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Appaloosa History:
Checking Out Chief Spotted Tail F-1979

by Sherry Byrd

Chief Spotted Tail was foaled January 18, 1958. He was described as a blue roan, white with black spots over loin and hips, according to the ApHC Studbook. His breeder was listed as Edward R. Ward, of Caldwell, Texas.

Chief Spotted Tail's pedigree goes back to both early ApHC and CRHA bloodlines.

Pedigree of Chief Spotted Tail

Max CRHA 2-Z
Ranger CRHA 4-P
Spotted Babe
Starbuck Ranger F-649/CRHA 205
Fox CRHA 10-L
Foxy [CRHA says Foxy II] CRHA 97-J
Brownie - no reg #
Sire: Snowdrift
F-1654/CRHA NR-3
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Kiyuga King
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Silverado F-651/CRHA 318
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Polarine CRHA 167-P
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Morgan
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Rainy Moon F-181
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blue roan Windriver mare by a Standarbred
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Dam: Dawn F-291
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unknown
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Foxie
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unknown
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snowdrift

Snowdrift F-1654/CRHA NR-3, foaled in 1949, is described as a black leopard in the CRHA registry records. Some of his other foals include: Looky Lois T-36690, Kabakajasa T-37575, Snow Drift Patches T-39340, Diablo Dan T-43144, Cowan's Baby Ruth T-50464, Misty Sis 56836, Drifter's Jinx T-52836.

Chief Spotted Tail is a half sibling on his dam's side to Dawn's Daughter F-1479, Sage Brush F-1815, Chief Zorro F-2272 , and Big Eye F-1575.

Chief Spotted Tail's dam Dawn F-291 has quite a reputation in the early Appaloosa show rings, as do some of her foals. The January 1961 issue of The Appaloosa Journal (Frank Fichte, Editor - Euless, Texas) featured Dawn as "Horse of the Month." An article in the March 1959 Appaloosa News, titled 'Appaloosa Mare and Her Produce Make An Outstanding Record', gives a rundown on Dawn's accomplishments and those of her foals in just 12 shows.

dawnf-291

Dawn is credited with 5 Grand Championships, 6 first places and 1 Reserve Grand Championship, although it does not specifically state for what classes. Dawn won Grand Champion and first place at the 1954 First Texas Appaloosa Horse Show in Belton, Texas, the 1955 Heart of Texas Fair at Waco, Texas, the 1955 Cameron Saddle Club Horse Show at Cameron, Texas, the 1956 New Orleans Appaloosa Horse Show at New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Paul's Valley Appaloosa Horse Show at Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. At the 1955 Texas Appaloosa Horse Club Show at Baird, Texas, she placed 3rd and won produce of dam. At the 1955 Heart of Texas Fair at Waco, Texas, she won produce of dam. At the 1956 San Antonio Livestock Exposition in San Antonio, Texas, she placed 2nd. At the 1958 Travis County Sheriff's Posse Appaloosa Horse Show in Austin, Texas, she placed 1st and was reserve Grand Champion. The May 1958 Appaloosa News shows that Dawn won the produce of dam class at the 1958 Travis County Sheriff's Posse Appaloosa Horse Show in Austin, Texas, with her foals Sagebrush and Chief Spotted Tail. At the 1959 San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Dawn and her suckling colt Chief Zorro were a main attraction in the Appaloosa barns, according to the March 1959 Appaloosa News article. Dawn also won aged mares and Grand Champion Mare at the 1960 Oklahoma City Appaloosa Show, according to show results printed in the February/March 1961 Appaloosa Breeder's Chronicle.

Dawn's Daughter won 2 Reserve Grand Championships and 7 first places. Sage Brush is a halter winner and also placed in halter. Big Eye is a multiple winner.

Chief Spotted Tail sired several foals, mostly out of unregistered or grade mares. The ApHC production records show he sired 53 registered foals, from 1961 through 1970. Many of his foals had no registered progeny, so this family line did not become large or see much dispersion. Much of this family line never made it out of Texas, according to what records can be found. Get and grandget of Chief Spotted Tail are recorded throughout Texas in Houston, Caldwell, Lovelady, Columbus, Belton, Palestine, Temple, Crockett, Navasota, Manor, Chappell Hill, Porter, San Marcos, Fairfield, Bryan, Huntsville, Bernard, Herne, Sealy, Hungerford, Wharton, Galena Park, Devine, Yoakum, Gonzales, Lavernia, Adkins, San Antonio, Halletsville, and Baytown. One son, Spotted Tail's Lanac, was sold to Tache Cheval Appaloosas in DeQuincy, Louisiana, but has no registered foals credited to him. Two daughters, Appache [Apatchee] Dawn and Little White Fawn, went to Alpine, Alabama and Mims, Florida respectively. A daughter, Moonflight, was sold to Lade's Appaloosa Ranch, in Crockett, Texas. His most prolific son, Chief Running Horse, sire of 31 registered foals, stood at Wharton, Texas for the Rachunek Brothers.

Part Two:

Chief Spotted Tail can be associated with both ApHC and CRHA memberships and history. His sire Snowdrift F-1654, foaled 1949, was bred by Roy Gray and Sons, of Akron, Colorado. Roy Gray and Son are listed in the first ApHC Stud Book as members, as well as 'Owners of Living Appaloosas'. Note that the ApHC lists Roy Gray and Son in the member roster, but lists Roy Gray and Sons as owners or breeders in the actual stud book registration listings. Roy Gray is also listed in the early CRHA owners list. Roy Gray and Sons also owned the sire and dam of Snowdrift: Starbuck Ranger 649 and Silverado 651, respectively. Chief Spotted Tail's dam, Dawn F-291, was bred by father and a son, Clint and David Ruby respectively as were both Starbuck Ranger 649 and Silverado 651. David Ruby is not listed as an early ApHC member, but his wife is. Both Dawn F-291 and Snowdrift F-1654 were sold to Edward Ward, of Caldwell, Texas, also an early ApHC member.

Edward Ward also purchased the Rangerbred horses Gray Blanket F-1480 (full brother to Snowdrift F-1654), Starbuck Son (full brother to Snowdrift F-1654) and Gray Son Choice F-1481 from Roy Gray and Sons. Gray Son Choice was later sold to the Downey brothers at Ennis, Texas. L.S. Johnston, of Canyon, Texas, later owned Gray Son Choice, as shown by an advertisement in the April 1961 Appaloosa Breeder's Chronicle, which highlighted his "remarkable ability to sire spotted colts." Gray Blanket F-1480 was sold to Jackie Christiansen of Houston, Texas. Ward also owned the Rangerbred horses Dawn F-291 and Aztec F-292 (from J.E. Hiatt, California).

Although he has no official ApHC race or show record, Chief Spotted Tail followed in the family tradition of the halter show ring, from weanling up to two years of age. Chief Spotted Tail placed 3rd in weanling colts at the 1958 (11th) National Appaloosa Horse Show in Hutchinson, Kansas. As a yearling he placed 2nd at the 1959 San Antonio Livestock Exposition at San Antonio, Texas. His National Show placing can be found in the March 1959 and the September 1958 issues of the Appaloosa News. The March 1959 Appaloosa News tells of a 2nd place standing behind Mr J.B., in the 1958 stallion class, at the 4th International Horse Show in San Antonio, Texas, held February 1959. The May 1959 Appaloosa News shows he won the yearling stallion class at the Travis County Sheriff's Posse SHow in Austin, Texas, beating Golden King T-3917 and Yeagua Skyrocket T-147119. The September 1959 Appaloosa News tells he placed 5th in the yearling stallion class at an Appaloosa show in Meridian, Texas. He won the 1958 stallion class at the 1959 Appaloosa show in Belton, Texas, beating Chinook's Duke 5149, Lone Eagle T-4289, Golden King T-3917 and Chief Kieti T-3962, according to the September 1959 issue of the Appaloosa News. He placed 4th in 1958 stallions at the 2nd Anniversary Appaloosa Show in Meridian, Texas and 3rd in 1958 stallions in the Killen Golden Spur Riding Club Show in Texas, according to the September 1960 Appaloosa News. The January 1960 Appaloosa News shows he placed 4th in 1958 stallion at the 1959 American Legion Appaloosa Show in Belton, Texas.

The following is a listing of the progeny of Chief Spotted Tail.

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This page posted July 2021.