The story of "The Bride"
Photo credits of the Bride in race condition: Gregg Porteous 1994
Photo credit of The Bride with foal 'Spooky': Melissa Cruden 2003

A surprise at the very least, was the bundle of powder white foal presented to the incredulous stud staff at Bracken Thoroughbred Stud, New South Wales, in the season of 1991. The ghostly filly, from the black/brown studbook Thoroughbred mare Salomeneo (by Idomeneo GB), and sired by the chestnut Thoroughbred stallion, Star Shower, certainly caused some consternation at the time of her birth. As there is no history of grey horses in her pedigree, she was duly registered ASB TB as white and given the very apt name of The Bride.

She went on to race being trained by Gai Waterhouse, one of Sydneys leading trainers. The white filly proved to have enough ability to be competitive on city tracks (11 starts for three seconds and one third) until she was sold to interests in WA. Recognised as a maximum sabino, The Bride was purchased by Elkington Park Lodge with plans to breed her to Snoopy or a Warmblood stallion to breed Coloured Performance Horses. After a lot of research we realised that with crossing her back to the right Thoroughbred stallion we could still achieve the colour. And that is exactly what we got.. born at 3.30 am on 29 September 2003. Tagged Spooky youve guessed it - he too is a maximum sabino.

WHITE thoroughbred foals are very rare, which makes this one a little bit special! This colt is only the seventh white thoroughbred registered in Australia. He is by the recently deceased El Gran Senor (USA) stallion Lordly Looker(NZ), a bay with white leg markings and a blaze, (minimal sabino)

There have been no more than 100 white thoroughbreds registered worldwide. This number is increasing slowly, with the help of relective breeding, as in the case of this colt. There are two types of white in horses - white dominant heterozygous (Ww yet to actually be proven) and sabino white (SS). This colt is a sabino white as is his mother and has received an S gene from each of his parents. His dam is SS (sabino white), but his sire was Ss (sabino not white). Ss toroughbred stallions are rare, but there are occasional notable examples, including Group 1 winner Northjet and Grade 1 winner Marquetry (right), a chestnut with unusual and bold white markings who has sired a white foal in the US. Sunday Silence (below) also produced a white foal.

We have decided to retain Spooky at Elkington Park Lodge as a stud proposition. The colt will be set for a show career at halter this year and his shows will include The QLD Paint Horse State Show in July, The Brisbane Royal and The Colourama Spectacular in August. Spooky will be tried for the racetrack and, as a dual registered ASB and PHAA individual, it is hoped that he will carry our colours and those of the Australian Paint Horse victoriously to the wire. After his time on the track, we intend to see him pursue a career in dressage and jumping.

Another thing that might be of interest is the fact that Spooky has yet to be formally named due to Racetrack magazine running a competition to that end. Whatever name we choose, via the competition, will become the colts ASB and PHAA registered name.

Elkington Park Lodge has received fabulous media coverage of The Bride with the birth of Spooky. Apart from the Name the White Foal competition in Racetrack (which was a double page spread including a cover shot), Spooky graced the cover of The Paint Horse Journal in December 2003 with a another double page story. They have been in no less than 100 newspapers worldwide and Horse Deals featured The Bride as an off the track feature.

Surely, it will be with interest that people will watch the progress of Spooky - from his official naming in Racetrack and onwards through his prospective careers as show horse, racehorse and sport horse...And all because of one special Thoroughbred mare who was born with her wedding dress on.

VALE – “SPOOKY”
29/09/03 - 22/12/05

WHITE thoroughbred foals are very rare, which made Spooky just a little bit special! Spooky was the seventh white thoroughbred registered in Australia.

There have been no more than 100 white thoroughbreds registered worldwide. This number is increasing slowly, with the help of selective breeding, as in the case of this Spooky. To understand the breeding is helpful, and hopefully not too technical to understand there are two types of White horses. White Dominant Heterozygous (Ww) and Sabino White (SS). A Sabino is a horse that has white markings eg white stockings and a white blaze, which is referred to as a minimal Sabino. A Maximal Sabino is all white. It’s also worth noting that white horses are completely different to grey horses. Their genetic make up is very different. For example, you CANNOT get a grey horse without a grey parent. Whites are born white with pink skin as against greys which are born with dark skin and a dark coat.

Sadly, today we lost “Spooky” to colic complications. He underwent a ‘simple’ hernia operation about 7 months ago which may have resulted to the major colic surgery the day after from the bowel going to sleep under anesthetic. He miraculously recovered from the colic surgery but today we could not save him. I would sincerely love to thank all the staff and brilliant doctors and professionals at Redlands Veterinary Hospital, and also today for the brilliant and urgent attention that was supplied by Medi Vet – Michael Higgins and Assc. In particular Dr Michael Woodcock from the Medi vet practice, whose expertise and patience allowed Spooky to not suffer for long in his final hours.

A very special thanks to my sister Caz who was strong enoungh to be with him in those final minutes.
RIP SPOOKY
You will be greatly missed
"Don't cry cause it's over, Smile because it happened!!"
- Everyone at Elkington Park