The Choking Horse
by Lisa Harkema
The Norwegian Trotting association started to keep stallion records in 1928, and every year until 1936 the Kentucky-born chestnut stallion The Eno was the undisputed champion. However, the excellent trotter and stallion had a rough start on his career causing wanna-be comedians to suggest the horse shouldn’t be trotting but rather be touring with a circus.
The Eno was born in 1911 and from the same crop as Peter Volo and Lee Axworthy. While the former dazzled the trotting world already as a yearling, The Eno needed a little bit of time to come into his own. At 3 he showed promise, though, by taking a mark of 2:19 3/4 (1.26,9). CL “Kentuck” Floyd then purchased The Eno in late 1914 after spotting the talented 3-year-old. On finally making his Grand Circuit debut the following year the chestnut received a lot of attention – but for all the wrong reasons. At the Cranwood racetrack on Jun 29, 1915 he choked, staggered and fell through the fence after passing the half. Somehow, both the chestnut colt and the driver miraculously escaped without injuries. Three weeks later it was deja vu: The Eno seemed to be on his way to victory at North Randall when he choked down and went tumbling over the track, again. That earned The Eno the nickname “the choking horse” and some even suggested the horse should have toured with a circus. But if The Eno had some maturing to do, Floyd worked wonders with him in no time at all.