January 1, 2006 - Still Alive
Still Actively Competing - Three Day Eventing
Irish Sport Horse Gelding - Ireland/United States
Aside from leg markings, it's not sure how he got his name. He was originally named Lismakeera Super Socks, then renamed to Fernhill Flaxen, and when he was imported to the US from Ireland he was registered with the U.S. Equestrian Federation as Super Socks BCF.
When Marr Brown first saw him in Ireland, he didn't think much of the horse as he appeared droopy and thinner then most horses - he was almost mistaken for a 26 year old! When he moved his joints creaked and he grunted with every motion. But once he had a saddle on he did what was asked and seemed to be a decent jumper. Brown described him as "He grunts, he creaks, he has no neck. He shivers for minutes every time you pick up his right hind." But when the time came, he passed the vet list after several better looking horses did not, and he ended up on a plane to California.
The first time Brown rode him, Super Socks bucked him off. But with time and effort he began to show what a super horse he could be. Brown states "He’s just like Superman in so many ways: In his day to day life he flies under the radar—just like Clark Kent in his glasses, he doesn’t immediately appear to be a super hero. Just like Clark Kent, he has flaws, weaknesses and self-doubts. But when it’s time to jump in to action and save the world, he sheds that plain wrapper, dons that cape and boots, and becomes larger than life. Sometimes he’s naughty or fairly common, but when it counts he digs deep and runs faster, jumps higher, and tries harder than you ever thought he could."
Together Brown and Super Socks have performed extremely well, with the recent video above of 2017 Rolex Kentucky where they finished sixth. Matt Brown has been named to the USEF High Performance Training Lists since 2013, most of them with Socks. He is working towards representing the Three Day Eventing Team for USA in the Olympics when they are run in Tokyo. Super Socks and Brown were on the reserve US team for the Rio Olympic teams.
Sire: Castle Quest
Dam: Unknown (by Traoch)
Breeder: Lismakeera Sport Horses
Owners: Blossom Creek Foundation
Trainers: Matthew Brown
Matt Brown quotes from [x]
