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Spot the horse who aimed to emulate his famous ancestor
Charlotte Cox27/12/2006
NOW that's horse power! Keen rider Angela Leach is the proud owner of a champion British Team steed whose record-breaking racehorse's great-great-grandfather is the late Secretariat - formerly the best horse in the world.
Not only did the legendary stallion make history on the track he was also the only four-legged animal to grace the cover of Time Magazine - quite a remarkable feat.
So Zac - stable name Classic Zacheria - has been saddled with following in his mighty relative's hoofprints as he is, in fact, the equine equivalent of a royal heir.
Mum-of-one, Angela, 43, who first adopted 11-year-old Zac four months ago, was amazed to discover the 15-hand dappled Appaloosa cross-Arab thoroughbred is related to the famous American star, Secretariat.
Nicknamed "Big Red", because of his size and brilliant chestnut colour, Secretariat was born in Virginia, and won every classic race he entered, with an amazing run of successes in 1973 and 1974.
And even in death this magnificent beast was honoured. For traditionally when a thoroughbred shuffles off its mortal coil only it's head, heart and legs are interned to symbolise the creature's intelligence, strength and power.
In Secretariat's case when he went into the great stable in the sky he was buried whole!
Angela realised Zac - who was in the British Endurance Team - had immaculate pedigree breeding when she arrived in Staffordshire to pick him up.
After moving him to his new stables in Congleton, near her house at Hulme Square, Macclesfield, she said: "There's just something about him and I could tell straight away he was a special horse.
"It was love at first sight for me. And he's just so lovely, so proud. He's got me back into horseriding in a big way."
Angela, who lives with her daughter and fellow rider, Emma, 16, and who runs unofficial animal adoption operation, "Angel's", added: "When I found out about Secretariat I was amazed. It's fantastic to know he's got such an amazing heritage.
"We went up to Macclesfield Forest, and he's got speed, endurance, and amazing fitness.
"He's unstoppable but I trust him and I didn't feel nervous the first time I rode him."
Secretariat, a 16-hand horse, who was born on March 30, 1970, and died on October 4, 1989, was officially the best horse in the world, and he was named Eclipse Horse of the Year by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association of America when he was just two-years-old.
Zac is sadly partially blind in one eye - no-one knows how - but that doesn't stop his showing off.
Just like his famous great-great-grandfather he is strong. Secretariat, who won famous American events, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, making him the first Triple Crown winner in a quarter of a century, and some say, the greatest horse of all time, would be proud of him.
After he died, his heart was found to be three times bigger than normal - an explanation for his athletic prowess. And it looks like Zac has a big heart too.
"I think it was fate we were supposed to team up. He's lovely," Angela added.
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29/12/2006 at 00:14