In 1948, Wing Commander won his first Five-Gaited World Grand Championship, a title he kept for a total of six years. In total he won 6 Five-Gaited World Grand Championships and was the first of only two horses to accomplish this. In 1950, Life magazine featured Wing Commander as an example of a fine athlete and an American Idol. He was owned by Dodge Stables and trained by Marvin Lane and ridden by Earl Teater. From 1946 to 1954, Wing Commander accumulated 174 wins. Following his show career, Wing Commander was retired to stud and was the leading Saddlebred sire from 1963 to 1968. His ability to produce championship offspring was almost as impressive as his run of victories. He sired six world champions, including noted Saddlebred horses Wingmaster, Yorktown, Tinsel Wings, and Commander’s Countess. From 1954 until 1973, he was at the top of the list for deceased sires. He stood at stud at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and died of colic at the age of 26. On December 11, 1985, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and was awarded a golden medallion from the National Horse Show Association of America. In 2000, his life was featured in a year-long exhibit at the American Saddlebred Museum. He remains one of the most influential stallions of the breed.