabeth Johnson says she can hardly remember a photo taken of her in 1955 on a horse while standing guard at Halifax’s Citadel Hill.

During an annual visit to Newfoundland and Labrador, Johnson and her friend made their way to a secondhand store.

It was there where they found a picture of a young lancer on a saucer.

“She was over in the china and she called me and said, ‘Liz, come over here. I think that you're going to recognize this,’ and I was absolutely shocked to realize that there I was, Liz Egan (Johnson) on Whisper.”

Johnson says she loved riding as a young girl and it wasn't long until she joined Halifax's Bengal Lancers.

“It was a joyous time in my life, because every day after school I went down to the stables and rode. And of course the Musical Ride was very important.”

Johnson remembers skipping time at her family cottage to spend summer days practicing for the RCMP equestrian event.

She says it was an honour to be a member.

“We performed before Princess Elizabeth, Princess Alexandra, Lord Cornwallis, Princess Margaret… many, many important people."

Johnson's husband, David, was also a horse lover with his own family ties to the lancers.

“David's father and mother and brothers all rode in the Halifax Riding and Driving Club. My husband as well,” she says.

After moving from Halifax, Johnson continued to teach riders in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

“Things were not done safely that I noticed right away coming to the farming area,” she says. “So I gathered children together and we had a wonderful relationship -- the Annapolis Pony Club was started."

While Johnson can't ride any longer, she now has a new hobby. Since finding herself on a saucer, Johnson has been looking to track down other pieces in the dishware set.