DWF Dunamis
Owning Dunamis was nothing short of a miracle. Chris and I lost absolutely everything we owned on January 6, 2008 to a house fire. My mother and I had made plans to attend Desert Jewel's Open House in February of 2008, and luckily we had already made arrangements prior to the devastating fire. While there, we got to view a seperate barn that housed many of the Desert Jewel beauties. Duna was one of Jen's "keepers" and was never intended to be sold. I first thought she was a stallion prospect due to the amount of bone she had at such a young age. I was told who she was and that she wasn't for sale. Although disappointed, I never gave up hope. Duna just happened to be showcased on Sunday of the Open House, and I spent hours admiring her and giving her scratches. My mother convinced me to ask Jen if she was for sale, and I can guarentee you that she didn't have to twist my arm! Jen informed me that she was, in fact, for sale and was willing to work with me every step of the way. The rest, they say, is history. Duna arrived to her forever home with us in March of 2008, and not one single day goes by that I don't have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming when I look out my window and see such a blessing in our pasture.
Duna has had minimal training, but she has excelled so quickly that one would think she has been in training for all of six months or more. On only our fourth ride together, Duna and I went down the road. She didn't completely understand what was expected of her, but she never took one wrong step and complied to everything I asked.
My newphew's third birthday was in July of 2008, and with only minimal training, Duna performed like a star giving the children "pony rides".
In June of 2008, I took Duna to her first dressage show for an in-hand class. The class included four other horses, including two Warmblood colts, one who is being run on as a stallion prospect! Duna tied for first place with one of the Warmbloods, scoring a 68%! I couldn't have been more thrilled!
In September of 2008, I brought Duna to her second dressage show where she would actually be competing under saddle. My main goal was to expose her to show life and give her some experience, not to be competitive. However, she surpassed all my expectations and then some, scoring a 66% in Intro A and a 69% in Intro B under the scrutinizing eyes of two very tough but fair judges!
Duna has completed her training for 2008 and will resume training in the summer of 2009. Be sure to keep an eye out for this amazing lady as she is sure to make a name for herself!
On May 5, 2009, Duna blessed us with a flawless Gypsy colt, whom we named Papale. Papale is sired by the ever fabulous Silver Bullet (now proudly owned by Villa Vanners). Check out the For Sale page for more information! Make sure to check back to see who Duna is being bred to for a 2010 Gypsy foal!
On August 8, 2009, Duna attended her first dressage show of 2009. I had just finished braiding her when I heard our name announced as "on deck"; I wasn't even changed into my show clothes yet! As it turned out, they were a full twenty-five minutes ahead for my class. We arrived down by the ring with enough time for a five minute warm-up, and then it was show time. Although Duna was worried about her now three-month-old colt, Papale, waiting for her all by himself outside of the ring, she tried very hard to do what I asked of her. Although there were a few bloopers in the test, Duna received a score 67% in Intro A. Her second class was in a different arena, which was flooded from a storm that had ripped through the night prior. As so many horses had refused to even enter the area due to the "lake" that had formed at A, a rail was taken down at B for riders to enter. However, Duna is a trooper and I knew she would go through the "lake" without causing a fuss. However, stopping coming down the centerline proved to be an issue as she wanted to keep going to get to Papale;) She was a bit more nervous about her baby boy during this ride as Papale had to wait for her outside of the ring, which was next to the warm-up arena, and she had a harder time picking him out in the crowd. I was able to channel her nervous energy into a lovely forward tempo, enough so that the judge gave her an 8 on gaits and gave her a score of 75% overall! It was a fabulous day; Duna was definitely a star.
On September 25th, 26th, and 27th of 2009, Duna attended the Heartland Feathered Classic in Danville, Indiana. This was our first "breed show", and I am quite happy with how she did. She placed in each class she was in, earning a fourth place in Gypsy Mares 4 and Over, another fourth place in Gypsy Produce of Dam, and a third place in the Open Color Class.
On June 2, 2010, Duna foaled an exceptional Gypsy colt, whom we named Lazarus. "Rusty" is sired by none other than RockAFella. Rusty is currently for sale; check out the For Sale page for more information.
Click on any of the below photos to enlarge!
