Invincible trotter Varenne, Italy's most famous horse, dies at 31

Aug 18 : Italian horse Varenne transcended sport during a record-smashing career as the world's greatest trotter, becoming a symbol of elegance and athletic prowess and appearing as a celebrity on popular TV shows.Varenne died of a heart attack on Tuesday aged 31, leaving behind an estate of over 2,000 offspring and a wide community of adoring fans in Italy and abroad. Trotting, especially popular in France, Finland, Italy and North America, is a form of racing in which horses pull a light carriage called a "sulky", manned by a driver, while maintaining a specific two-beat gait called a "trot". In a five-year racing career spanning 1998-2002 Varenne, widely known as "the Captain", achieved 62 victories in 73 races, including 53 Grand Prix, and earned over €6 million in prize money. "He was