Storm Bird, champion two year old colt in 1980, has died. The 26 year old suffered an attack of colic and it was decided to euthanize the horse.
He had been retired from stud duties for the last few years.

A winner of five of six starts, he made headlines for the wrong reasons when he was attacked in his stables at Ballydoyle prior to his three year old season. He made just one start, finishing unplaced in a Group Three race in France.

His two year old season was impressive and was capped by a win in the Dewhurst Stakes - a race sons of his sire, Northern Dancer, won six times. An own brother to champion filly, Northernette, Storm Bird has sired over 60 stakes winners to date.

His greatest son, Storm Cat, was not his best runner. A Grade One winning two year old, Storm Cat was second to Tasso in the Breeders Cup Juvenile. He is currently the most sought after sire in the world - and is leading the US two year old sires list for a sixth time. Storm Cat, twice leader of the US sires list, is now a promising sire of sires through the likes of Hennessy, Forestry, Giant's Causeway and Storm Boot.

Storm Bird is also responsible for champion fillies Balanchine and Indian Skimmer, Preakness hero Summer Squall, King's Stand winner Bluebird and Group/Grade One winners Magical Wonder, Classy Mirage and Pacific Squall.

A leading broodmare sire, Storm Bird is responsible for the likes of champion sire Thunder Gulch, champion Flanders and Birdstone, conqueror of Smarty Jones in the Belmont Stakes this year and is the broodmare sire of nearly 100 stakes winners.

He stood his entire stud career at Ashford and passed his aggressive temperament on.