Birthday Celebrates New Year For Equine Friends
Newcastle Herald
Saturday August 2, 2008
TAKING a break from the serious business of being a super sire, Woodlands Stud's Canny Lad celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday.
But he wasn't alone. All horses in the southern hemisphere mark their birthdays on August 1. The horses' birthday is used to clarify age because horses race in age classes.Canny Lad may not have received a key to his stable at the party thrown in his honour, but he celebrated in style with cake, candles and carrots.An additional birthday present arrived earlier in the week when the first foal of the season was born at Woodlands, sired by Canny Lad and out of Alton.Breeding Operations general manager, Peter Flynn has known Canny Lad since he was a foal. He said the stallion's 21st party was fantastic, although Canny Lad preferred the carrot."He's an unusual horse to be in service at his age and still commercial," he said.In his racing career, Canny Lad won the Golden Slipper and the VRC Sires' Produce. He is descended from the colonial-bred Star Kingdom.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
