The name Pepel is one of few to glorify the Soviet Union in the international horseracing arena, having achieved the highest steps of the pedestal. Foreign journalists reported with admiration about him, praising the stallion’s natural charm and intelligence. “He never lost concentration... he passed from one movement to another without the slightest hesitation - so smoothly and easily and his paces were so natural that it seemed he had never been worked with. The control was completely imperceptible” - the Belgian magazine, Bulletin Officiel de la F.R.B.S.E, wrote: “Since the times of General Wattel on Rampart and Colonel Lesege on Ten I had not seen the art of training executed with such precision", a correspondent of French magazine "L'eperon" wrote with similar enthusiasm “The Russian combination Pepel - Petushkova was the only one to produce an impression of harmony, and, hence, ease". –(hese words by the American judge and observer Doctor Van Schaik). The stallion was an inspiration for Elena who had devoted to him the biggest part of her book “Travelling on a saddle through the route of life ”. This is how she describes Pepel in her book: “Black Trakehner Pepel, son of Piligrim, was considered a standard of the breed and was originally intended for triathlon. He was an excellent jumper but a cataract was found in his left eye –probably as a result of it beingpricked when he was a foal. Those who did not know however believed that Pepel’s left eye was just blue. He could see with it, but only partially, and, certainly, he could not perform…(ELENA not sure whether you mean this literally???) Pepel was proud, independent and a real personality! Perhaps, the expression "personality of a horse" may sound like a paradox to some people, but only for those who are not close to animals. Dog lovers will understand these words in a natural way; they may even shrug their shoulders and say, "Who could say otherwise? » So what is it, anyway, the personality of a horse? Disposition? Character? Temperament? Certainly, Pepel was very retentive – of both of kindness and evil– but especially of evil! He never forgot a person who treated him with unreasonable cruelty and waited for the moment of revenge. When punished (even if for a fair reason) he could take offence and "not talk to you” for a few daysignoring your voice and taking a piece of rye bread from your hands with a most reluctant expression (temptation was great!)”. These lines give us a deeper understanding of the character of the stallion that has become “a legend of the Russian sports”. The silver prize-winner in team competitions in XIX Olympic Games in Mexico, the World and Europe champion in personal contest in Aachen in 1971, champion of XX Olympic games in Munich in team championship and silver prize-winner in personal championship in 1972, the bronze prize-winner of the European championship in Kiev in 1975 – such is the incomplete list of his regalia. Pepel’s last start race was in the USSR championship in 1977. When Petushkova finished the event she jumped from her saddle, kissed his nice muzzle, and they parted. His sports career however proceeded until he was 21. At this age, he finds himself in his native Kirow horse stud, now as a sire. Being of medium hight (163 cm), with poor quality of sperm and a far from ideal exteriorserved Pepel a good service for only the best mares of the stud were picked up for him. The first foals, born in 1978, have proved that Pepel was a worthy stud horse. Salp and Valtrap performed perfectly in show jumping and Petushkova took Gipuer for herself for training. The latter achieves excellent results, but an inguinal hernia that developed at his eight years of age, curtailed a promising sports future. Thus, Gipuer was taken to the Dnepropetrovski horse stud where he became the main stud horse of the Ukraine breed. His sons and daughters have since brought glory to their father! Archipellag, Hang and Tagil were many times winners and prize-winners of the national and international championships in show jumping, Hirurg being the best show jumping horse of the Ukraine, there were many others. Long negotiations with the management of the Dnepropetrovski horse stud were a success and in 1999 Gipuer was rented for one year by the “Zevs horse stud farm”, specializing in trakehner breed. There he became a father of two stallions (Gladiator and Gefest) who successfully graded and are now used for stud purposes. In 1979 Vipas was sired by Pepel who successfully started in the Rostov hippodrome, having realised from nine starts one first place, two seconds and two thirds. The uniqueness of Vipas’s origin, his beautiful figure and sporting achievements drew attention from the Kirow horse stud selectioners who actively used him from three-years of age until his death in 1993. Seven sons of Vipas were used in breeding. In 2003, a grandson of Vipas and the son of a Hanover mare (Hodar) became the stallion of the year. The progeny of Hodar were unsurpassed test leaders of that year. Another son of Vipas, Aktiv, (who belongs to the American team) is a prize-winner of international championships in show jumping and is used as sire in Czechia in the "Albertowez" horse stud. Yet another ,Val, is a licensed stallion of the Canadian Trakehner Association. The progeny of 1980 were the last to be sired by Pepel. They were especially marked by two stallions; Vopros and Sapros, both of which had successful careers in show jumping, competing in national championships and they were also used in breeding. The most successful was Sapros who is now used in breeding by method of artificial insemination. Seven sons of Sapros and one of his grandsons are now in the Trakehner and Hannover breeding programmes. His progeny are still young but they are successfully performing in sports, some examples being Visitjor and Dios (show jumping), Haneta (dressage) and Susenli (eventing). In 1997 Sapros was sold to Germany to stand at stud. Pepel died in 1981 of old age. He had had his supper, went to sleep and simply didn’t wake up – his heart had stopped. A stormy life and a peaceful death! For the Russian trakehner breeding and equestrian sport Pepel was "a star". His sports career was full of ups and downs but for over 13 years he shared it with his permanent partner Elena Petushkova.