Meadow Skipper
Meadow Skipper (May 8, 1960 – 1982) was a Standardbred racehorse and sire. He earned $428,057 as a racehorse. Background. Meadow Skipper was a brown horse foaled in 1960 by Dale Frost out of the U. S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame mare Countess Vivian by Kings Council. Career. Trained and driven by Earle Avery, Meadow Skipper was a world or season champion during each year that he raced. He won the 1963 Cane Pace, and placed second in the Little Brown Jug. Stud record. When he retired to the breeding farm, Meadow Skipper sired more than 1,700  progeny. As a stud, his progeny earned $66 million. He sired 456 two-minute pacers, including Triple Crown winners Ralph Hanover and Most Happy Fella; plus Albatross, sire of Niatross, Chairmanoftheboard, and Naughty But Nice. The winnings of the 2,546 progeny of Albatross, Meadow Skipper's son, earned $130,700,280. Niatross is believed by many to be the greatest harness horse of all time. He was Harness Horse of the Year as a two- and three-year-old in 1979 and 1980, won the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers, and obliterated the world record by three full  seconds with a mile time of 1:49.1. Retirement. Meadow Skipper retired to Stoner Creek Farm in Kentucky, and died there in 1982. In 1983, Meadow Skipper was inducted into the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame.