Winny (aka "Super Winny") is our all-star!  Her default mode in the herd might seem to be "grumpy introvert", but in truth, she is the mentor, modeling calm behavior for the others and meting out consequences for the rare disruption or failure to heed the established norms.  When Winny sees an opportunity to step aside from her herd role and interact with a human friend, she immediately perks up.  Once under saddle, Winny transforms into a fun, energetic, and trustworthy trail mount for any level of rider (even when a mountain bike plunging downhill skids to a halt under her nose and inches from her chest ... yeah, yikes!).

Prior to joining us at Lost Creek, Winny was schooled in both dressage and jumping, she spent time working both as a lesson horse and a therapy horse, and she took inner-city kids with no horse experience out for trail rides ... wearing only reins on a flat halter.  Winny has produced three much-loved foals (including our own Chestry).  She's our go-to horse when we need absolute reliability for any reason or activity, including a good example and mentor for any of our other horses or the foals.  Although she'll treat a newbie rider as carefully as glass, she demands accuracy and attention from more capable riders (but would never stoop to harming one, no matter how arrogant).  Winny definitely qualifies as versatile.

Although Winny has not been entered in any competitions that we're aware of, she has many high-achieving close relatives:
• dam Holly I is NFHR blue-evaluated, with B3 and HOF awards
• daughter FMF Liesl is currently competing at Fourth Level dressage, has placed in eventing competition, and was the 2017 USEF Dressage Pony Cup Champion
• maternal full-uncle Orgone (aka "Fuzz") was National Dressage Pony Cup Reserve Champion at Intermediare/Small Tour Open in 2023
• maternal half-uncle Blue Raven Farm Octane (aka "Baby") was awarded National Dressage Pony Cup Champion Open Prix St. George’s and Small Tour in 2023
• Blue Raven Farm Osten, another maternal half-uncle, received Open National Champion Second Level in the 2021 National Dressage Pony Cup year-end awards.
• sire Gjest has produced a number of accomplished and much-appreciated offspring, including active stallions BDF Obelisk and Ironwood Blitzen 

Winny has an outstanding, well-muscled hip and appropriate croup angle, excellent bone, and excellent length and freedom of stride.  Despite being only 13.2hh, Winny can and usually does outwalk horses a full hand or more taller than she is, and her trot is wonderfully free and easy to ride — no choppy stuff outta this gal!  The market and most Fjord breeders would rather Winny had "more leg" for appearances sake.  We don't confuse her shorter legs with inferior ability to bear weight or to engage her supporting "ring of muscles" (both biomechanically flawed presumptions), and we appreciate Winny just the way she is.  However, we do make stallion selections with the goal that her offspring will have a more market-appealing leg length while still maintaining Winny's strong, supple, and functional body.

Genetically, Winny is a unique combination (her younger full brother was gelded) — at no other time was her prolific sire Gjest bred to the Orka line at all — and as such, Winny is a valuable genetic adjunct to her many well-known paternal half-siblings.

Winny handles every aspect of pregnancy with aplomb, and it has been our intention that she have the opportunity to produce more foals while she can.  However, we're also itching to spend more time enjoying her out on the trail!  We hope Winny will produce at least one more filly for us (in addition to Chestry); if not, we plan to geld and retain a colt as one of our future riding partners — because we enjoy Winny's foals that much!  In any case, once Winny's "reproductive clock" has run out, she will remain here for the rest of her days, continuing to serve as our lead trail and play horse until she requests retirement to being "only" the much-loved herd elder and mentor.

Winny enjoys snuggling with either Jim or Gwen, going places with her newfound and ultra-respectful friend Hallie, and knowing that Lost Creek is her permanent home. 

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Winny's foals to date:

• FMF Liesl (2011 mare by Flotren)
• Lost Creek Chestry (2019 mare by Tsjalle)
• Lost Creek Wynston (2021 gelding by OFI Siljar)

Winny is confirmed in foal to Njord Halsnaes, and is due during the first half of May 2024.  We plan to retain the resulting foal regardless of sex.

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The naming convention at Beaver Dam Farm was that all foals born in a particular year were given a name starting with the same letter of alphabet; 2005 was the "W" year.  Winny has gone by her nickname since birth and for her entire life, although it's been spelled various ways by prior owners; we've kept the most recent spelling.