Nijinsky: how the Triple Crown made him a legend - but also caused his downfall

Some days are etched indelibly in the memory, and the afternoon of Wednesday, May 3, 1989 was one of those days. For ten years he had been just a name in a series of captioned photographs; now he was coming to life before my very eyes.

We were ushered into one end of the stallion barn at Claiborne Farm, in Kentucky. As we walked down the shedrow we passed stalls that were home to thoroughbreds icons. The likes of Secretariat, Mr Prospector, Danzig and Sir Ivor lived here. They were all out in their paddocks, as was the one horse whose acquaintance I had waited a decade to make.

We saw him the instant we exited the far end of the barn. He was in the paddock immediately to my left. He exuded presence, his opulent, rich-bay flanks gleaming in the sun. He moved with uncommon grace, in the manner of the dancer for whom he was named. Then he turned to face us, in the process showing us the heart-shaped white marking on his forehead that identified him beyond doubt as Nijinsky.