Duval


Duval
(Vympel x Derjava/Aswan)
Born June 8th 1990 - died March 18th 2017
Bay, 150 cm. tall
SCID clear - CA clear - LFS clear
KEUR

Offsprings in
Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Kuwait & Iran

Gallery

Breeding conditions

Champion Producer

Duval was bought from The Monpelou Stud in Holland through Arabian Fantasie and he was the last horse at Monpelou.
Over the years Monpelou had a very succesful breeding program of straight Russians,
among many others they bred the famous World Champion Stallion Mirok Monpelou,
the mare Veruska Monpelou - who in 2009 was Senior Gold Champion mare, Best Moving Horse and Best In Show
 - and also our black mare Elunah Monpelou and her black dam Wushika Monpelou, who is actually sired by Duval.

Duval was bred at Tersk Stud in Russia and travelled to Holland with his mum just a few weeks old.
He came to The Monpelou stud at the age of 3, and around 15 years later
on March 15th 2009 he arrived at Davidson Arabians where he was to spend the rest of his life.
Duval was chief sire at the stables of Monpelou for 15 years,
and before came to Denmark his offsprings were to be found in Holland, Germany and Spain being successful in both breeding, showing and performance.

Duval´s sire Vympel was known as "The Black Prince of Tersk", and he was a Sire at SAX Arabians, Germany for some years.
Vympel achieved 93 points at International Show in Wels in 1994. 
Vympels mother Molva was said to be one of the very best Menes daughters ever.

Duvals dam Derjava was a daughter of the famous Aswan, who came to Russia as a gift from Egypt.
Aswan was chief sire at Tersk for many years, and he had a great influence on Russian breeding and though generations
and has indeed proven himself as an outstanding sire.

Beeing sired by Vympel and grand sired by Aswan, Duval brought some of the best proven Straight Russian blood to our stud and to Denmark.
He was here for 8 years and 3 days and below is our story:

_________

Duval became mine around new year 2009 as the Monpelou stud had to close down because of the rather high age of Mrs. Van Schaik.
He spend a couple of months at Arabian Fatasie where he bred a couple of mares
and on March 15th 2009 I saw him for the first time as I picked him up.

He was 18 years old at that time and to me that was VERY old.
I thought I might have him a couple of years and then he would be gone, -
so I had no problems in making a promise to his former owner Mrs. Van Schaik that he could stay with me for the rest of his life.
I had absolutely no clue that the rest of his life would be more than 8 years and nearly one third of his life.

However getting to know Duval I quite soon learned that 18 years of age was absolutely nothing to him.
He was quite a handfull at times and at times he would surprise me.
However we found solutions, and I got to make quite a strong bond to him.

In my ownership Duval had his comeback as a Sire.
As he bred a couple of mares in Holland I knew he was fertile before I picked him up
and the first foals I saw  from him were born in Holland.
The foals were shown and did very well.
Due to his offsprings achievements on shows, Duval was awarded with KEUR status in 2011
and I was very happy and proud on his behalf.

By now his offsprings are spread out wide – besides Holland, Germany and Spain
he also has offsprings in Sweden, Switzerland, Kuwait, Iran and of cause Denmark.

His last foal made by fresh semen will be born in Holland this summer
So in a way the circle will end where it started.

But also on other points a circle has ended.
At the age of 90 his former owner Mrs. Van Schaik passed away on February 28th 2017
and at her funeral a picture of Duval was shown.
I´d like to think that Mrs. Van Schaik called him home.

 Duval was special in many ways.
In my 8 years with him as a Sire he maintained a filly rate of around 80%.

He was unique in his Tersk bred pedigree.
He had a completely special drive. I have never met a horse with that attitude, such image, such drive, such ego.
He was so very strong in both his mind and body.
 - and yet so kind and loving and also clever enough to stay calm and wait for help when he got himself into trouble.
He was never sick and I never saw him lame or just walking stiff.

The older he got the more I feared that someday I would have to make that difficult decision.
I wished for him to either give me a completely clear sign or just keep me out of it and do it on his own.

What happened on that Saturday March 18th 2017 at 4.10 pm was odd in a way..
On Wednesday the same week, we had our 8 years anniversary together
and I wanted to make some kind of announcement but needed new photos.

I also wanted to announce his planned presence at the annual stallion presentation at Husted Arabians on Sunday March 26th 2017
where his final retreat as a breeding stallion was to be announced,
 and for this too, I also needed new photos of him.

On the day of our anniversary I was "disturbed" by a mare foaling in the morning and the days after the weather was just ugly.
But Saturday afternoon the sun was shining so I thought okay time for that Duval photoshoot..

I often do just “au natural” photos in the field with no grooming etc. because time is always an issue for me.
And I don´t know exactly why, but that Sunday I wanted to make photos of Duval in the arena
so I did a little grooming we had that special time in his stable where he drags me around in my jacket and asks for treats.
We went to the arena and the I knew that the very minute I turned him loose he would try to roll -
he always rolls as the first thing he would do when going out no matter if snow, mud or sand - he just love it
.
 I managed to prevent him from rolling and he gave me 2 minutes of photo shooting and then..
he stumbled, fell and rolled over 3 times and shortly after he passed away in my arms.

It was just so unreal…
The one minute he was so alive, so alert and so full of energy - and the next he was all gone..
The sun was shining. He looked great, so expressive and so worthy of who and what he was.
He fulfilled my wish and chose the moment himself out of the blue,
and his own too as he rolled over a couple of times before he took his last breath.

I knew what was happening when he stumbled and fell and also how it would end.
It is quite brutal when they fall and pass out like that and Duval didn´t want to let go.
I had to hold him down as he tried to get up and he roared very loud, a sound I will never forget.
It felt like forever before he gave in and yet it all happened in less than a minute.

Another ugly moment printed in my mind for ever.
I had exactly the same experience on November 21^st 2010 when Nafal died in my arms in the same way.

A long story has come to an end.
I loved him for who he was and all the noise he made.
I loved him for giving me so much, especially those, now irreplaceable 2 minutes of photo shooting.
Photos that in my eyes are some of the best I ever made of him.
I love the fact that I have frozen semen from him and also its proven quality.
I loved him for the fact that he chose his moment and chose it while being in MY arena at home,
instead of in the arena at Husteds the coming weekend.

I did my best to give him a happy life here and I know I had success.
He was happy, having fun, shining and looking good when he chose his moment.

His box is empty and so is my heart.
The stable will be quiet tonight, tomorrow and many days after that.
I guess it will take me a while to get used to the silence without Duval.

Rest in peace my dear Duval and thank you for everything,
you were a truely "one of a kind" and
I am sure there will never be one like you again.  


Show record:
2000: National show, Beesd, Holland, 87,25 points
2011: KEUR status in The Dutch Studbook for the show record from his offsprings