The moonwalking Shetland pony who became a worldwide internet sensation has found himself at the centre of a paternity battle.
It is not the first time that a celebrity stud has left his partner and sought out a more glamorous mate.
Nor is it unheard of for a moment of passion with an attractive filly to result in a paternity test many months later to determine whether the star is the father.
However, this particular TV personality, who is said to have “a real eye for the ladies”, seems quite relaxed about the possibility that DNA results will confirm that the child is his.
For five-year-old Socks combines his sideline as the moonwalking Shetland pony who became a worldwide internet sensation with his day job as a stud on a breeding farm.
Having shot to fame in a mobile phone advert in which he danced to the Fleetwood Mac song Everywhere, he is playing up to his newfound stardom with behaviour that would make some of his most amorous fellow celebrities blush.
Socks was put out to stud with three mares in a field next to a loch, but took a shine to another filly called Kimberley on the other side of the water and swam across to meet her.
Kimberley gave birth to a black colt called Scamp last month, and now hair samples have been sent to a DNA laboratory to find out whether Socks is the father.
The ponies’ owner, Mari Williamson, who runs the Benston stud farm on Shetland, admitted that Socks was keen on making the most of his celebrity status when it came to the opposite sex.
“He most definitely has a real eye for the ladies. He doesn`t need any encouragement. But there is a bit of paternity battle involving him at the moment,” she said.
“I put him with three ladies in a field with a loch. But he is a very good swimmer and unfortunately he took a shine to another one of my mares, who I had put in a group with my other stallion, Nuggett.
“He just fancied her more and thought the grass is always greener on the other side.”
She added: “It is costing an arm and a leg for the DNA tests, but it is important to keep the line correct.”
Socks appeared in a 60-second commercial for the mobile company Three which showed him “moonwalking” on a cliff to impress other ponies before hiding his dance moves from a local farmer.
Since the advert was first broadcast on television at the start of March, it has been viewed more than 5.3 million times on YouTube.
Socks also has his own Facebook page with 1,000 followers, but is said to have remained down to earth.
Mrs Williamson, 42, said: “He has taken it all in his stride and got his four hooves firmly on the ground. He loves carrots and apples so he’s had a few of those as a reward.”
Scamp, who is said to be a “real character”, will command a higher price if it turns out that Socks is his father.
The dancing pony fathered a filly called Quartz two years ago, but another foal he sired died shortly after being born last month.
However, Mrs Williamson is confident that he has many more years as a stud ahead of him.
She said: “There should be lots of little Socks running about. He is a fantastic pony. I`m as proud as punch of him.
“I would never part with him, no matter how much money I was offered. He is very special to me.
