Interview: Sarah Crowe, Creator of Dyna Does Dressage Documentary

 Sarah Crowe and Amy Enser have been working on the project "Dyna Does Dressage," a documentary about Laura Hermanson and her mule Dyna, the first mule to ever compete in the U.S. Dressage Finals, which is an incredible feat.  Together, Laura and Dyna have defied the odds and realized their seemingly impossible dream.  Sarah and Amy were there to document it, and have since worked with Laura to record Laura and Dyna's backstory as well.  I had the opportunity to discuss the documentary with Sarah Crowe.

The Aspiring Equestrian: How did you get started filmmaking? What made you become interested in filmmaking?  

Sarah Crowe: I had a friend who went to film school and I helped out on all of the student projects. I fell in love with the process and from that friend’s networks started working and volunteering on film sets. Eight years later I am a professional producer and I direct and produce documentaries for the love of it. 

A poster by Isaac Novak.

TAE: When and where did you first meet Laura Hermanson?  

SC: I met Laura in Yosemite National Park.  We worked together in the back country. She was a packer that brought all of our supplies to the High Sierra Camps where I managed a back country retreat. We became fast friends and have supported each other in our careers and personal endeavors. Even after we both left Yosemite we stayed friends.

TAE: How did you become interested in filming the documentary “Dyna Does Dressage” about Laura and her mule, Dyna? 

SC: I have always known that Laura had a unique and interesting story. When she told me that she and Dyna were invited to the Finals, I helped her with some fundraising ideas and got her going with the GoFundMe page. In only 2 weeks she raised $11,000 and was flooded with an outpouring of support. When she called to say thank you, I knew that the timing was finally right and I asked her if I could join in Kentucky to document the adventure. She said, "Yes!" and has graciously allowed me to follow her around all over this year and is supporting me in telling her story in a full on documentary film.

TAE: What is your main purpose in filming it?  

SC: Laura’s story is the ultimate underdog story. Laura and Dyna’s journey have inspired so many people already. I want to share it with the world. 

TAE: Could you write a brief summary of the documentary? 

“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 behind the scenes shot of Sarah Crowe(front right) filming Laura(at the left in the stall), her friend Casie(middle), her trainer Renee Johnson(right), and Dyna at the U.S. Dressage Finals. 

TAE: Could you tell me a little bit about what has gone into making the documentary? 

SC: I invested $8,000 of my own money, and flew to Kentucky in November 2014 to film Laura and Dyna competing at the U.S. Dressage Finals in order to film the origins of this story. My filmmaking partner Amy Enser has traveled with me to almost all of the locations and worked with me to capture the footage. She will also be editing the movie. We needed to raise an additional $15,000 to really make this happen. With a successful GoFundMe fundraiser of my own, together as a team we were able to travel to California and visit Laura where she lives and trains at the Oak Star Ranch with Dyna and her other mules. We went to Mule Days, which is one of the largest mule competitions in the world. In August we filmed in 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 and then our last location was the USDF CA area 7 regional finals in CA, where we saw Laura competing at a proper horse show.

TAE: What has been the most exciting part about filming the “Dyna Does Dressage?”  

SC: The most exciting part of filming "Dyna Does Dressage" is being able to spend so much time with Laura this year. She trusted me through this whole process but over the course of these last 10 months she has opened up and truly forgotten that the camera was even there sometimes. She believes in me and is so supportive of this whole process, and so open to allowing me in her world with cameras. 

Laura Hermanson and BB at the Region 7 Dressage Championships

TAE: What has been the most difficult part?  

SC: The most difficult part of the process has been the challenge of recreating a story and showing the path of Laura after it had already happened. Traveling to so many places was necessary to tell the story. 

TAE: What is one thing you want people to know about the documentary before it is released? 

SC: I am so thankful for the support that both Laura and I have received on this journey of filmmaking and Laura’s work with the mules in Dressage and beyond. I appreciate everyone that is believing in us and supporting us. I can’t wait to share the finished product. 

TAE: Is there anything you would like to say about the documentary that I have not asked about?

SC: I  really hope that people enjoy the story and are inspired to take on their own dreams and adventures. 

Support "Dyna Does Dressage" by liking their Facebook page  You can watch the trailer here.  Photos are courtesy of Sarah Crowe, Amy Enser, and "Dyna Does Dressage."  The documentary  will be released in 2016. 

Dyna Does Dressage Documentary

I have exciting news! The story of Laura Hermanson and Dyna is being told by Sarah Crowe and Amy Enser in a documentary called Dyna Does Dressage. Their story is an incredible, inspiring one that needs to be told. Last year, at the U.S. Dressage Finals, Laura and Dyna made history. To think that a mule, which is normally thought of as a pack animal, beat many horses and competed against the best horses in the country at her level is incredible. It goes to show that nothing is impossible if you work hard and believe.

                 

The movie poster

 What is also awesome is that I know Laura, and I know Dyna. Furthermore, I met Sarah and Amy over the weekend. Take a few minutes to watch beautiful trailer and learn more about Laura. The video is touching, inspiring and moved me close to tears. Also check out the Go Fund Me page if you would like to support this documentary and this story that needs to be told. Check out the Facebook page for regular updates on how the filming is going. Finally, please share with your friends on social media

Laura Hermanson in Horse Illustrated Article!

 As soon as I got my March Horse Illustrated magazine, I turned straight to page 16. Why, you may ask? An article written by Laura just appeared in it, that's why. Laura sent ant article to the magazine about her trip to the Dressage Finals in 2014 and how she became interested in mules. She actually fell in love with mules while working at the pack station in Yosemite National Park, later buying one of the pack mules, Stretch. Stretch is a real character and has lots of personality. Laura jumped Stretch and I think she did some reining too. Now that he is retired, he roams around the ranch. He's an obnoxious little mule as she says in the article.

On the cover page, too!

 More importantly, Laura explains her love for mules and what makes them unique. Mules are smart with a lot personality, which is one reason why they are labeled as "stubborn," when in fact they are just smart. Training them is challenging because of this, but also rewarding. They just require a lot more time and patience than horses do. She also goes on to explain how she found Dyna and began going to dressage shows with her. Laura actually did a lot of other disciplines with Dyna first to get her mentally prepared, including reining, cutting, and jumping. Laura really loves trying all kinds of disciplines, Western and English, learning more about horses and riding that way. Furthermore, horses and mules enjoy variety rather than doing the same thing over and over.

First page on the article.

Secretariat quote. <3

 It's also amazing how much support she got when going to the Finals, from competitors and fans alike, but I won't spoil it! If you are subscribed to Horse Illustrated, or can find it in your local tack/feed store, just check out the article so you can learn more about Laura, Dyna, and mules. I think it is really amazing that Laura was featured in Horse Illustrated, a magazine that a wide range of horse people around the country have access to. I think it is so great that mules can be seen in a positive light through Laura's article, because many people have misconceptions about them. Her story also inspires many mule owners and riders with unusual mounts, as well as many other people, and shows them that anything is possible. Laura even told me that people from Slovenia wrote her letters telling her how inspired they were and that now they feel that their riding goals can come true, even though they they don't have the best fancy warmbloods, and their horses are mostly mixed breeds. She inspires me, too. Turn to page 16 and read this amazing article.

Interview with Dressage Rider Laura Hermanson

If have been following the dressage world lately, or have looked at my recent post on the topic, you probably heard about the mule, Dyna, and her owner Laura Hermanson competing in the U.S. Dressage Finals. The pair earned 67% in Training level. I have actually met Laura before; she's local and owns the tack store in town, so I decided to interview her for my blog. You can watch the video I embedded, or read the interview below if it doesn't work.

How did you get started in dressage?
Laura: I got started riding hunter jumpers and dressage as a child at the LA Equestrian Center at Foxfield Riding Academy down in southern California.

 How did you first become interested in riding and competing mules?
 Laura: I've ridden horses my whole life and I spent a summer packing mules up in Yosemite National Park, and that was when I was first introduced to mules, and they were fascinating. They were just so interesting to watch and to work with and so I thought, "This might be kind of interest to try and teach them dressage and to be ridden."

What made you decide to use a mule for dressage, rather than the more conventional warmbloods?
Laura:  I think it was 2004 when they allowed mules into the USDF I had some clients who had some mules and liked mules and wanted some to go do dressage. They said to start looking for some that had the qualities for dressage. It took a long time and I ended up finding two mules, CR Moxie J and BB Magee. In the mean time, I also had my own personal mule, who I had been training in dressage, and that was Dyna. I waited for a while with her. She was tricky minded, and when I felt that she was ready it was time to show her dressage as well.

What is your favorite thing about mules?
Laura: That's a tough question! There are so many wonderful things about mules, but the first thing that comes to mind is their ears. That is what sets them apart in a lot of ways from horses, because they really let you know how there're feeling through there ears. The best thing is that when you're riding a mule, you look down and see these giant radars. your hope is for the relaxation and when you get it when the mule's ears start flapping, then you know you're in a good place.

Could you tell me about your mules?
Laura: Right now I'm currently riding four mules. one. he's pretty much retired and only get's exercised for conditioning. He was my first mule, Stretch, who I used for jumping. Then I have Dyna, who has just competed at the Finals but who also competes in hunters, reining, cutting, and cow working. Then I have the two I mentioned, CR Moxie J who competed at First Level, who I have been working at Second and Third Level movements for hopefully next year; and BB Magee, who is also at First Level.



How did you meet Dyna and what made you want to do dressage with her?
Laura: I found Dyna after I had worked with Stretch in jumping. He was a thirteen year old pack mule when I started, so he was a bit of a challenge, and I thought, "I'd like to try to find something younger and try to train it to be a performance horse or mule. I started looking for good breeders and found the Heart B Ranch in Idaho and chose Dyna. I  was at a show in Nevada and saw Dyna and immediately knew that she was the one that was supposed to be in my life.

 Dressage is my background, my basics. Whatever discipline I train for with my horses and mules, dressage is the basis for it all.  She was mentally a tricky one and was very reactionary, spooky, difficult to get shown so I knew that it would take a while for her to mature before I was comfortable showing her at USDF rated shows. with horses. I just kept working on all of basics, trying to get good dressage basics in her, and when I felt she was mentally ready, which was this year, I went ahead and shoed her.

Training any equine for dressage can be difficult, but what are specific challenges you face when training a mule? 
Laura: Mules are tricky in the sense that you just have to have a lot of patience. Their very smart, so you have to be clever in the sense of not overdoing something. Once they understand something, it's time to move on. You don't want to reiterate things. But also you have to have a really good sense of humor, because their dads are donkeys, so every once in a while they have days when they decide they just don't want to do something and you need to be willing to not get frustrated, be able to laugh about it, and creatively find a way to work with what you want to do that day. 

Is riding and training them more difficult than riding and training horses?
Laura: In some aspects I think it is. I just think ti takes the right kind of personality. you have be someone that's not going to try to force something. You have to, like I said, have a great sense of humor, so in that sense I think they can be somewhat trickier, but at the same time there are a lot of tricky minded horses as well. I think just trying to get a good basis of good horsemanship helps with all equines.

What did qualifying for the U.S Dressage Finals include? 
Laura: Originally, I had to qualify for the state finals, which was the CDS since I live California, so I had to go for the state qualifying, which was five scores of 65% or higher. For the U.S. dressage Finals you first have to qualify for the regional finals, which as an Open Rider I had to have two scores of 68% or higher at the highest test of the level. So I qualified for those scores and went to the regional championships. From the regional championships, of the horses and mules that declare nomination for the U.S. Dresage Finals, they take the top two and one wild card. By placing I was actually originally on the long list, the alternate list, which was exciting. Then I got the email that said the other horses had decided not to go, so we had an invitation to the finals.

What was your best experience in Kentucky for the finals?
Laura: There were so many incredible experiences. I think the thing that was most exciting for me was meeting al, the other competitors. There was a real comradery. Sometimes I think dressage can be looked upon as an elitist sport or as a very solo sport, but it really is about the coaches, and the grooms, and the emotional support, and friends. I think that everyone who rides dressage recognizes how difficult it is, what a group effort it is to just even get those five minutes of showing accomplished. I think there was a real sense of comradery amongst all of the competitors and their help. I think everyone in my barn aisle cam and watched each other's classes. There was a real sense of meeting people from all over the United States who share the same passion as we all do for dressage.

What are your future plans for Dyna?
Laura: My future plans are to just continue. I hope to be a better rider and continue to learn from her. We're just going to keep on our track of improving and moving up the levels as far we're able to go. This trip really taught me how there is no impossible dream. This was the impossible dream for me to go to the Finals, and the fact that it happened showed that there are no limits. I feel like I'm just trying to stay open minded and to not set boundaries and see how far we can go.

Do you have any advice to give to young dressage riders?
Laura: I think the best advice I can give is to just keep at it. I hope that my story has helped inspire other riders to want to learn dressage. I want dressage riders to realize that no matter what horse you have, what breed it is, what stage of life your horse is, to just recognize that there is something to be learned from every animal you ride, whether it's a mule, a horse, and to just stick with it because there's lessons your going to learn from riding that animal that will carry you on and teach you invaluable life lessons as well.

First Mule at the U.S. Dressage Finals!

 Update: Forgot to mention that Laura owns the local tack store so I met her once before! She is a really nice women. Also she and Dyna earned 67% at the Finals!

The U.S. Dressage Finals are coming up this weekend, and competing in it is a very unique competitor: a 16 hand high, 12-year-old mule named Heart B Dyna and her owner, Laura Hermanson. She is the first mule to ever compete in the U.S. Dressage Finals, so this is really special. Mules have only been allowed to compete in dressage since 2004, but even though they are allowed the are not commonly found in the show ring, and up until no one has ever competed in the U.S. Dressage Finals.

 Laura herself has been showing mules for several years, yet has known Dyna since 2006. While working in a pack station in the Sierras, Laura observed mules and grew to love them, deciding to compete with them.

 “It’s hard to pinpoint what makes them so special,” Laura said. “Everything with them is like a horse, just amplified. Their power of retention is amazing, so the biggest trouble is reiterating something too much. You just have to be very accurate and fair… and you need a sense of humor because their dads are donkeys! They just have a piece of them that says, ‘nope, I’m not doing that today.’”

 At first, Laura didn't think of doing dressage with Dyna. She tried everything from jumping to cutting, but finally decided to compete in dressage since she has be riding dressage for a long time and Dyna seemed to have lovely gaits for dressage. Amazingly, despite the doubts of others, Dyna and Laura's client's mule began doing very well, and Dyna qualified for the regional finals in California, earning scores up to 75% in Training Level.

 Laura and Dyna have been long-listed for the Finals, but one day she got and email saying she had qualified. It was dream come true! Laura created a GoFundMe page soon after, and in less than two weeks, she earned well over the $8,000 needed to transport her mule across the country from California to Lexington, Kentucky.  I'll be rooting for this amazing pair this weekend! 
http://www.horsenation.com/2014/11/01/first-mule-ever-makes-it-to-the-us-dressage-finals/
http://www.dressagedaily.com/article/mule-named-dyna-poised-make-dressage-history
http://www.gofundme.com/fkouh4