Bred by Royal Scot Stables, the six-year-old three-gaited star Classic Colors had to be humanely put down August 31 following a lengthy illness. He was owned by Sharyn Lackey and her daughter Stefanie Lackey Sanchez of Hiddenite, N.C., and trained at Peter and Kim Cowart's West Wind Stables.
Classic Colors was a son of Supreme Heir and Royal Scot's Pizazz and began his show ring career in harness under the direction of Nelson Green. They were third in the National Two-Year-Old Fine Harness Futurity at Louisville before being purchased by Spencer Mains with the Cowarts as his agents.
In his three-year-old season Classic Colors won at Asheville, ASHAV, and Decatur and was again third at Louisville, this time in the National Three-Year-Old Three-Gaited Futurity. Just prior to Louisville he had been sold to the Lackey family.
The next year, with four white legs pumping, Classic Colors would triumph in Junior Three-Gaited Stakes at J.D. Massey, Asheville, and Roanoke with Kim and Peter Cowart taking turns riding. At the season's end Stefanie Lackey Sanchez would make her debut show aboard the four-year-old, winning the ladies qualifier and Ladies Three-Gaited Championship at the highly competitive Alabama State Championship Show in Decatur.
The momentum carried right through to the 2001 season with victory passes at J.D. Massey and the Tar Heel Classic to go with qualifying and tricolor rides from Asheville and Decatur. They were also third and fourth at Louisville in the ladies' amateur division.
This season would come to an abrupt end. Following reserves at Asheville and J.D. Massey and wins at Statesville and Roanoke the successful campaigner became ill and never recovered.
"It was one of the saddest things I've ever had to do," said Kim Cowart referring to putting Classic Colors down. "He was the coolest horse with a great personality. Stefanie just loved him and they were quite a team."