Champagne Horse Color

Champagne is another dilution gene that acts on the base color of a horse to produce a lighter color. It is a dominant gene, so one or two genes have the same affect, and a horse must have a champagne parent to be a champagne. The champagne gene dilutes red pigment to a yellow color, and black pigment to a chocolate grayish color that is sometimes mistaken for grulla.

Champagnes are often metallic in color, with a shiny coat. For this reason they are sometimes difficult to photograph. Other horses may have a metallic coat, too, and not all champagnes exhibit the brilliant sheen.

Champagnes also have freckled skin. Their skin is a pinkish color-- sometimes called pumpkin skin-- but it is not as light as the "normal" pink seen on horses with white markings. It also contains darker freckles.

The eyes of a champagne horse are lighter than other horses. When a foal is born, the eyes are often blue, then darken to green, and finally to a golden amber, green, or hazel color.

Champagnes may have "reverse dappling", where the centers of dapples are darker instead of lighter. Other colors can have this too, however.

Another unusual characteristic of the champagne gene is that foals are born darker, and then shed out lighter. Normally a foal will shed out to be a darker color as an adult.

Champagne on a chestnut is called Gold Champagne. The color is diluted to a golden color and can be mistaken for palomino.
Champagne Flashdance, Gold Champagne TWH Stallion

Champagne Hillbilly, AQHA Stallion, owned by Jody Jost.

Champagne on a black is called "Classic Champagne". The color is sometimes confused for grullo (black + dun) and in the past was sometimes called "lilac dun".

Ukiah Norsk, Friesian X Saddlebred classic champagne stallion. Website: www.norsk-pintos.com

Champagne on bay is called Amber Champagne. The body is diluted and the mane/tail/legs are chocolate.

Other Champagne Combinations:
Champagnes with cream genes (palomino + champagne, buckskin + champagne, etc.) were called "Ivory champagne" but the name causes some confusion because it is impossible to tell what genes the horse has (ie, is it buckskin + champagne, or palomino + champagne?). For this reason, people will describe them as a "gold cream champagne", or a "amber cream champagne" instead.