Back in Saddle at 95 Years

Nina Gromova, Star of Soviet Equestrian Sport, Back in Saddle at 95 Years of Age 17 HOURS AGO  ADMIN  COMMENTS OFFON NINA GROMOVA, STAR OF SOVIET EQUESTRIAN SPORT, BACK IN SADDLE AT 95 YEARS OF AGENina Gromova celebrating her 95th birthday back in the saddle.

MOSCOW, Mar. 8, 2017–Nina Gromova, a star of equestrian sports during the era of the Soviet Union, returned to the saddle Tuesday at the age of 95.

She rode a 15-year-old Latvian-bred mare named Moulin Rouge at the Grand International Equestrian Club “PRADAR” in Moscow.

Nina, who outlived the 70 years of the Soviet Union, was famous for competing the same horse–the Thoroughbred Dida (Blasius x Dideldumdei)–in dressage, show jumping, eventing and steeplechase. The pair were national champions in both eventing and jumping.

Her biggest success was in dressage with the duo climbing to Olympic level.

A much younger Nina Gromova.

Nina ended her competition career early to devoting herself to judging and working at international competition rules as a member of the first FEI Dressage Committee together with Horst Niemack of Germany and Gustaf Nyblaeus of Sweden.

She coached riders in Belarus and Lithuania and continued non-competition riding until she fractured her hip in a fall in the 1990s.

She was back in the saddle Tuesday to celebrate her 95th birthday.