Sissy (Nightline Image)
Sissy is majestic, but she is not for the faint of heart. The granddaughter of triple crown winner Secretariat, it is easy to imagine her galloping across the finish line in a horse race. But Sissy is not just fast, she is a graceful and fluid ballerina in the dressage ring. She is out of Nightline Mist by Image of Greatness – sire owned by the great George Steinbrenner who donated to the UF Vet School.
Rebecca fell in love with her when Sissy was just five months old, and it is easy to see why. Sissy is a beautiful, leggy, chestnut Thoroughbred with lots of chrome (a white blaze on her face and white stockings on her legs) that stretch on for miles. She has a thick mane and long tail that swishes when she walks. She has a very sweet disposition and the softest coat. Known as the farm “thigh master”, she will make you use muscles you didn’t know you had. This horse will build your strength, balance and endurance, but if you can manage to hang in there, riding her is like floating on a cloud. She is light as a feather in her mouth, and responds to the slightest movement of your body.
Sissy is graceful and smart (we think she understands words before they are said), and has the cutest ears that rotate like radar as she listens to everything on and around her. Riding her is such a privilege and a joy. Her “baby” boy, Walleigh, often watches her in the ring and the entire herd is always eager to greet her, the heart and soul of this horse family.