Danny... the Para Horse??

They say necessity is the mother of invention—and never has that been more true than yesterday evening at Wheatland Farm.

As we were preparing our beloved Tollhouse Chocolate Chip for his trip to the Upperville showgrounds, we discovered that he wasn’t quite himself. A little too much frolicking in the field had left him just off enough to make the difficult decision: Chip would have to stay home.

It was a heartbreaking moment. Chip and Mackenzie have shared nearly a decade of partnership, and with the Therapeutic Riding and Para Dressage Celebration showcase just days away—not to mention a WUSA Channel 9 film crew scheduled to capture Mackenzie and Chip in action at Upperville the next morning—the question loomed large: Who could possibly take Chip’s place?

Enter Anthony Forrest, and a brilliant idea born of both instinct and faith: Diamo AWH. “Danny,” as he’s affectionately known, is Anthony’s exceptional four-year-old Dutch Warmblood, who has been nothing short of phenomenal all week long in the Green Hunter division. Calm, kind, confident—and totally untested in para dressage—Danny was the long-shot solution. And yet, Anthony believed he was exactly the right horse for the job.

Mackenzie, ever fearless, never batted an eye. Even when she learned that her very first ride on Danny would take place in the middle of the very busy Upperville showgrounds—with TV cameras rolling.

And so, early this morning, something truly magical unfolded. With the UCHS staff and news crew looking on, Mackenzie and Danny stepped into the Hunter II warm-up ring—and literally danced. Despite having never ridden Danny before, Mackenzie was exceptional, and Danny responded- they moved together with the quiet understanding and trust that makes our sport so beautiful.

While it wasn’t the plan to leave Chip at home, and although Danny had never carried a para rider before, the stars aligned in the most unexpected and wonderful way. Danny will now be Mackenzie’s partner for Saturday’s big showcase in the Parker Ring at 2:00 p.m.

We’ll miss Chip very much this Saturday—but he’ll be back soon. In the meantime, we are in awe of the generosity of horses like Danny, who rise to new occasions with heart and grace, and of the courage of riders like Mackenzie, who meet every challenge with poise and joy.

Bravo, Danny and Mackenzie—and thank you, Anthony, for your trust, your quick thinking, and your extraordinary horse.

Danny and Mackenzie, together for the first time.