The Return of the Appaloosa
The founding
of the American Appaloosa Horse Club cannot be mentioned
without referring to the one man who led the fight for the
Appaloosa; MR Claude J Thompson. Mr. Thompson had a life
long passion for the Appaloosa, its history and its future.
On December 30th 1938 Mr. Thompson and Dr Francis Haines
formally opened the Appaloosa Horse Club. They along with
other like-minded horsemen sort to save and re-establish the
Appaloosa to its former glory. They sort spotted horse from
far and wide, infusing them with the pure blood of the
Arabian to re-establish the refinement and quality that had
been lost due to indiscriminate breeding.
As a result of the efforts of these men, and those who
followed them, the Appaloosa again rose in popularity to
once again become one of the most desired breeds of horse in
the world today. There are now Appaloosa clubs and
registries in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech
Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Italy,
Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and of course, Australia.
The Appaloosa is truly an 'International Breed'.
The Australian Appaloosa
Hearsay talks
of spotted horses being in Australia sometime around the
1940's and 1950's however no documentary proof is evident.
Among the first registered Appaloosa's to arrive in
Australia were the stallions Clover Joker Bull, Clover
Cochise and the mare Clover Coconut. These horses left
California on the 11 July 1966 and after an epic voyage
finally arrived in Australia in 1967. In 1971, a gathering
of sixty-one Appaloosa breeders and enthusiasts attended a
meeting in the R.S.L. Hall, Nathalia Victoria. The result of
this meeting was the formation of the Appaloosa Association
of Australia. The first elected committee members were Mrs.
J.E. Cook, Mrs. E.T. Hobson, Mr. J.N. Cook, Mr. L. Carden,
Mr. B. Kirby, Mr. S. Hordern, Mr. D. Cross, Mr. C. Howe, Mr.
V. Cummins, and Mr. J.V. Hull. By 1974 there were five
Regional Clubs in Australia.
The first National Appaloosa Show was held at Shepparton,
Victoria on the 27th January 1973. Horses came from four
states to compete for prize money and trophies. The 12
classes for Appaloosa horses were judged by Captain Walter
Hughes from Aldergrove, B.C. Canada.
