▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁European ▁Champion ▁Two - Year - Old . ▁ ▁Background ▁B red ▁at ▁Water c ress ▁Farm ▁in ▁Paris , ▁Kentucky , ▁Sh am ard al ▁was ▁s ired ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁European ▁Hor se ▁of ▁the ▁Year , ▁Gi ant ' s ▁C ause way . ▁He ▁was ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁mare ▁Hels ink i , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁only ▁an ▁average ▁runner , ▁but ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁full ▁sister ▁to ▁Street ▁Cry . ▁Sh am ard al ' s ▁d ams ire ▁was ▁Mach ia vel li an , ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁s ire ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁Mr . ▁Pro spect or . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁his ▁bre ed ers ▁put ▁him ▁up ▁for ▁sale ▁at ▁the ▁Ke en eland ▁Sales ▁but ▁when ▁the ▁b idd ing ▁failed ▁to ▁meet ▁their ▁reserve ▁price ▁they ▁decided ▁to ▁wait ▁until ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁to ▁au ction ▁him ▁again . ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁year ling ▁began ▁to ▁exhib it ▁a ▁subt le ▁lack ▁of ▁coord ination ▁and ▁an ▁ab normal ▁cl ums iness ▁in ▁his ▁ga its . ▁He ▁was ▁soon ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁a ▁Gra de ▁ 3 ▁level ▁of ▁cer v ical ▁verte br al ▁mal formation ▁synd rome , ▁a ▁sp inal ▁dis order ▁commonly ▁referred ▁to ▁by ▁hors emen ▁as ▁the ▁" w ob bles ". ▁The ▁disease ▁means ▁the ▁horse ▁will ▁likely ▁never ▁race ▁and