Dyna Does Dressage
Donation protected
“Dyna Does Dressage” is a documentary about the first mule ever to compete at the national level in the competitive equestrian sport of Dressage. Defined by the International Equestrian Federation as “the highest expression of horse training,” the idea of mules competing at this level has never been considered. This underdog story follows Dyna and her owner/rider, Laura, as they defy the odds to find their place among this elite world of horse riding.
A mule, often mistaken as a donkey, is defined as the offspring of a “jack” (male donkey) and a mare (female horse), which are different species altogether with different numbers of chromosomes. Historically, mules have most commonly been known as “working animals” rather than “riding animals”, and thought not to have the grace and elegance needed for Dressage.
Laura has been training Dyna the “molly mule” (female mule) for over 10 years at her Oak Star Ranch in Madera, California, and has competed on the regional level since 2010. In the fall of 2014, Laura and Dyna defied everyone’s expectations and was invited to the United States Dressage Finals in Lexington, Kentucky.
Laura and I have been friends for over a decade, and when she called to tell me the news, I knew it was time to tell this story. I feel very lucky to be able to support my friend in this epic journey, and to utilize my skills as a filmmaker to share this story with the world.
Amy and I invested $8,000 of our own money, and flew to Kentucky in November 2014 to film Laura and Dyna competing at the USDF. In order to film the origins of this story, we need to raise an additional $15,000. With your contributions we will travel to California and visit Laura where she lives and trains at the Oak Star Ranch with Dyna and her other mules. We will join them at Mules Days, which is one of the largest mule competitions in the world. Finally, we will go to Yosemite National Park with Laura, to learn about the traditional roles of mules and see the place where she discovered and fell in love with them.
Thank you so much for visiting our GoFundMe page. Thank you in advance for your donation, and please share this link on your Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. Sharing and getting the word out to as many people as possible is as powerful as your monetary contribution.
Like us on Facebook and follow along on the journey https://www.facebook.com/DynaDoesDressage
TO VIEW REWARDS, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
OVERALL PRODUCTION COSTS
Production (filming): $4,000
Gear, Travel, Accommodations
Post-production: $11,000
Editor, Sound mix, Original Score
STRETCH GOALS
Distribution: $2,000
Festival Submission Costs, Additional Travel, Promotion/Publicity
Additional Crew: $3,000
The $4,000 production costs will get Amy and me to California. If we make our stretch goal we will be able to bring additional crew to help operate sound and an additional camera. These extra crew will help immensely during the live events at Laura's ranch and Mule Days.
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
April 17 to 23, 2015: THE OAK STAR RANCH
This is Laura's ranch where she lives and works in Madera, CA. During our visit Laura will be hosting her annual Mule and Donkey Derby, offering Dressage and multiple western classes. Over 50 mules and donkeys will be at the ranch to compete and learn from Laura.
http://www.americanmuleassociation.org/events-monthly-calender/2015/4/17/the-oak-star-ranch-mule-donkey-derby
While there, we will get additional interviews with Laura, her coach Renee Johnson, and a supporting cast of friends, family and co-workers.
We will also meet Stretch, Laura's first mule, and document her awards and video footage from the past that will create a timeline to weave this story together.
May 21st to May 25, 2015: MULE DAYS
Memorial Day weekend we will be filming at Mule Days in Bishop, CA. http://muledays.org Mule Days is one of the largest Mule competitions in the World. Laura is a champion and past winner with all 4 of her mules. This year Laura will again compete and we will film many different classes with mules and donkeys including Dressage.
July 2015: YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Laura will take us through a tour of her past in Yosemite to the Tuolumne Meadows pack station where all of this started. We will film the corral, document the cowboys packing the mules for travel and follow them out onto the trails. We will interview past co-workers of Laura’s who have been packing, working with mules and living this lifestyle for over 20 years.
http://www.yosemitepark.com
August to October 2015: POST PRODUCTION
Edit Full Project, Complete Sound Mix, Compose Music
KEY WORDS
Dressage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dressage
Mule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule
US Dressage Finals: http://www.usdf.org/usdressagefinals/
American Mule Association:
http://www.americanmuleassociation.org
LINKING ARTICLES
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/01/norcals-dyna-is-first-mule-ever-to-compete-in-national-u-s-dressage-finals/
http://www.horsenation.com/2014/11/01/first-mule-ever-makes-it-to-the-us-dressage-finals/
http://psdressage.com/viewarticle.php?id=1652
A mule, often mistaken as a donkey, is defined as the offspring of a “jack” (male donkey) and a mare (female horse), which are different species altogether with different numbers of chromosomes. Historically, mules have most commonly been known as “working animals” rather than “riding animals”, and thought not to have the grace and elegance needed for Dressage.
Laura has been training Dyna the “molly mule” (female mule) for over 10 years at her Oak Star Ranch in Madera, California, and has competed on the regional level since 2010. In the fall of 2014, Laura and Dyna defied everyone’s expectations and was invited to the United States Dressage Finals in Lexington, Kentucky.
Laura and I have been friends for over a decade, and when she called to tell me the news, I knew it was time to tell this story. I feel very lucky to be able to support my friend in this epic journey, and to utilize my skills as a filmmaker to share this story with the world.
Amy and I invested $8,000 of our own money, and flew to Kentucky in November 2014 to film Laura and Dyna competing at the USDF. In order to film the origins of this story, we need to raise an additional $15,000. With your contributions we will travel to California and visit Laura where she lives and trains at the Oak Star Ranch with Dyna and her other mules. We will join them at Mules Days, which is one of the largest mule competitions in the world. Finally, we will go to Yosemite National Park with Laura, to learn about the traditional roles of mules and see the place where she discovered and fell in love with them.
Thank you so much for visiting our GoFundMe page. Thank you in advance for your donation, and please share this link on your Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. Sharing and getting the word out to as many people as possible is as powerful as your monetary contribution.
Like us on Facebook and follow along on the journey https://www.facebook.com/DynaDoesDressage
TO VIEW REWARDS, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
OVERALL PRODUCTION COSTS
Production (filming): $4,000
Gear, Travel, Accommodations
Post-production: $11,000
Editor, Sound mix, Original Score
STRETCH GOALS
Distribution: $2,000
Festival Submission Costs, Additional Travel, Promotion/Publicity
Additional Crew: $3,000
The $4,000 production costs will get Amy and me to California. If we make our stretch goal we will be able to bring additional crew to help operate sound and an additional camera. These extra crew will help immensely during the live events at Laura's ranch and Mule Days.
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
April 17 to 23, 2015: THE OAK STAR RANCH
This is Laura's ranch where she lives and works in Madera, CA. During our visit Laura will be hosting her annual Mule and Donkey Derby, offering Dressage and multiple western classes. Over 50 mules and donkeys will be at the ranch to compete and learn from Laura.
http://www.americanmuleassociation.org/events-monthly-calender/2015/4/17/the-oak-star-ranch-mule-donkey-derby
While there, we will get additional interviews with Laura, her coach Renee Johnson, and a supporting cast of friends, family and co-workers.
We will also meet Stretch, Laura's first mule, and document her awards and video footage from the past that will create a timeline to weave this story together.
May 21st to May 25, 2015: MULE DAYS
Memorial Day weekend we will be filming at Mule Days in Bishop, CA. http://muledays.org Mule Days is one of the largest Mule competitions in the World. Laura is a champion and past winner with all 4 of her mules. This year Laura will again compete and we will film many different classes with mules and donkeys including Dressage.
July 2015: YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Laura will take us through a tour of her past in Yosemite to the Tuolumne Meadows pack station where all of this started. We will film the corral, document the cowboys packing the mules for travel and follow them out onto the trails. We will interview past co-workers of Laura’s who have been packing, working with mules and living this lifestyle for over 20 years.
http://www.yosemitepark.com
August to October 2015: POST PRODUCTION
Edit Full Project, Complete Sound Mix, Compose Music
KEY WORDS
Dressage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dressage
Mule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule
US Dressage Finals: http://www.usdf.org/usdressagefinals/
American Mule Association:
http://www.americanmuleassociation.org
LINKING ARTICLES
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/01/norcals-dyna-is-first-mule-ever-to-compete-in-national-u-s-dressage-finals/
http://www.horsenation.com/2014/11/01/first-mule-ever-makes-it-to-the-us-dressage-finals/
http://psdressage.com/viewarticle.php?id=1652
Organiser
Sarah Crowe
Organiser
Seattle, WA
