Famous Horses in History—Hollywood Dun It by Donna Schlachter with Giveaway

From McQuay Stables website

Last month, we learned about one of the foundational sires of the Thoroughbred line of horses, and this month, we’ll talk about a famous American Quarter Horse named Hollywood Dun It.

Born in 1983, some may consider he doesn’t quite qualify as “historical”; however, that was more than 40 years ago (how quickly time goes). Plus, he accomplished several notable feats important to the American Quarter Horse lineage. His sire and dam were horses of renown in the American Quarterhorse breed.

Dun It, as he was known by, was bred be Gwen Steid of Illinois, and later purchased by the McQuays of Texas. Tim McQuay was a trainer, and he surpassed $2 million in earnings in the National Reining Horse Association.

A "Big Stop" Reining Horse movement -- From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It’s first championship came early on when, as a three-year-old in 1986, Tim McQuay rode him to the Reining Horse Open Futurity Reserve Champion. Reining is a western riding competition for horses where riders guide their horse through a pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All movements are perfomed at a lope, known around the world as a canter, or a gallop. Crowd-pleasing moves include the Sliding Stop, the Rollback, and Spins, among others. The next year, he was named Reining Horse Open Derby Champion and Reining Horse Open Superstakes Champion. Overall, he won more than $65,000 as a reining horse.

This fine horse loved people, according to the McQuays. Visitors came daily. When asked why they took the time to travel, most said either because of his winning spirit or his proliferation of offspring, but most agreed it was his personality. Dun It was a “people” horse who enjoyed monkeying around with a crowd.

From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It was retired to stud in 1988, and he produced many offspring, many who went on to win large purses in their own right, including six that won more than $100,000 in Lifetime Reining Horse winnings. Dun It was the first sire to produce foals with earnings of $3 million and then $4 million. And he became the second stallion to reach $6 million in stud fees even after his death.

His offspring have also performed well in other disciplines such as working cow horse and barrel racing. They are known for their attractive looks and extreme trainability, and include both Quarterhorse and Reining Horse World Champions.

In 1998, Breyer Horse Creation, a company that specializes in making plastic models of animals, especially horses, created a model of Dun It. Sales were so good the item became a collector’s item and was taken off the production line.

From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It was inducted into the National Reining Horse Association of Fame in 2000, and in 2012, into the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame.

From McQuay Stables website

 

When Dun it died in 2005 at the age of 22, he was suffering from several health conditions, and the McQuays felt the compassionate thing was to euthanize. Tim McQuay said it was a difficult decision, as Dun It had been part of their family for over 20 years, and that their daughter—and even they themselves—had grown up with Dun It.

From McQuay Stables website

 

However, Dun It’s good looks and personality live on in the thousands of foals he sired. The next time you attend a county fair, state fair, or western event, keep an eye out for the dun-colored Quarterhorses performing in the ring. One of them could be Dun It’s grandson or granddaughter.



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About Donna:

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick, three housemates, and two cats who rule the roost. As a hybrid author, she writes squeaky clean historical suspense and contemporary suspense. She has been traditionally and indie published more than 60 times in novellas, full-length novels, devotional books, and books on the writing craft. Donna ghostwrites, edits, and judges in writing contests. She is also a Certified Book Coach, helping authors move their book projects forward. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both. In her spare time, she paints like a whirling Banshee Bob Ross-style in oil on canvas, minus the Afro.

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Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Dun_It

https://www.mcquaystables.com/in-memory-of-hollywood-dun-it/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reining

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breyer_Animal_Creations