Meadow Skipper (May 8, 1960 – 1982) was a
Standardbred
The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing, where members of the breed compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace i ...
racehorse and
sire
Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.
The words "sire" a ...
. He earned $428,057 as a racehorse.
Background
Meadow Skipper was a brown horse foaled in 1960 by Dale Frost out of the
U. S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame mare Countess Vivian by Kings Council.
Career
Trained and driven by
Earle Avery
Earl(e) Bradford Avery (February 4, 1894 – November 6, 1977) was a driver and trainer of standardbred racehorses who was inducted into both the Canadian and United States Harness Racing Halls of Fame.
Racing career
He earned his first win on A ...
, Meadow Skipper was a world or season champion during each year that he raced.
He won the 1963 Cane Pace, and placed second in the
Little Brown Jug.
Stud record
When he retired to the breeding farm, Meadow Skipper sired more than 1,700 progeny.
As a stud, his progeny earned $66 million. He sired 456 two-minute pacers, including Triple Crown winners
Ralph Hanover and
Most Happy Fella
Most Happy Fella (1967–1983) was a bay Standardbred horse by Meadow Skipper. He was voted Pacer of the Year in the United States in 1970 when he won the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.
Racing career
As a two-year-old in 1969, Most ...
;
plus
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...
, sire of
Niatross
Niatross (1977–1999) was an American champion standardbred race horse that many believe was the greatest harness horse of all time.
Background
The son of Albatross out of the mare Niagara Dream, Niatross was foaled on March 30, 1977. He wa ...
,
Chairmanoftheboard, and Naughty But Nice.
The winnings of the 2,546 progeny of Albatross, Meadow Skipper's son, earned $130,700,280. Niatross is believed by many to be the greatest harness horse of all time. He was
Harness Horse of the Year
The Harness Horse of the Year is an honor recognizing the top harness racing horse in the United States. The award is selected by the United States Trotting Association and the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), which issues the an ...
as a two- and three-year-old in 1979 and 1980, won the
Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers The Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers consists of these horse races:
#Cane Pace, held at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey
#Messenger Stakes, held at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York
# Little Brown Jug, held at t ...
, and obliterated the world record by three full seconds with a mile time of 1:49.1.
Retirement
Meadow Skipper retired to Stoner Creek Farm in Kentucky, and died there in 1982.
In 1983, Meadow Skipper was inducted into the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame.
Meadow Skipper bio at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame
Retrieved December 19, 2016
Pedigree
References
{{reflist, 2
1960 racehorse births
1982 racehorse deaths
United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees
Harness racing in the United States
American Standardbred racehorses
Cane Pace winners