U.S. para dressage rider Fiona Howard had only five rides under her belt with her new equine partner, Diamond Dunes, when they contested their first CPEDI3* together at the World Equestrian Center-Ocala (Florida) in March 2024. But the pair swept the grade II classes there, winning each one with increasing scores over 70 percent. It was to be the start of a season which culminated in the pair leading the U.S. para dressage team to its first Paralympic team gold, a world # 1 ranking, and "Dunes" being recognized by the U.S. Equestrian Federation as a 2024 International Horse of Honor. But to understand Dunes' story, it is important to first hear Howard's.
Although dual-citizen Howard is still relatively new to the international para dressage community, growing up in the U.K., she was an avid equestrian, and gained experience in many different disciplines. But a series of increasingly debilitating health challenges, including digestive and cardiac issues and dystonia, a chronic neurological disorder, meant that at 16, Howard and her family relocated to the U.S. so she could pursue treatment at Boston Children's Hospital. Her various illnesses kept Howard out of the saddle for nearly four years.
When she started taking riding lessons at Harmony Horse Stables in Littleton, Massachusetts, at a young adult, it was without any lofty ambitions, and she had to essentially re-learn how to use her body in the saddle. As her health improved, Howard's connection to horses and the opportunity to ride became more and more central to her long-term well-being. She rode her first para dressage tests at schooling shows in 2021, was classified as Grade II the following year, and made her official FEI para dressage debut at the 2022 Perrigo CPEDI3* in Tryon, North Carolina, aboard De Nouvelle Vie.
Since then, Howard's commitment to para sport has deepened, and she now divides her time between Wellington, Florida, and Hagen, Germany, where she has several horses in training at Hof Kasselmann. It was Francois Kasselmann who first recognized that Dunes, who had experience on the small tour in Europe but had never been a para mount, might be a perfect match for Howard. He made arrangements to send the then 11-year-old gelding to his Florida base for Howard to try. She attributes the rapid development of their partnership to Dunes' "big heart."
"From the first ride, he has always tried to do what I am asking," said Howard. "He did not always understand, but he kept trying until we figured it out. He has never held any of my mistakes against me. Dunes gives me so much confidence when I enter the ring. I can trust him."
But it isn't just in the arena where Dunes and Howard found a connection.
"My favorite thing to do is sit with him in his stall when he is laying down," said Howard. "He will just rest his head in my lap. Honestly, Dunes never fails to make me smile, as he really has a big, goofy personality, but is also so kind and gentle. He likes to try and drink my tea in the morning-I try to hide it from him but he is very quick to find it, which always makes me laugh."
Dunes and Howard spent the spring and summer of 2024 deepening their partnership abroad. They represented the U.S. at CPEDI3* in Manheim (Germany) and Hagen (Germany); in Hagen, they again won all their classes and earned the top combined score for the U.S. team. That fall, they were named to the U.S. Para Dressage team for the Paris Paralympics, where Howard and her teammates made history by capturing the first-ever team Paralympic equestrian gold medal for the U.S. Additionally, Howard and Dunes earned three individual golds, culminating with a personal best of 81.994% for their freestyle, set to music from Avatar. For a period following the Games, Howard was the number one ranked Grade II para equestrian athlete in the world - thanks in large part to her partnership with Dunes.
At home, Dunes, who also goes by "Dunesie," is known for his larger-than-life personality and affectionate nature. He knows "his" people, and expects them to either shower him with attention, scratches, and snuggles-or offer him sugars, carrots, or bananas, his favorite treats.
"Dunes is a huge blessing in my life," said Howard. "I find it hard to figure out what I did to deserve such a special partner. He gives me the freedom to move that my body can no longer provide. I can trust him to look after me, and I often think he knows my body more than I do myself. He can tell when I am off balance or struggling and tries to do everything he can to correct that.
"Dunes has made it easier for me to accept my body's differences," she continued. "He brings me so much happiness and joy-not just in the competition arena, but more importantly, outside the competition arena."
