This photo was taken by the contestant in 1992 at actor and actress John and Bo Derek's ranch where she worked as trainer, handler and manager. She and her husband (since deceased) also owned the colt's dam, a similarly marked bright chestnut with flaxen mane and tail. The mare was purchased for the contestant by her father-in-law who, although he never helped out with other expenses, thought that she should own her own show horse since she worked with them. In the end, this philosophy did not turn out to work out so well. Somehow the colt's right shoulder got broken when he was being boarded off the Derek's property as a yearling. Coincidentally, supporters who knew of the beautiful show and racing colt's tragic accident persuaded congregations at a Synagogue, a Christian church and a Buddhist temple to pray that he would survive the life-saving surgery on his shattered shoulder. When the shoulder held together in the swimming tank after "Gold" woke up from the anesthesia, the veterinary surgeon said it was a miracle! Even though Gold grew up to become a fiery stallion who liked to show off by rearing, he had a lot of heart and never put cats, dogs or young children at risk who approached him when he was full of spirit. Not long after his shoulder operation a competitor criminally poisoned Gold with a nearly lethal dose of atropine which severely damaged his fertility. Oriental Gold eventually went on to sire three offspring before becoming terminally sterile. He remained a great animal personality however, and was famously befriended by a stray tuxedo cat and friendly pigeon who for months fluttered into his stall to sleep on his back at night...