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Appaloosa History:
Bearpaw's High Society
by Sherry Byrd

bearpawshighsociety

This stallion is the product of two ÒFÓ registered Appaloosa parents. BearpawÕs High Society 117973 was foaled in 1967. As per the ApHC Stud Book he was bred by Jill Short, Woodinville, Washington and foaled at that location.

Sire of BearpawÕs High Society: Bear Paw F-1376
[Chocolate Sunday F-485 x Chocolate Highlight F-1145]

bearpaw

Chocolate Sunday F-485, foaled 1947, was bred by J.T. Lee of San Pablo, California. [Note: ApHC Stud Book lists the breeder as J.T. Lue. Tom Taylor wrote that Chocolate Sunday was bred by Rufus E. Hanks, Los Molinos, California.] Chocolate Sunday was the 1952 National Champion Aged Halter Stallion as per HaddleÕs book, The Complete Book of the Appaloosa and the book Appaloosa Champions 1948-1976. Chocolate Sunday would sire:
Rocky Road #5439, the 1957 National Champion in Matched Pairs,
San-San-Soo F-1444 (have also seen San San Soo as per Haddle) the 1953 National Champion Yearling Filly,
and Bear Paw F-1376, the 1959 National Champion MenÕs Most Colorful Mount and Rider (same sources: Haddle and Appaloosa Champions). .

chocolatesunday

Bear Paw would sire Edie's Pride T-2014 (paternal half sibling to Chocolate Sunday), the 1957 National Champion Yearling Colt and 1957 National Grand Champion Stallion, as per Haddle's book, The Complete Book of the Appaloosa [NOTE: horseÕs name was spelled EdieÕs Pride on one page and EddieÕs Pride on another], and the book Appaloosa Champions 1948-1976.

ediespride

Palmer WagnersÕs book The American Appaloosa Anthology implies that Chocolate SundayÕs grandsire was a Lipizzan, never offering any proof, thus making King Cambuscan -NR- (as per ApHC Stud Book) a Lipizzan/Appaloosa cross. Wagner claimed that he had papers from Claude Thompson showing Lipizzan ancestry, but again NO PROOF as is typical of more than one of WagnerÕs ancestry claims in his book.

Chocolate SundayÕs sire is actually King Cambuscan ASHBA 225596 (foaled 1944), not an unregistered stallion of unknown breed as shown in the ApHC Stud Book entry.[NOTE Saddlebred registration has been designated with ASHBA and/or ASHA].

Chocolate SundaysÕ dam is Pride of California F-486. Pride of California (foaled 1941) is sired by Cyclone McDonald ASHBA 136355, not the unregistered stallion of unknown breed shown in the ApHC Stud Book entry. Her dam is an unregistered unnamed Appaloosa mare with unknown parentage. Pride of California was bred by Leo McGill of Middletown, CAl and owned by Rufus Hanks.

prideofcalifornia

Cyclone McDonald ASHBA was foaled in 1934. He traces back to Rex McDonald 833, Squirrel King 9735 (foaled 1882), Gaines Denmark (foaled 1851), Sherman Morgan AMHA #5 (foaled 1808- Morgan), Bourbon King #17885 (foaled 1900), Mambrino Chief ATR #11 (foaled 1844). [NOTE: ATR - American Trotting Register predecessor of the United States Trotting Association (USTA- Standardbreds)] It is said that Cyclone McDonald had no registered foals.

Dam of Bear Paw: Chocolate Highlight F-1145
Sire: Musek AHR 1750 [Kebar AHC 1157 x Makina AHC 450]
Dam: Hank's Sally F-114 [Unknown x Unknown]

Chocolate Highlight, foaled 1945, was bred by Mr. Pollard/Pollard Ranch of Chico, California, and owned by Rufus Hanks. Her dam was HankÕs Sally F-1144, foaled in 1939. She was bred by the Pollard Ranch and owned by Rufus Hanks. Rufus Hanks favored gaited horses.

Chocolate HighlightÕs sire was a registered Arabian stallion named Musek AHC 1750 (foaled 1939), bred by Dr. W.W. Thomas of Merced, California. He was originally registered with the name Museh, The Arabian Stud Book entry shows him to be a gelding. [NOTE: the ad lists Musek as ApHC and not AHC] The ApHC Stud Book entry for Chocolate Highlight shows her sire to be an unregistered stallion named Music of unknown breed. Musek AHC can trace his ancestry to U.S. GrantÕs stallion *Leopard AHC 233, imported from Turkey in the 1860s [CRHA history]

It should be noted that there is some confusion as to the sire of Chocolate Highlight F-1145. There are some pedigrees that show her to be sired by an Arabian stallion named Nusik AHC 1664 (foaled 1939). This stallion was bred by W.K. Kellogg of Pomona, California (Same source as Claude ThompsonÕs Ferras AHC 922). This stallion did in fact sire registered Appaloosas. One being Dark Felt F-1230 (foaled 1947), bred by A. Cook of Redding, California and owned by Olga Rife of Chico, California. The other being Chypre F-1232, bred by the Pollard Ranch of Cana, California and owned by Olga Rife.

Dam of Bearpaw's High Society: Kahneeta Mulino F-4659
Sire: Duke Of Windsor F-1378
Dam: Loyetta F-479

Duke Of Windsor F-1378, foaled 1951, is sired by Chocolate Sunday F-485 (see above). His dam is Gay Lady F-384. Gay Lady is sired by El Cortez AMHA 8076; out of the mare Spooky F-42 (Blanco F-45 X Mollie -NR-Appaloosa). [NOTE: I have also seen Morgan designation as MHC] Duke Of Windsor was bred by Rufus Hanks. Duke of Windsor was the 1959 National Champion MenÕ s Western Pleasure Horse as per HaddleÕs book The Complete Book of the Appaloosa [NOTE: horseÕs name was spelled Duke Of Winor], and the book Appaloosa Champions 1948-1976.

El Cortez AMHA 8076 was registered as HiebertÕs Challenge (foaled 1937). He sired by Romanesque AMHA 7297 (foaled 1921), out of the Morgan mare Viola Linsley AMHA 4789 (foaled 1932). Romanesque is sired by Red Oak AMHA 5249 (by General Gates AMHA 666), out of Mariah K.AMHA 3887 (by Headlight Morgan AMHA 4683). Viola LinsleyAMHA 4789 is sired by Linsley AMHA 7233 (by General Gates #666) out of the sabino Morgan mare Donbelle AMHA 2968 (bred by noted breeder C.C. Stillman, Cornwall, NY).

HiebertÕs Challenge (aka El Cortez) was bred by noted early Morgan breeder Elmer Brown of Halstead, Kansas. He would then be owned by the Hiebert Brothers of Hillsboro, Kansaas, famed Morgan breeder C.C. Stillman of Cornwall, New York, and then noted Morgan breeder Roland Hill of Chowchilla, California.

HiebertÕs ChallengeÕs (aka El Cortez) sire Romanesque AMHA 7297 was bred by Richard Sellman and would be sold to the U.S. Remount Service. RomanesqueÕs sire Red Oak AMHA 5249 was bred by Joseph Battell, sold to Richard Sellman, and was later owned by Texas A and M College, College Station, Texas. El CortezÕs dam Viola Linsley AMHA 4789 was bred by Elmer Brown of Halstead, Kansas and her dam Donbelle AMHA 2968 was bred by C.C. Stillman, of Cornwall, New York. Sellman, Battell, Brown, and Stillman were among the top echelon of early Morgan breeders.

Gay Lady F-384, foaled 1946, was bred by Rufus Hanks and owned by Fred Hulseman of Red Bluff, California. Gay LadyÕs dam Spooky F-42, foaled 1937, was bred by Dr. J.L. Heitt of Red Bluff, California. She is sired by Blanco F-45, out of an unregistered mare named Mollie, said to be an Appaloosa. The original ApHC Stud Book entry for Spooky F-42 shows her sire to be an unregistered stallion named Blanco of unknown breed. Gay LadyÕs ApHC Stud Book entry shows her sire El Cortez to be an unregistered stallion of unknown breed. The Heitt Appaloosa program is known to have used pinto/paint mares with Blanco F-45.

dukeofwindsor
dukeof windsorsm

from Victoria Bell (2001), no source given

Loyette F-479 adds yet another dimension of non-Appaloosa breeding to the ancestry of BearpawÕs High Society 117973, adding not only more Arabian, but Percheron, French Coach, Standardbred, and TB as well. All of the other breeds coming from the Claude Thompson program, which produced Loyette herself.

LoyetteÕs sire is shown as El Zorrow F-108 in the above advertisement. This horse was registered with the name El Zorro F-108 as per the ApHC Stud Book. El Zorro was bred by Claude Thompson. The sire of El Zorro F-108 is Flash F-12 (Ferras AHC 922 X Kentucky Girl F-3), who was foaled in 1937. The dam of El Zorro F-108 is MarvelÕs Angel F-4 (Young Painter -NR-Appaloosa X Lady -NR- by Atlantic), who was foaled in 1932. Both Flash and MarvelÕs Angel were bred by Claude Thompson.

elzorro

FlashÕs sire is the registered Arabian stallion named Ferras AHC, who Claude Thompson traded 2 Percheron mares for. Ferras is a product of the Kellogg Arabian program, whose bloodlines can be found in many Appaloosa pedigrees. FlashÕs dam is the mare Kentucky Girl F-3 (foaled 1931), also bred by Thompson. Kentucky Girl F-3 is sired by ThompsonÕs unregistered Appaloosa stallion Young Painter out of a mare named ÒPacerÓ. Young PainterÕs pedigree as accepted by the ApHC is sired by Claude ThompsonÕs unregistered Appaloosa stallion Old Painter (aka Silver), out of a black mare called Dusty Belle. Old PainterÕs ancestry includes TB and Standardbred from his sire, and unknown breeding from his Òwhite pack horseÓ dam. Research by Pat Mefferd has shown Dusty Belle to trace to French Coach breeding, which was popular on the Pacific Coast at that time. Research by Pat Mefferd on ÒPacerÓ has shown her to be sired by a Standardbred named Heigho. As ÒPacerÕsÓ sire is a Standardbred, one might wonder if ÒPacerÓ was her name or that was her type. Standardbreds (some with Morgan backgrounds) were quite numerous and popular on the West Coast and were present there long before the Nez Perce War of 1877.

flash

MarvelÕs Angel F-4 (foaled 1932) is also a product of the Claude Thompson program. She was sired by ThompsonÕs unregistered Appaloosa stallion Young Painter who carried TB, Standardbred and French Coach ancestry. MarvelÕs AngelÕs dam was a mare named Lady (aka Lady Grey aka Lady -grey horse), said to be sired by Atlantic (whom someone in the ApHC claimed was a TB).

marvelsangel

A brief note on 'Lady' (aka Lady Grey aka Lady -grey horse). The original registration application Thompson sent for MarvelÕs Angel listed her dam as ÒLady GreyÓ, an unregistered mare sired by Atlantic (also unregistered,a grey horse), sired by Casino, out of a mare named Lady Grace. John L. Baker (Vitriak Hydaway, PA) as an ApHC Director spent much time in the ApHC archives looking at the old applications before the ApHC banned public view. He stated that at some point in time the stallion Atlantic had been noted to be a TB in ink different from the original application. There were in fact 3 TB stallions named Atlantic but NONE fit the timeline and/or location for Lady Grey. There were 2 TB mares named Lady Grace, but neither fit the timeline or location for Lady Grey. In fact TB breeding records for either Casino or Lady Grace showed any such foal named Atlantic. So it would seem the ÒTBÓ notation on the original Thompson pedigree was not correct and one would have to wonder why it was put there and by whom.

To return to the horses Atlantic, Casino and Lady GreyÉ.these horses did in fact exist but they were NOT Thoroughbreds. They were in fact registered Percherons that Claude Thompson bred and/or owned. Thompson was not only an Appaloosa breeder, but was a known (and proven) breeder of Arabians and Percherons as attested by stud books and registry records of the breeds in question. Among those registered Precherons Thompson bred and/or owned was the stallion Atlantic #165399 USA, Casino #106735, and Lady Grace #111051.

Lady GreyÕs dam is listed as Trixie on the original application. Her sire is shown as Prince Undine (by Undine), out of a mare called Nell (out of Old Nell). Research on Undine is still ongoing, with the name appearing not only in Percheron stud books (mare lines), but Saddlebred, Cleveland Bay, and Shire as well. It is highly likely that Prince Undine is in fact a Percheron or part-bred Percheron.The California Stallion Registration Board Annual Report of 1915 lists a grade Percheron stallion named Undine in Stockton, California. The Stallion Registration Board of Oregon 1914 Circular Volumes 1-20 and the Annual Report of the Stallion Registration Board of Oregon 1913, Volume 2 both list a stallion named Undine, classified as a ÒmongrelÓ owned in Richland, Oregon (Baker County).

LoyetteÕs dam was Princess Beryl F-85 (foaled 1939), another Claude Thompson bred horse. Her sire was the registered Arabian stallion Ferras AHC 922 and her dam was Palousie F-26. Palousie F-26 was bred by Claude Thompson and was foaled in 1939. Her sire was Painter III F-8 (foaled 1936), out of the mare Snowflake F-2 (foaled 1929). Painter III, Snowflake, and Palousie were products of ThompsonÕs program. Painter III F-8 was sired by Ferras AHC 922, out of the Thompson bred mare MarvelÕs Angel F-4 (see section above). Snowflake F-2 was sired by ThompsonÕs Old Painter, out of an unregistered mare named Cremolia, of unrecognized breeding. [NOTE: Painter III F8 stood service at the Pine Ridge Reservation as an Òimprovement stallionÓ for the government.]

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This page posted January 2023.