Blaine equestrian Diane Moon achieves Century Club status

When Blaine resident Diane Moon began riding horses 30 years ago, at age 50, she knew she was unlike a lot of her peers who had begun riding at much younger ages.

What Moon lacked in youthful pony club and summer camp experiences on horseback, she made up for with her strong desire to stay physically fit. Together with her horse, Chimo, she competed successfully in show jumping for 13 years until he needed to retire from sport due to age related issues. Being “horseless” did not deter Moon, who then decided to learn dressage on leased horses and lesson mounts.  Her husband, David, supported this choice because it seemed safer than jumping and no one was getting younger.

Dressage is a French word that translates to “training.” The International Federation for Equestrian Sports describes dressage as “the highest expression of horse training” and considers it the most artistic of the equestrian sports. According to the international federation, the tests are ridden from memory and follow a prescribed pattern of movements, except for freestyle, which is choreographed for each horse and performed to music.

Moon has studied dressage with excellent instructors internationally including Monique Fraser in B.C. and Dawn Morgan of Valley View Farm in Ferndale.

Now, at age 80, her most recent accomplishment on horseback was realized during a United States Dressage Foundation recognized horse show held at Whidbey Equestrian Center in Coupeville on August 10. Moon rode Vanity Fair, a 23-year-old Hanoverian cross mare.

It was a special milestone for both rider and horse as they went down centerline to complete a century ride, when the horse and riders combined age is 100 years or more. The United States Dressage Foundation officially recognized this achievement. Moon and Vanity Fair enjoyed a very respectable score from the judges of 69.423 percent. In a presentation, Moon was awarded an engraved vase and flowers from her coach and teammates, and given the highly coveted century ride ribbon that few riders will attain.

Moon is dedicated to staying active and riding down centerline for dressage tests at age 80. She is truly an inspiration to those around her – in horsemanship, and life.

Deborah Cole, of Spokane, owns Vanity Fair, the horse that Diane Moon rode for the century ride.