Gladys Knight & the Pips routines that became a signature of the Pips' stage presentation; Atkins later described his working and personal relationship with the group in his autobiography, "Class Act: The Jazz Life of Choreographer Cholly Atkins": "The one thing that I was pleased about was a stipulation in my contract that allowed me to keep working with Gladys Knight & the Pips as personal clients even though I would be an employee of Motown Records. To tell the truth, Gordy wasn't too happy about it at first, but this is something that I would not compromise under any circumstances. By that time, Gladys
Pips Pride Eddery in the saddle, he followed up in the Garter Stakes at Ascot, leading from the start to win from two rivals. Pips Pride was then stepped up in class and distance for the Group 3 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and finished third behind Petardia and So Factual. In the following month he ran third to Wharf in the July Stakes at Newmarket, but then ran disappointingly when coming home fifth of the six runners behind his stablemate Son Pardo in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. The colt was then sent to Ireland to contest the Group