"Why are White Horses Called Greys?"

Tell by a racer..!!

Most white-colored horses are born black and gray with age. Their hair color gets lighter as the years go by. Their color goes from black, to dark gray, to a lighter gray, and eventually to all white when they are older. I will tell you a little story about a gray horse that was special to me. In the spring of 1979, I was sixteen and old enough to finally become a professional jockey.

My first mount in a professional race came aboard a three year old gray colt named Northern Shrike. (I had to change his name in my autobiography for other reasons). I finished second with him that day at Hialeah Park in Florida. That summer I won with him at Monmouth Park in New Jersey and had another second with him at Aqueduct in New York in the fall. Because I got along so well with Northern Shrike, even though he changed trainers that year, I kept riding him.

He was dark gray in color at that time. Most thoroughbreds race when they are two, three, four, and five years old. (This is why it is rare to see an all white horse racing at the track.) Many years later I was racing at Aqueduct in New York, and I was reunited with Northern Shrike. When I rode my old friend, I discovered that his personality and running style had not changed one bit. He still preferred to come from just off the pace, and make his run on the outside of horses. The only difference in Northern Shrike was his color. As an old man, he was a much lighter gray, almost white. We finished second that afternoon, beaten only a nose. A few weeks later, I won with him. There is much more to this story that can’t be told here, so if you enjoyed this much, you can read more in my autobiography, Racing With My Shadow.

 There you will also find photos of Northern Shrike—in my first race, and then later on when he was almost white! (However, his name is changed to Northern Snipe in my book due to the personal connections that needed to stay confidential.) There are also many more inside racing stories you might enjoy!

Enjoy Yourself Guys and Stay with Me.