Appaloosa Horse Club USA
The new beginning of the Appaloosa
There were people who cared about this breed. These included two Americans in particular: in 1894 the rancher Claude Thompson bought his first Appaloosa and recognized the quality and endurance of these spotted Indian horses. He began to buy and breed them and worked tirelessly to preserve the breed.
In 1937, Thompson met Dr. Francis Haines, a history professor from North Idaho College in Lewiston. Haines was also convinced of the characteristics of the Appaloosa and over the next few years worked with Thompson to lay the foundation for the registration and recognition of horses as an independent breed.
The Appaloosa Horse Club USA (ApHC) was officially registered under you on December 30, 1938 in the state of Oregon. The club was based in Moro, Oregon, on Claude Thompson's ranch for the next 10 years. They tirelessly collected all the historical documents they could get about this breed, recorded them, created pedigree certificates and registration papers for horses suitable for breeding and developed a breed standard that is still largely valid today.
In the first few years there were 55 members and 113 registered horses, probably due to the war raging in Europe and the poor economic situation in the USA.
In the summer of 1946 the two founders of the ApHC received reinforcement from a young man from Palouse Country (Washington), the former home of the Nez Perce, the 22 year old George Hatley. His family had bred Appaloosas for many years, and his great-uncle was able to buy three horses bred by Nez Perce from the auction in Fort Keogh.
In the following years the club and its breed experienced a huge boom.
In 1947 the office of the ApHC was relocated to Moscow, Idaho and was thus in the middle of the country of origin of the Appaloosa, where it is still located today.
The first stud book was opened in 1948, and on June 20, 1948, the ApHC hosted the first National Appaloosa Horse Show, a one-day event which, however, brought the breed great public interest at the time. Over the years, the show developed into the annual National Appaloosa Horse Show, which takes place for a whole week, after the World Show, which is also the largest and most important Appaloosa tournament in the USA.
In 1950 the Appaloosa was recognized as a separate breed in the USA
From 21 Appaloosas registered in 1940, the number of horses registered with the ApHC has risen to around 695,000 worldwide. The club's various trail rides are also enjoying growing popularity. The best known is probably the “Chief Joseph Trail”, a ride that leads every year over a section of the escape route of the Nez Perce Indians and in which more than 300 riders take part every year with their Appaloosa. In regular cycles, the entire escape route of the tribe is traced, a reverence and reminder of the tragic history of the tribe and the unbelievable hardships for humans and animals.
The ApHC has grown into a professionally organized club that looks after a very large number of members and horses in the USA and worldwide and takes the past as well as the present very seriously.
There were people who cared about this breed. These included two Americans in particular: in 1894 the rancher Claude Thompson bought his first Appaloosa and recognized the quality and endurance of these spotted Indian horses. He began to buy and breed them and worked tirelessly to preserve the breed.
In 1937, Thompson met Dr. Francis Haines, a history professor from North Idaho College in Lewiston. Haines was also convinced of the characteristics of the Appaloosa and over the next few years worked with Thompson to lay the foundation for the registration and recognition of horses as an independent breed.
The Appaloosa Horse Club USA (ApHC) was officially registered under you on December 30, 1938 in the state of Oregon. The club was based in Moro, Oregon, on Claude Thompson's ranch for the next 10 years. They tirelessly collected all the historical documents they could get about this breed, recorded them, created pedigree certificates and registration papers for horses suitable for breeding and developed a breed standard that is still largely valid today.
In the first few years there were 55 members and 113 registered horses, probably due to the war raging in Europe and the poor economic situation in the USA.
In the summer of 1946 the two founders of the ApHC received reinforcement from a young man from Palouse Country (Washington), the former home of the Nez Perce, the 22 year old George Hatley. His family had bred Appaloosas for many years, and his great-uncle was able to buy three horses bred by Nez Perce from the auction in Fort Keogh.
In the following years the club and its breed experienced a huge boom.
In 1947 the office of the ApHC was relocated to Moscow, Idaho and was thus in the middle of the country of origin of the Appaloosa, where it is still located today.
The first stud book was opened in 1948, and on June 20, 1948, the ApHC hosted the first National Appaloosa Horse Show, a one-day event which, however, brought the breed great public interest at the time. Over the years, the show developed into the annual National Appaloosa Horse Show, which takes place for a whole week, after the World Show, which is also the largest and most important Appaloosa tournament in the USA.
In 1950 the Appaloosa was recognized as a separate breed in the USA
From 21 Appaloosas registered in 1940, the number of horses registered with the ApHC has risen to around 695,000 worldwide. The club's various trail rides are also enjoying growing popularity. The best known is probably the “Chief Joseph Trail”, a ride that leads every year over a section of the escape route of the Nez Perce Indians and in which more than 300 riders take part every year with their Appaloosa. In regular cycles, the entire escape route of the tribe is traced, a reverence and reminder of the tragic history of the tribe and the unbelievable hardships for humans and animals.
The ApHC has grown into a professionally organized club that looks after a very large number of members and horses in the USA and worldwide and takes the past as well as the present very seriously.