photo by Arnd Bronkhorst
Peruvian Breed Loses Domecq

by Donna Bearer

July 10, 1979 - February 1, 2008

The Peruvian Horse world lost one of its greatest ambassadors today. The stallion Domecq died at age 29.

Domecq’s bloodlines were from the "King of Kings" in the Peruvian Horse world. A Mantequilla son, Piloto grandson and Sol de Oro (V) great-grandson, he was the first pure blood Peruvian Horse to be certified as an endurance race performance horse by the Endurance Horse Registry of America. To earn this registration a horse must satisfactorily complete 300 miles or more in one year, participating in races of a minimum of 50 miles. Domecq registered 660 miles in three years.

He began his endurance career in 1990, at the age of 11. He completed 255 miles in five rides. He qualified for the EHRA in 1991 covering 305 miles in six rides. He remained on the top ten endurance horse list for California for several years.

In 1998 he was purchased by Peruvian breeder Barbara Windom of La Estancia Alegre in Teseque, NM, where he became her foundation sire and lived until this death.

Those of us who visited Barbara’s ranch often, always made our way to Domecq where he regally stood watch over his herd. A real crowd pleaser, he never missed a chance to show off. In May, 2007, I attended Barbara’s "Weekend With Horses" and Domecq made his usual appearance trotting and bucking around like a youngster. He would go to the far end of the arena, then run toward the onlookers gathered around admiring him. Of course, he always skid in the soft sand and veered away before he reached the crowd, but not before he made us catch our breaths.

One of the most flamboyant of all Peruvian Horses, Domecq graced the covers of many magazines including Equus Magazine,
Key Magazine and Peruvian Digest. Internationally acclaimed equine photographer Robert Vavra featured the many faces of Domecq in his best selling book, Horses of the Sun. The book sold 140,000 copies world wide. Vavra’s photo of Domecq was so popular a school folder manufacturer bought the rights to print it on thousands of folders which were sold by Wal-Mart throughout the world.

Domecq was featured in Tony Stromberg’s Spirit Horses.

Domecq was a great spirit and a wonderful example of what a horse should be. We will miss him!