Appaloosa Horse Club facts for kids
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) is an organization located in Moscow, Idaho. Its main goal is to protect and promote the special Appaloosa horse breed. In 1975, the state of Idaho even made the Appaloosa its official state horse! Since it started in 1938, the ApHC has registered over 630,000 Appaloosas. It's one of the biggest horse breed registries in the world, working hard to keep the Appaloosa's history and unique traits alive.
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History of the Appaloosa Horse Club
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was officially started in December 1938. The founders included Claude and Faye Thompson, Dr. Francis Haines, Ernest Kuck, and Frank Dick. For the first nine years, the ApHC was run from the Thompson's home in Moro, Oregon.
In 1946, George Hatley, who lived in Moscow, Idaho, joined the club. He offered to create a newsletter for the members. Claude Thompson then asked Hatley to be the assistant secretary. Hatley published the very first Appaloosa News, which was just one page.
Hatley became the executive secretary in 1947 while he was still a student at the University of Idaho. The ApHC office then moved to Hatley's home in Moscow. For a while, money from Hatley's own Appaloosa stallion helped pay for the club's activities. Hatley and Francis Haines also started working on the ApHC's first official stud book, which lists all registered horses. By 1948, the ApHC had 296 registered horses. This made it the ninth largest light-horse breed registry that year. The first official meeting and election for the club's leaders happened on June 19, 1948, right before the first National Show.
Registering Your Appaloosa
The ApHC says that an Appaloosa is a breed defined by its family tree and certain features, especially its unique coat pattern. This means Appaloosas are more than just a "color breed"; they have specific bloodlines and physical traits.
To be registered with the ApHC, an Appaloosa must have two registered Appaloosa parents. Or, it can have one registered Appaloosa parent and one parent from another approved breed. The ApHC approves Arabian horses, Quarter Horses, and Thoroughbreds as other parent breeds. One parent must always be a regular registered Appaloosa.
There's a special rule for Appaloosa-colored geldings (male horses that can't breed) or spayed mares (female horses that can't breed) if their parents are unknown. Owners can apply for "hardship registration" for these horses.
Appaloosa Competitions
The Appaloosa Horse Club offers many ways for owners to show off their Appaloosas. These range from small local shows to the huge World Championship Appaloosa Show.
Appaloosa Competitive All-breed Activities Program
The Appaloosa Competitive All-breed Activities Program (ACAAP) lets Appaloosa owners compete in shows that are not just for Appaloosas. The ApHC recognizes and gives awards to Appaloosas for their achievements in these "all-breed" competitions. This includes many different activities like barrel racing, combined training, driving, trail riding, and jumping.
Breeders' Trust Program
The Appaloosa Breeders' Trust is a special program for owners of Appaloosa stallions (male breeding horses) and their foals (baby horses). Owners pay a yearly fee to enroll their stallion. Then, the stallion's foals can be nominated for a 5-year program.
Most of the money collected (after a small fee) is put into a separate account. This money is then given back to the horse owners. The amount they get depends on how many points their foals earn in ApHC-approved events. The Breeders' Trust gives out 85% of the money in five equal parts. These parts are for horses in different age groups: Yearlings, Two-year-olds, Three-year-olds, Four-year-olds, and Five-year-olds.
Appaloosa Horse Shows
The ApHC hosts three big national horse shows each year. These are the National Appaloosa Show, the Youth World Championship Appaloosa Show, and the World Championship Appaloosa Show.
The National Appaloosa Show first started in 1948 in Lewiston, Idaho. It moved around the country for many years. From 1993, it stayed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for 15 years. In 2008, the show moved to Jackson, Mississippi. Since 2013, the National Appaloosa Show and the Youth World Championship Appaloosa Show have been held at the Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The ApHC signed a contract to move these two shows to Indianapolis starting in 2021.
Appaloosa Racing
The Nez Perce people used to race their Appaloosa horses over distances from a few hundred yards to 12 miles. Continuing this tradition, the ApHC held races at the National Show in 1948. They also had races for the first few years of the World Show.
Today, Appaloosas are known as mid-distance runners. They compete in races from 220 yards to 8 furlongs (about one mile). The Missouri Appaloosa Association held the breed's first "futurity" race in 1960. A futurity is a race for young horses. In December of that year, the ApHC created its Racing Committee. In 1961, the first state racing association for Appaloosas was formed in Kansas. By 1976, the ApHC recognized 24 state and regional racing associations.
The first pari-mutual race for Appaloosas happened in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1962. Pari-mutual means that betting money is pooled and then shared among the winners. In the same year, the Texas Appaloosa Horse Club held its first Appaloosa race meet in Fredericksburg, Texas. In 1963, the first World Wide Derby was run in Albuquerque. The World Wide Futurity holds the record for the biggest prize money for an Appaloosa race, which was $160,593 in 1980. The ApHC started its race medallion award system in 1973, giving out 27 medallions to top Appaloosa racehorses.
Appaloosa races are now held in 10 states, with Oklahoma, California, and Idaho being the most active. In 1994, the National Color Breed Racing Council was formed. This group helps promote both Appaloosa and Paint horse racing together.
Appaloosa racehorses can earn many awards from the ApHC. These include a Racing Register of Merit, year-end awards, medallions, and regional awards. The ApHC also keeps track of world and track records for Appaloosa racehorses. The Appaloosa Race Hall of Fame was created in 1988. It has honored many great racehorses and important horsemen. ApHC members can suggest nominations, and the Executive Race Committee votes on them. Horses must have passed away to be eligible for the Hall of Fame.
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