They may be on fire in the dressage ring, but Kasey Perry-Glass of Wellington, Fla. and her 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding Goerklintgaards Dublet have proven to be no flash in the pan. Over the last 18 months this sensational pair have risen from relative obscurity to earning their place on the bronze medal-winning U.S. Olympic Dressage Team in Rio de Janeiro.

Goerklintgaards Dublet. All photos by Jennifer Keeler

Now in just their second year together at the Grand Prix level, Perry-Glass and Dublet traveled to Omaha, Neb., for their first appearance at an FEI World Cup Dressage Final. They finished in seventh place (77.06%). In the Chronicle’s coverage, Perry-Glass said, ““I learned that he is ready to compete with the big horses and riders, and he wants to do it. It’s just a matter of getting that talent out of him in a positive way.”

While Perry-Glass admits that Dublet can be quite hot in the competition arena, back at the barn he’s the equine embodiment of The Dude from “The Big Lebowski.” Don’t expect this cool customer to be clamoring at the stall door for attention—he’s too busy lounging and enjoying his lunch.

Here’s what it’s like living with The Dude:

• Dublet stays quiet as a mouse around the barn. Perry-Glass explained that “he’s the one who never makes a peep because he’s always eating or sleeping. He LOVES his naps.”

• Dublet is a dedicated hay-dunker who carefully places all of his hay into the water bucket before eating to make a messy forage soup that he happily slurps up. “He’d love to have a water trough in his stall to work with, but it’s already such a mess dealing with cleaning up the bucket every day,” said Perry-Glass.

• He’s a social kind of guy with both people and horses, and thoroughly enjoys his turnout time hanging out with friends. “He’s friendly with just about everyone, and I swear he’s never even thought about pinning his ears or anything. Someday I may get him a miniature horse as a buddy because he’s the type who would love it.”

•  Handwalking is his least favorite thing to do. “You literally have to drag him around, and he’ll just trudge along with his lips dangling,” laughed Perry-Glass.

Goerklintgaards Dublet and Kasey Perry-Glass.

•  Over the last year Dublet has traveled around the world and has proven to be quite the “steady Eddie,” often acting as official babysitter for nervous companions on flights thanks to his unwavering attitude of taking everything calmly in stride.

•  If he wants to be scratched, he lets bystanders know by wrapping them in a hug with his head and neck, and sometimes even scratches back with his lips.

•  Dublet protests being given anything in paste form, unless it’s a particular flavor. “He has one apple-flavored paste supplement that he loves so much that he will suck on the tube!”

•  He turns funny colors. “When we’re in Idaho in the summer, Dublet is jet black and that’s what’s in his passport,” said Perry-Glass. “But then when we come to Florida and I clip him, he stays nice and shiny but turns the weirdest brownish color for a while. It happens every year and it’s kind of atrocious, and gets us weird looks from the ground jury at the vet inspections.”

•  He can moonlight as a professional trail pony. “He loves to hack out, and then when I trailer him around for lessons he just stands there tied to the side of the trailer waiting for his turn. People remark about it all the time – they can’t believe he’s so easy and call him my ‘trail pony.’ He is legitimately that laid back with such a gentle soul who just saves all his energy for work.”

•  When she first saw Dublet, Kasey-Perry almost didn’t even get on him. “My mom and I were horse shopping and were looking for a horse that was special not only in talent but also in mind,” she explained. “We were at Andreas Helgstrand’s barn in Denmark and Dublet was the last horse they brought out, and boy he looked HOT. He struck me as the type of horse I did NOT want to get on. But my mom told me that we’d come all that way and I had to try this last one. Wouldn’t you know it, the second I sat on him I knew he was the one. I got so lucky to have him.”

•  What about that name? “It’s his Danish breeder’s name, and even though it’s a mouthful I don’t believe in changing a horse’s name,” Kasey-Perry explained. “But even after all this time and practice I still can’t pronounce it right. His breeders kind of laugh when they see videos of me saying his name because to this day I slaughter it a little bit.”