Editor’s pick

8 min read

The secret daddy

The expression “Who’s your daddy?” is often used as a claim of dominance. In the case of the 1938 foals of Gäel, a champion...

American, European

18 min read

The stateless horse

You have horses with great pedigrees, then you have those really blue-blooded horses … and then there is Florestan. Despite being...

European

30 min read

The first French king

He was a war foal who rose to the top of the French elite in the 1920. The first and only horse to be disqualified from a win in...

European

17 min read

The horse of your life

He was one of the best trotters the world has seen and went on to become an even better stallion before he died too soon. The...

American

41 min read

The rum addict

It’s a story full improbable twists, cruel treatment and bizarre facts. What ended up as Hambletonian’s possibly...

American

22 min read

The Old Grey Mare of Long Island

Known as the “The Queen of the Turf”, she was the first to break the magic 2:30 barrier. A victim of bad and harsh...

From humble beginnings she rose to be one of the best broodmares in history. An ordinary racehorse, as a broodmare Amour Angus defied all expectations and is now considered one of the best in history.

The picture horse

American

17 min read

Struggling to stay sound, he made just a few starts in his career but impressed mightly both by his capacity and his physique. Guy Axworthy then went on to get revenge at stud by becoming one of the first superstar stallions.

The day the music died

American

9 min read

When Greyhound, by many regarded as the best trotter of all times, retired, his owner, EJ Baker, was looking for other interesting prospects. In 1943 he found The Grey Ghost’s successor when he bought the horse almost everybody thought would break all trotting records. However, less than a year later that horse had passed away. The untimely death of Volo Song has been called one of the greatest tragedies to befall trotting.

The American hero in Moscow

American, European

16 min read

He was the tiny American with a heart of gold who became a star in the Soviet Union. The pioneering trio of Apex Hanover, Bill Fleming and Rowland Wade took on the Soviet stars at their home in Moscow in the 60s. After overcoming unfair tactics by the Soviet drivers, the US trio won the hearts and minds of the home crowd. Although little Apex Hanover (150 cms/14,3 hands) won the Arden Downs and George Wilkes Stakes as a 2-year-old in 1961, there was very little to indicate that this $18,000 yearling purchase would later enter the world stage.

The first pride of Hanover

American

15 min read

He was the world’s first 1:56 trotter and a prized possession of Lawrence Sheppard’s fledging Hanover Shoe Farms. Peter Manning was a natural talent who improved quickly with little work. In fact, the legendary gelding was so good it required a horse of Greyhound’s caliber to beat his world record.

The sorrel queen of the turf

American

18 min read

The first of the champions to have an unblemished career, Maud S was one of the best trotters in the high wheel sulky era and lowered the world record a whopping six times.

The little big champion

American

19 min read

He was a slight two-year-old who was sold off in the belief that he had no future. However, the 15 hands/152 cm trotter grew to be a spectacular animal with exceptional speed and strength and, most of all, extreme courage and gameness. “Little Lee” would indeed be the biggest, before he tragically died way too soon.

The flawless one

American

28 min read

From humble beginnings, he became one of the best three-year-olds, then went on to dominate as an aged trotter. In was at stud he established himself as one of the true legends of trotting, though, but it was a stroke of luck that Speedy Crown wasn’t lost to American trotting after his two-year-old season.

The criterium trotter

European

17 min read

He was a nasty colt, and the only – to date – Elitlopp-winner to be led to the winners’ circle by two grooms holding a chain. The blue-blooded trotter Jorky was no treat to be around, and he was a handful for his opponents as well. The only horse to win all four group I-Criteriums in France, Jorky was a mean superstar.

The Great from Kalamazoo

American

30 min read

He turned out to be one of the most important stallions in standardbred history, but it could have been very different. The colt was a challenge for his trainer and only made two starts in his first two seasons. In the end he only lasted five more races before a disappointed owner sold him to a buyer whose partner really didn’t want the horse at all. But Peter the Great persevered and became a true legend and foundation stallion of the standardbreds.