First local Nebraskan awarded to The Century Club of The Dressage Foundation

Quite an honor for a Nebraska woman today. Dressage style equestrian, Lynn Robertson, is 73 and is still doing what she loves.

The National Dressage Foundation, founded by Lincoln local Lowell Boomer, created a special membership called the century club, where nominated riders and their horses have to total 100 years in age between the both of them.

Lynn Robertson of Long Pine Nebraska is the first Nebraskan to join the club, where it all started.

“I was looking through the booklet and there weren’t any from Nebraska so I thought, well we’re old enough and we’re in fairly good shape, so we’re gonna go for it and try to be the first Nebraskan to get the century club award,” Robertson said. 

Lynn is 73 and her horse, Friday, is 29, making 102 years in between.

“I never thought I would get this old, I never thought my horse would get live this long. I raised him from a baby and I had his mother and she died and his brother passed on also, so he is the last of the line.”

Riders have to ride a Dressage test successfully at the show.

Once they complete all requirements, they win the award.

Robertson says they passed the test so they’re both satisfied, “He’s a trooper.”

Dressage riding is a style that is French for “to train” and dates back to Calvary maneuvers during wartime.

“The judges looking for nice bend and harmony between horse and rider, that everything is being executed very calmly and quietly,” Grant Coordinator of The Dressage Foundation, Jane Fucinaro said. 

In other words, the dressage is like a dance, between rider and horse, and the style is graceful especially with senior riders.

“It really has become an inspirational group of people. Other equestrians hear about these senior riders and horses that are still active and riding and showing in Dressage,” Executive Director of The Dressage Foundation, Jenny Johnson said. 

For some younger riders, The Century Club is a bucket list goal.

After this, Robertson has hopes to retire the competitive edge and let the spotlight move on to the younger riders.

” [Friday] had a long life and he’s had a lot of work in Dressage earlier in his mid years, so he’d like to retire and hangout with his pasture buddy,” Robertson said. 

Most horses live to be 25 years. At 29, Friday is well past normal life expectancy. The oldest horse in the century club is 37 and the oldest rider is 95. 

The National Dressage Foundation will be holding the show championships the last Sunday of this September. For further questions and inquiries, click here.