Meet my new project horse: “Rich and Creamy”
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What else could you want for Christmas than a new horse? This week, I got a new project: a 3 year-old OTTB named “Rich and Creamy.” Just barely 16h, quite skinny, and a bit neglected, “project” is the key word. I was not especially hopeful at first sight…but I was struck by his calm, likeable attitude and how he used himself at the trot. Despite kids jumping on a trampoline 20 feet away, he stood his ground and watched them curiously. Using some imagination, I saw how he could turn into a nice horse with some patience, food, and good care.
The gelding vetted clean, and the price was reasonable. The former owner delivered him to me in an old stock trailer, wearing 1990s-edition Toklat shipping boots that barely reached from knee to pastern. The horse loaded and unloaded without a fuss in the old steel step up, ignoring the loosely-velcroed shipping boots falling under his hind heels. He settled quietly in my round pen, and due to lack of room (and flooded stalls) I soon moved him in to a paddock with my other young gelding. The two were instant friends, sharing a pile of hay and playing.
Rich and Creamy is by Grey Beard, a forgettable bay son of Unbridled’s Song. How forgettable? Almighty Google can’t seem to find a photo, and though the stallion was last known to be standing at Win Rich Farm in Indiana, they don’t have a page or photo of him on their site. Grey Beard earned $178,000, and his best stakes result was third in a G3 on the turf at Arlington. With such a record, Grey Beard probably wasn’t popular in the breeding shed, and pedigreequery.com has him listed as siring only 8 foals. So it appears I have a limited-edition model! Normally I am skeptical of Unbridled’s Song in a pedigree: his offspring are notoriously athletic but possibly unsound. However, Grey Beard seems to buck the trend, boasting 38 starts over six years, showing some durability, and hopefully he passes that on to his get.
Rich and Creamy’s dam, Champagnekiss, is a daughter of Aptitude (by A.P. Indy). Aptitude used to stand at Juddmonte, but was moved to South America and recently passed away; Rich and Creamy has a fair resemblance to him. I’ve always been attracted to the A.P. Indy line: many of them are well-balanced, smart, and talented. Digging back a little farther in the pedigree, Rich and Creamy has some names to suggest jumping ability and athleticism, with Fappiano (through Unbridled), Caro, Northern Dancer, and Buckpasser in the fourth generation. He’s actually inbred 4Sx4Dx5D to Northern Dancer, and 4Sx5D to Buckpasser.
All that’s nice, but you don’t ride paper. While a flop on the track ($870 in 6 starts), Rich and Creamy will decide for himself what he can do, when we get to that point. He appears to be a good mover, with an elastic trot and free swinging back. Let’s hope he likes to jump! I’ll be posting updates on his progress as the winter goes on.
First thing’s first: Rich and Creamy needs a name. Though I try to keep a horse’s registered name, I’ve been blessed with some doozies that just had to go (my old guy is AQHA registered as “If I Had A Rider.” Gee, thanks!). The best I can figure, “Rich and Creamy” is named so because of his breeder, Richard Pardue of Win Rich Farm, who seems to name his horses with “Rich” in the title. Ok, lots of breeders have a naming system. But really… Rich and Creamy?! Please help me come up with a name for this cute little guy. At least a barn name. I don’t want to call him Rich. Or Creamy. I might stick with a food-related or chocolate-themed name, or try to work in his pedigree. Any thoughts?
Submit your suggestions in the comment section by 12/16/12 at midnight; I’m primarily looking for a barn name, but show names are also welcome. The winner will receive a $125 gift certificate that can be used for any TackoftheDay.com products, so between your last minute squeeze to get those last few holidays gifts and surviving that final trip to the grocery store you still have to make, get your thinking caps on for some creative names!
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