Remembering the Horse That Never Won a Single Race
Zippy Chippy was a racehorse but he never won a single race. In his 100 races, he came close a few times, but he just never understood why all the other horses were in such a rush, reported CBS News. He could have won, if he would have gotten out of the starting gate at the beginning of the race.
Now, his fans – and he had many – are paying tribute to this amazing horse who died at age 31 at the upstate New York home for retired racehorses, Old Friends at Cabin Creek for the important life lessons that he taught. Lessons like winning isn’t everything and that sometimes you just have to do your own thing.
“I think we all see ourselves in Zippy because it was always on Zippy’s terms. Whatever Zippy wanted, Zippy did,” unofficial Zippy fan club president Rosanne Frieri told CBS News
Zippy was born to run
Zippy’s pedigree suggests that he had the potential to be a great racehorse and included Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winners like Man o’ War, Native Dancer, and La Troienne, according to the Associated Press. But pedigree isn’t everything.
His owner and trainer Felix Montserrate traded a Ford truck for Zippy in 1995 and entered him in a long succession of races. At least until Zippy was banned from many tracks due to his refusal to leave the starting gate.
“Zippy is like my son. I like him a lot. And every time he runs, he makes me feel good,” Monserrate told CBS Sunday Morning several years ago
This amazing horse gained fame – and fans – by participating in stunts like competing against a minor-league baseball player and a harnessed horse. In 2000, he was on PEOPLE magazine’s list of the year’s most intriguing personalities.
Zippy’s last race was September 10, 2004 at Northampton Fair in Massachusetts where he finished last. He retired from racing shortly afterwards.
After retirement
Zippy settled into retirement sharing his paddock with a fellow New York-bred gelding named Red Down Stars. The pair were the Superstars of Cabin Creek.
“Zippy was our main character here, and he lived his life his way,” Cabin Creek’s owner and manager JoAnn Pepper told the AP. “He was so content, and would not do anything he wasn’t in the mood for. He taught me so much about life, and I’ll miss him forever.”
This much-loved racehorse had his greatest success as a retiree where hundreds of fans would come to visit him every year. “He was finally a star,” said Michael Blowen, Old Friends founder and president.
