Kenlyn Destiny

On the first day of 2013, I signed a six month lease for a fifteen year old Arabian gelding named Regal Revenue.

Rev lived at a large boarding stable just five miles from my house. Amenities included an indoor ring, an outdoor ring. trail access, two good trainers and lots of activities for boarders. Truth be told, I was just as excited about the barn as I was about Rev himself.

I immediately signed up for all the activities, including the first full moon trail ride. It was a bit chilly that night, and I was the only one who showed up. Fortunately, the barn owner didn't mind. She and I went on a dark and lively four mile jaunt. It was the first time I'd ridden Rev through water, and he was willing but wild. I was younger and braver then and laughed at his antics.

"You're a good rider," Linda told me. "You should have a better horse." 

Then she tried to sell me the horse she was sitting on, a beautiful, big-bodied, dark bay Arabian mare named Kenlyn Destiny. Destiny was a really nice horse - she had over five thousand competitive endurance miles and two National Championships - and was priced accordingly. There was no way I could ever afford her, but for the next thirteen years, every time I interacted with Destiny, I'd tell her conspiratorially, "You could have been mine."

She was the horse not taken.

In 2015, Destiny delivered her first foal, a black colt by Sundance Kid V.

Although we missed the actual birth, James, Seth and I were there to help towel him off.

He was the second of two foals born that evening, a memorable night. 

James and I spent a lot of time with the Kenlyn foals that year.

Here he is leading Destiny on a daily foal walk.

Seth also participated in at least one foal walk.

After which, he told me Destiny was the first horse he'd ever connected with on a personal level.

The horse not taken.

Destiny took a year off from motherhood, before being bred to Kenlyn Psyclone for a 2017 foal.

That one was a beautiful black filly.

Once again, I missed the actual birth but was there for everything else, 

including the first drink...

and the first hug!

I had a soft spot for Destiny - after all, she was my horse not taken - so there are a lot of pictures of her and little Diva.

Awwww, so sweet.

For the next six years, there were no more Kenlyn foals. Linda was officially retired from breeding, at least until 2023, when she was approached by the owner of an Irish Sport Horse stallion who wanted to cross her horse on some high quality, athletic Arabian mares. One thing led to another...

and Destiny had her third and last foal, a bay colt, in July of 2024.

This was the same time that Olive was living in the show barn while recovering from her colic surgery. Every night during the weeks leading up to the birth, O and I would visit Destiny and tell her to have that baby! Of course, I also had to remind everyone that in a different world, Destiny, not Olive, could have been mine.

The horse not taken.

Last year, my friend, Laura, retired her sweet senior mare, Fortunataa, and started riding Destiny. After Fortunataa died, Linda gifted Destiny to her.

Sadly, their partnership was short lived. Last week, Destiny suffered a catastrophic pasture injury and had to be euthanized.

Rest well, sweet mare. Our relationship was mostly imaginary, but I will miss you anyway. Forever, the horse not taken.