EKYRA FORTUNA | 15 YEAR OLD DUTCH WARMBLOOD | AUSTIN, TX
Ekyra, Ekyra Fortuna, is a 15 year old Dutch Warmblood mare. She was bred by P. & A.M. RINKES-TJEENK WILLINK and raised by Marieke Slik until she was six years old. She is out of Lexicon X Quasimodo Z. Ekyra is owned by Mackenzie Hudson but is currently with Brandon Howard and Lauren Eisele at Homeward Farms. Their client Madison Jones is leasing her.
Ekyra is a stunning bay with four tiny white socks, a star, lots of dapples, and a pink stripe on her nose. She also received the nickname Shakira because of her sassy personality and physical build. She can often be found hanging out in the barn, relaxing on three legs. Mackenzie says that, “She never has all fours on the ground in the cross ties, for pictures with ribbons, or really any other time”. She also is a typical mare on the outside, often pretending to be a “tough girl”, when in reality she is extremely affectionate in her stall and will rest her head on people. She is also big on treats and will eat almost anything, but her favorite snack is bananas (peel included).
Mackenzie’s mom found Ekyra after watching her show in the 6 year old young horse division at the 2015 fall shows in Katy, TX. The first time she asked Marieke if Ekyra was for sale, the answer was no, but her mom did not give up! By the end of the week, Mackenzie was riding Ekyra. She recalls, “I couldn’t pick up the correct leads and had little to no control, but we took a leap of faith and I am so thankful we did”. Ekyra is referred to as the “queen of speed” and this is for a well earned reason! Mackenzie says, “She has won more classes than I can count, but the ones that stand out are 1st Place in the National Grand Prix at Split Rock Jumping Tour, 8th Place in our First FEI 2* Grand Prix, and our champions in the 1.40-1.45m AO at WEF. Ekyra has also placed top 10 nationally in the High Amateur Owners many times.”
Now, a little bit about Mackenzie. Mackenzie started riding horses at 4 years old because her older sister was taking lessons and she would tag along, hoping one day they would let her join. When she was 6 years old, she finally got her first pony. At that point she recalls being too scared to ride without being led around, but when her sister went to a show and won a bag of candy, she felt determined to ride by herself. Her favorite thing about owning horses is simply the horses! She says she would be happy to feed her horses treats and pet them all day long but with that being said, she still enjoys the training aspect of the sport as well. “My favorite thing about the equestrian sport is how versatile you have to be as an athlete. Each horse is different. You may wish to accomplish the same goal with two different horses, but how you navigate accomplishing that goal, varies from horse to horse.”
Mackenzie and Ekyra have traveled the country together, jumped big jumps, and competed against some of the best riders in the world. However, out of the many things the pair have accomplished together, Mackenzie’s favorite memory with Ekyra was, “watching Ekyra become a Mom! Ekyra gave me the most beautiful colt at 1:45 A.M. on May 16, 2023. She was a great mom to him, but it was clear she was not mentally ready to retire. Less than a year later, Ekyra was champion out of 80+ entries in the Open 1.20m in Thermal, California.” Ekyra is now leased by Madison Jones, but Mackenzie has a little piece of her at home and is excited to see what her incredible mare will accomplish with her new rider.
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Karinda K. is a Houston, TX based equine photographer that travels around the United States photographing equestrians and their horses. Karinda specializes in Outdoor Horse & Rider Portrait sessions that bring to life the magical relationship equestrians share with their horses, Senior Portraits, and Fine Art Black & White Background Portraits for those that want a piece of art featuring their very own animals.
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Information shared in this blog is based on information collected at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, if for any reason this information is incorrect and you would like your horse’s blog post updated, please notify us via email.
