August 15, 2006: Race You

I had no idea that horses could grey so quickly, but then again, I had not counted on the precociousness of foals... or, more specifically, Bella Vittoria.

I wasn’t surprised that Bella Vittoria would be a grey. She descends from a long line of greys... Der Radetzky, Tequila Sunrise’s grandfather was a famous grey. Tequila Sunrise is a grey. Pik’s Promise is a grey. Statistics were 50/50 that Vittoria would be a grey, and when I saw the hairs around her eyes and the roaning in her coat, well... I knew. But I thought I also knew what to expect. I thought she would go grey like her mother did, slowly, in stages, with the change of each season.

Miss Vittoria had something else in mind. It began with white rings around her eyes. Then her ears changed color... and then she began to look like she had some sort of disease on her face. Now she just looks ridiculous in a rather cute, endearing sort of way, as if she’s said to her Mum, “Beat you to the finish line...” and at the rate she’s going, my money is on Vittoria. Vittoria means “victory,” you know....