She earned fame with the flashy chestnut named in honor of her grandmother, whose maiden name had been Thomson before she married one of the Dodge brothers who founded the car company.
Diana Dodge
Born in London of American parents, Dodge learned to ride in Windsor Great Park as a child. She graduated from Smith College before embarking on her breeding career. Her Nokomis Farm in Montpelier Station, Va., became famous for producing winning show hunters.
Sir Thomson, who was Best Young Horse at Devon, had been as well-known for earning championships in the ring as he was for his stud duties.
Dodge was totally devoted to her farm and the animals who lived there.
“Horses teach you the important things in life,” she liked to say.
As Nancy Peterson noted on social media, “She was part of the Dodge family tradition of horses: The Dodge name appears in so many different disciplines, including the American Saddlebreds, hunters, as well as horses in the dressage and eventing world. Last year, she attended the Olympics and was in the front row of spectators watching and critiquing every horse and rider, always quoting her mentors from years past.
“Her knowledge of the different disciplines was amazing and her “back to basics” philosophy was ironclad. She was an amazing horsewoman. This is a loss for all of us.”