In 1956, riding instructor Harry De Leyer puchased a 7 year old gelding for 80 dollars as he was being loaded into a van for the slaughterhouse. The horse became a hit with his children, which dubbed him " Snowman" but when he sold to a local doctor, he kept jumping fences & returning to De Leyer. Recognising his talent, De Leyer began training him for the show ring & soon Snowman was beating the country's best jumpers everywhere he went.
In 1958 & 1959, Snowman was named both the American Horse Shows Association (now the USEF) Horse of the Year & the Professional Horsemen's Association Champion.