A Champagne with a dun gene often does not show the dun markings very clearly, but because Champagne is such an *even* color, and tends to produce lighter legs, any tendency toward darker than usual lower legs or a dorsal stripe are strong clues to the probable presence of a dun gene or two.

Classic champagne dun/grulla:

One dun and one champagne gene on true black.  These first horses have no cream gene (all 3 tested E_, aa, No Cr).

Click to see full size -- subtle leg barring on a foal.

All horses above owned and/or bred by Tara Novotny, Rising Moon Ranch.

(Also see NIKKI, another probably-grulla + champagne, at bottom of page.)

Skips Golden Rush ("Skip")  
(sadly, deceased)

Gold Dun; one dun and one champagne gene on a red base.

This guy was an AQHA Gold Dun Champagne stallion, an own son of the famed My Skip Vanzi. See THIS PAGE for some of his foals of the same color! AQHA #3355127  ; ICHR #QH1995-0008(D). Pedigree

Redun Two the Limit

Amber dun AQHA mare/filly

Owned by Douglas Frisch of Wisconsin
ICHR stud book entry #0129 PEDIGREE

Little Nikita ("Nikki")

Classic (Champagne) grulla grade QH mare

This webmaster feels very privileged to have "discovered" this little treasure, some time back before 2004, and to have had the opportunity to examine her in person!

We only assume she is a classic and a grulla because she LOOKS so much like aa.  She has a taupe, mauve or purplish cast to her whole body in person, not tan or honey-colored at all.  However, she has not been tested for agouti (the bay gene).We don't even know 100% that she's a champagne; she may, for instance, have the Barlink dilution or something else that mimics champagne.

To join our "dungenes" discussion and photo-sharing email group, click HERE.

This web site created with delight by Hippo-Logistics
© 2007 Barbara A. Kostelnik