Donna Moore, a legendary horsewoman best known for her great success in the Saddlebred world, died Jan. 18 at Tanbark Health Center near Lexington after a long illness. She was 82.
Born Jan. 28, 1931, in Kansas City, Mo., Moore moved to Versailles in 1970 and developed a first-class Saddlebred operation there. She paved the way for women in the show horse industry and was a member of the World's Championship Horse Show Hall of Fame and the United Professional Horsemen's Association Hall of Fame. In 2008, she was named the American Royal Horseperson of the Year.
Moore was also recipient of the American Saddle Horse Association's Wing Commander Award and the United States Equestrian Federation's Gold Pegasus Medal, and is in the Kentucky State Fair Hall of Fame. She was responsible for introducing actor William Shatner to the Saddlebred world. In her later years, she bred and owned Thoroughbreds.
Moore is survived by daughters Melissa Moore of Versailles and Melinda Moore of Lawrenceburg; sister Mary Ann (Owen) Clayton of Kansas; brother David Hobbs of Kansas; grandchildren Ashley (Nate) Strahan and Erin Gatlin; and great-grandson Brody Thomas Strahan.
Clark Legacy Center is handling arrangements. Services for Moore are being planned for a later date.