This article is from the August 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

DUSTY

Age: 36
Height: 12.2hh
Breeding: Welsh Mountain Pony  

Owner’s Details

Name: Ann-Maree Lourey
State: New South Wales

Ann-Maree, how did your One in a Million pony come into your life? Dusty was the first pony we owned for our daughter, Dimity Lourey, when she was five back in 1997. He belonged to a client whose two kids had lost interest in riding, in fact I had taught the daughter on him, and we did a contra for half of his value in lessons/training and paid the other half!

What was his known history before you? Dusty was bought at age 18 months from a suburban backyard in Edgeworth, NSW, by dressage rider Alan Nicholson for his five-year-old son, Mark. At that time, Dusty was buckskin. Alan broke him in and ultimately Dusty became Mark’s open D-grade showjumper! Whoever heard of a 12.2hh pony jumping – and winning – open D-grade showjumping at ag shows with a 12yo boy on his back? If I hadn’t seen the video evidence I wouldn’t have believed it! Dusty was sold to Alan’s friend Frances when Mark grew out of him, and Frances sold him to me.

Share with us why Dusty is One in a Million. Dusty came to Dimity when she was five years old. She turns 28 this year. Dusty took her to top ten at State Pony Dressage Championships at Clarendon when she was just six or seven, taught her to jump, and carried her to so many champion dressage awards and pony club championships. He taught her so many life lessons - the making of her and her resilience as a rider. We sold him for the same price we paid for him, which was $8,000, to a little girl called Brooke. She is now married and about to have a child of her own! She sold him to Emily and Emily’s mum offered him back to us when Emily outgrew him under protest. At nearly 30 he came back to Byalee on agistment, and still with a $3,000 price tag, for my friend’s daughter, Neve. He was worth every cent. When Neve outgrew Dusty, he was given back to Byalee Stables where he has continued to teach hundreds and hundreds of children to ride, from age three up, special needs and all. He has the school pony ‘tranter’ down to a fine art, practically stops and catches the children when they wobble and stops to eat grass up the far end of the arena if the child isn’t bossy enough, which entertains the parents no end. Dusty stands like a rock for kids to practise falling off, for round the world, for sobbing, crying, anxious children… he is THE most saintly pony it is possible to find and I have no idea how we will ever replace him.

What is Dusty up to today? Dusty is a grand old 36. Every year, no, every week is a blessing. Dimity is now a competitive Grand Prix rider and eventer and Dusty has been teaching HER daughter Kara to ride since we could sit her in the saddle. Dusty allows Kara, age four, to walk, trot and canter solo, and ride out around our property. Just thinking about a life without Dusty in it brings us to tears. It’s been 21 years and counting since he came into our lives and he has been the making of so many children that Facebook will be flooded with tears when his time is finally up. Dusty is absolutely the definition of a One in a Million pony. If only we could clone this precious old man.

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