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71-561: The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States, and the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest breed registry in the world, with almost three million living American Quarter Horses registered in 2014. The American Quarter Horse is well known both as a race horse and for its performance in rodeos , horse shows , and as a working ranch horse. The compact body of

142-723: A Byerley Turk male-line descendant through Atlantic (1871–1891) through his son, the French Thoroughbred stallion Le Sancy (b. 1884), would also become an influential sire in the Trakehner breed. Chamant (b. 1874), another Byerley Turk descendant, also influenced the Trakehner and the Westphalian . The Byerley Turk sire line also lives on in Poland through the Anglo-Arabian stallion Ramzes (b. 1937), who

213-589: A Register of Merit system to help with handicapping racing. They registered horses that were in AQHA's stud books, as well as Thoroughbreds . Even "Paint" horses, which at this time had no registry and would not for another two decades, were registered. Painted Joe , a foundation stallion with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA), was registered with the AQRA and ran against many of

284-752: A direct sire line link to the Byerley Turk. The lineage can be traced to the German -born Thoroughbred stallion Fenék (b. 1883), who was by the British stallion Buccaneer - a descendant of Herod (b. 1758) through Herod's son, Highflyer (b. 1774) - out of the mare Hélène Triomphante, of the Godolphin Arabian line. Fenék was transferred to the Kisbér Stud in Hungary in 1894, where he had

355-462: A horse attains a speed index of 80 or above. A Superior Race Horse is achieved when the horse earns 200 racing points. A Supreme Race Horse award requires the horse to satisfy the following three criteria: (1) win over $ 500,000 in earnings, (2) win two Grade 1 stakes races and (3) win a total of ten races. In 1993, AQHA launched Quarter Horse racing 's first series of races with a championship-ending day, called The Bank of America Racing Challenge. It

426-550: A long association between the Thoroughbred breed and what would later become officially known as the "Quarter Horse", named after the 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) race distance at which it excelled. Some Quarter Horses have been clocked at up to 44 mph (71 km/h). In the 19th century, pioneers heading West needed a hardy, willing horse. On the Great Plains , settlers encountered horses that descended from

497-402: A major competitive event throughout the west. The Quarter Horse dominates in events that require speed as well as the ability to handle cattle. Sprint races were also popular weekend entertainment and racing became a source of economic gain for breeders. As a result, more Thoroughbred blood was added into the developing American Quarter Horse breed. The American Quarter Horse also benefitted from

568-419: A major sire every few generations, whose sons would create branches of their own. Most of these branches have died out over the course of time in the purebred Thoroughbred , but remain present in other horse breeds in which mares were bred to male descendants of the Byerley Turk. The line of descent to the present day is as follows: Thus, the continuation of the Byerley Turk sire line through Herod in

639-404: A number of awards. Some are annual, some are based on lifetime achievement. AQHA awards points to horses competing in horse show , rodeo and horse racing . AQHA assigns points to animals who win or place in horse shows and on the racetrack. The number of points given depends in part on placing and on how many other horses were in the class or race. Accumulated points result in annual awards to

710-541: A number of year end awards, including Rookie of the Year (awarded at the state, regional, and national level); Year End Top-Ten awards in for the Open Junior Horse, Open Senior Horse, Youth and Amateur divisions; Year End High Point awards in the same divisions; Year End High point all around and reserve all around in the same divisions, and a few miscellaneous awards to novice and limited riders. As lifetime awards,

781-506: A registered Thoroughbred and an American Quarter Horse or a cross between a "numbered" American Quarter Horse and an "appendix" American Quarter Horse. The resulting offspring is registered in the "appendix" of the American Quarter Horse Association's studbook, hence the nickname. Horses listed in the appendix may be entered in competition, but offspring are not initially eligible for full AQHA registration. If

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852-406: A small, short, refined head with a straight profile, and a strong, well-muscled body, featuring a broad chest and powerful, rounded hindquarters. They usually stand between 14 and 16  hands (56 and 64 inches, 142 and 163 cm) high, although some Halter-type and English hunter-type horses may grow as tall as 17  hands (68 inches, 173 cm). There are two main body types:

923-526: A somewhat more level topline – though still featuring the powerful hindquarters characteristic of the Quarter Horse. Horses shown in-hand in Halter competition are larger yet, with a very heavily muscled appearance, while retaining small heads with wide jowls and refined muzzles. There is controversy amongst owners, breeder and veterinarians regarding the health effects of the extreme muscle mass that

994-459: A sprinter over courses that, by necessity, were shorter than the classic racecourses of England. These courses were often no more than a straight stretch of road or flat piece of open land. When competing against a Thoroughbred, local sprinters often won. As the Thoroughbred breed became established in America, many colonial Quarter Horses were included in the original American stud books. This began

1065-663: A stallion of unknown breeding, known to have been in Texas by 1889; and Peter McCue , foaled 1895, registered as a Thoroughbred but of disputed pedigree. Another early foundation sire for the breed was Copperbottom , foaled in 1828, who tracks his lineage through the Byerley Turk , a foundation sire of the Thoroughbred horse breed. The main duty of the ranch horse in the American West was working cattle. Even after

1136-582: A stud fee of £30 for foreign-owned mares, and £20 for Hungarian-owned mares. In the Trakehner , the Byerley Turk also had a major influence. Of the English Thoroughbred stallions who stood at the stud at Trakehnen, some were Byerley Turk sire line descendants, including Snyders (b. 1833), a male-line descendant of Herod (b. 1758); and Perfectionist, a member of the disputed Galopin line. The German Thoroughbred stallion Lehnsherr (b. 1927),

1207-400: Is a show horse , race horse , reining and cutting horse, rodeo competitor, ranch horse, and all-around family horse. Quarter Horses are commonly used in rodeo events such as barrel racing , calf roping and team roping ; and gymkhana or O-Mok-See. Other stock horse events such as cutting and reining are open to all breeds but are dominated by American Quarter Horse. The breed

1278-478: Is a champion two-year-old colt, filly and gelding plus champion two-year-old from the preceding. The three-year-old and aged categories work the same way, with the World Champion being chosen from the winners of the age and sex divisions. In addition to the year end awards, there are three lifetime awards - Race Register of Merit, Superior Race Horse and Supreme Race Horse. A Register of Merit is awarded when

1349-522: Is a series of 60 races run throughout North and South America with the winners of each race earning a starting berth into a season-ending Championship Day. The Bank of America Racing Challenge currently offers nearly $ 6 million in purse and bonus awards. AQHA also offers a Horseback Riding Program, which rewards AQHA members for pleasure riding of American Quarter Horses. Riders log their hours spent riding, and receive recognition awards and prizes. From January to December 31. The horse must be registered with

1420-722: Is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse . The association sanctions many competitive events and maintains the official registry. The organization also houses the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum and sponsors educational programs. The organization was founded in 1940 in Fort Worth, Texas , and now has nearly 234,627 members, over 32,000 of whom are international. The American Quarter Horse Association

1491-421: Is currently fashionable in the specialized halter horse, which typically is 15.2 to 16  hands (62 to 64 inches, 157 to 163 cm) and weighs in at over 1,200 pounds (540 kg) when fitted for halter competition. Not only are there concerns about the weight to frame ratio on the horse's skeletal system , but the massive build is also linked to hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) in descendants of

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1562-506: Is not only well-suited for western riding and cattle work. Many race tracks offer Quarter Horses a wide assortment of pari-mutuel horse racing with earnings in the millions. Quarter Horses have also been trained to compete in dressage and show jumping . They are also used for recreational trail riding and in mounted police units. The American Quarter Horse has also been exported worldwide. European nations such as Germany and Italy have imported large numbers of Quarter Horses. Next to

1633-408: Is now a private family home that offers accommodation, which includes the commemorative Byerley suite. He did not cover many well-bred mares, but his most significant sons include: The Byerley Turk also sired several highly influential daughters, most of whose names do not survive. They are generally classified by the female family that they belong to: The Byerley sire line persisted by producing

1704-407: Is verified by means of DNA testing. In recent years, registration requirements for AQHA have significantly changed. In the past, horses with too much white or with cremello traits were not eligible for registration. One reason was lack of a full understanding of equine coat color genetics (For example, people did not know that Palomino is an incomplete form of the cremello dilution gene) and

1775-827: The General Stud Book simply states: "BYERLY TURK, was Captain Byerly's [ sic ] charger in Ireland, in King William's wars (1689, &c.) ." As for his earlier history, the most popular theory is that the horse was captured at the Battle of Buda (1686) along with the Lister Turk, who was brought to England by the Duke of Berwick. Other sources speculate he was one of three Turkish stallions captured at

1846-651: The American Quarter Horse Association (which also encompasses Quarter Horses from Canada), the second largest registry of Quarter Horses is in Brazil, followed by Australia. In the UK the breed is also becoming very popular, especially with the two Western riding Associations, the Western Horse Association and The Western Equestrian Society. The British American Quarter Horse breed society is the AQHA-UK. With

1917-654: The Battle of Vienna . It is even possible he was bred in England from previously imported stock. He was definitely the war horse and cavalry mount of Captain Robert Byerley , who was dispatched to Ireland in 1689 during King William's War and saw further military service in the Battle of the Boyne . According to early records, Captain Byerley was nearly captured while reconnoitering the enemy, "owing his safety to

1988-437: The Godolphin Arabian . He was foaled in 1746, and imported to colonial Virginia in 1756. The influence of Thoroughbreds like Janus contributed genes crucial to the development of the colonial "Quarter Horse". The resulting horse was small, hardy, quick, and was used as a work horse during the week and a race horse on the weekends. As flat racing became popular with the colonists, the Quarter Horse gained even more popularity as

2059-760: The Janów Podlaski Stud Farm in Poland , and would go on to have a strong influence on the Westphalian , Holsteiner , and other German warmblood breeds . The Grand Prix and 1996 Olympic dressage team stallion Rubinstein I (1986 – 2000), a Westphalian , was one of Ramzes' most influential descendants among German warmblood and sport horse breeders, siring 89 state premium mares and 66 approved stallions. Rubinstein I sired over 400 mares in different German warmblood registries, as well as numerous sons recognized as Oldenburg and Hanoverian stallions. The performances of his get placed him 4th on

2130-659: The Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA), and the American Buckskin Registry Association (ABRA), is often a benefit to horses who have these distinct colors. Currently, AQHA is in the process of phasing out registration of horses who carry the dominant genetic disease hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) and sponsored research that, in 2007, developed a genetic test for HERDA . Currently AQHA recognizes achievement by American Quarter Horses and their owners with

2201-724: The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) timed rodeo events, others go to horses competing in the United States Team Penning Association, National Cutting Horse Association, or the National High School Rodeo or National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association . On the racetrack, AQHA offers year-end champion awards in age and sex divisions, plus broodmare, distance horse, Canadian champion, owner, breeder, trainer, and jockey. Thus there

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2272-526: The dressage index for older stallions. Another influential Hanoverian stallion of the Byerley Turk line includes Bolero (1975 – 1987), by the Thoroughbred stallion Black Sky (b. 1966) of the Djebel line, out of the Hanoverian / Thoroughbred mare Baronesse (b. 1970). One of Bolero's best-known female descendants was the Hanoverian mare Brentina (1991 – 2021), the first American horse to take

2343-520: The hunt seat style, such as Hunter Under Saddle , working hunter , and hunter hack . Driving classes are available at some shows, as are some timed games . There are also equitation and halter showmanship classes for non-pro exhibitors. The annual AQHA World Show, the largest AQHA-sponsored event, is held in November of each year in Oklahoma City . In the show ring, the AQHA awards

2414-680: The purebred Thoroughbred now largely depends on the descendants of Djebel, primarily through six descendants of his son Clarion (Captain Chop, Indian Haven, Linngari, Luck Money, Pearl Secret, and Total Gallary, via the Indian Ridge line), and secondarily through two descendants of his son My Babu (Bulleton via the Better Boy line, and Quite Fine via the Milesian line). Recent research from 2017 and 2019 has brought into question

2485-420: The sabino gene and other pinto spotting patterns. Many horses formerly registrable only as American Paint Horses with APHA are now cross-registered with both registries. Because the genetic mechanism that creates palomino is also understood and has been found to have no connection to lethal white, cremello and perlino coat colors are also allowed. Cross-registration of American Quarter Horses with APHA,

2556-564: The "appendix" registry can "earn" their way into the main stud book by completing an extensive set of performance requirements in either racing or some form of show competition and receiving what the Association refers to as a Register of Merit (ROM). Currently there are over 2,800,000 Quarter Horse registrations, 430,000 of which are international. Horses produced by means of artificial insemination or embryo transfer may be registered, but cloned horses cannot be registered. Parentage now

2627-401: The AQHA and his number an registration name will be needed to peripatetic. Also for leisure riders, AQHA sanctions a series of some 100 trail rides open to all breeds of horses at locations around the world, in locations on both public lands and on private lands not normally open to the public. There are also AQHA trail rides hosted in various locations. The meet up schedule can be found on

2698-610: The AQHA awards Register of Merits in Performance and Halter, AQHA Champion, AQHA Performance Champion, AQHA Versatility Champion, Superior Event Horse, Supreme Championships in the three showing divisions (Youth, Open, Amateur), and a Supreme Performance Champion. Requirements can change, these are the current requirements as of January 2010. Requirements can change, these are the current requirements as of January 2010. AQHA also recognizes horses that compete outside of AQHA sanctioned shows. Some awards go to horses that compete in

2769-499: The AQHA website under trail riding. Byerley Turk The Byerley Turk ( c.  1680  – c.  1703 ), also spelled Byerly Turk, was the earliest of three stallions that were the founders of the modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock (the other two are the Godolphin Arabian and the Darley Arabian ). The biographical details of the stallion are the subject of much speculation. The entry in

2840-595: The Amarillo Globe Times, the AQHA was based in College Station, Eagle Pass and Fort Worth before moving to Amarillo (home of the secretary Raymond D. Hollingsworth) in 1947, where they rented space at 1405 B W. 10th Avenue. Their first owned building was constructed in 1952 at 2736 W. 10th Avenue where they remained until construction of the Hall of Fame off Interstate 40 in 1989. AQHA now registers

2911-535: The American Quarter Horse as the official "State Horse of Texas " in 2009, and Oklahoma also designated the Quarter Horse as its official state horse in 2022. In the 1600s, imported English Thoroughbred horses were first bred with assorted local horses on the Eastern seaboard of colonial America. One of the most famous of these early imports was Janus , a Thoroughbred who was the grandson of

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2982-480: The American Quarter Horse is well suited for the intricate and quick maneuvers required in reining , cutting , working cow horse, barrel racing , calf roping , and other western riding events, especially those involving live cattle. The American Quarter Horse is also used in English disciplines, driving , show jumping, dressage, hunting, and many other equestrian activities. The Texas Legislature designated

3053-461: The Appendix horse meets certain conformational criteria and is shown or raced successfully in sanctioned AQHA events, the horse can earn its way from the appendix into the permanent studbook, making its offspring eligible for AQHA registration. Since Quarter Horse/Thoroughbred crosses continue to enter the official registry of the American Quarter Horse breed, this creates a continual gene flow from

3124-525: The Quarter Horse, and some racing breeders felt that the AQHA was too restrictive on what outside blood was allowed in. The racing interests formed the American Quarter Racing Association (AQRA) on February 1, 1945. This group mainly was concerned with the operation of racetracks and their registration efforts were limited to what was needed for identification for racing purposes. They set the standards for racing, and set up

3195-670: The Spanish stock Hernán Cortés and other Conquistadors had introduced into the viceroyalty of New Spain , which became the Southwestern United States and Mexico. The horses of the West included herds of feral animals known as Mustangs , as well as horses domesticated by Native Americans , including the Comanche , Shoshoni and Nez Perce tribes. As the colonial Quarter Horse was crossed with these western horses,

3266-476: The Thoroughbred breed into the American Quarter Horse breed, which has altered many of the characteristics that typified the breed in the early years of its formation. Some breeders argue that the continued addition of Thoroughbred bloodlines are beginning to compromise the integrity of the breed standard. Some favor the earlier style of horse and have created several separate organizations to promote and register "Foundation" Quarter Horses. The American Quarter Horse

3337-423: The addition of Arabian , Morgan , and even Standardbred bloodlines. In 1940, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was formed by a group of horsemen and ranchers from the Southwestern United States dedicated to preserving the pedigrees of their ranch horses. After winning the 1941 Fort Worth Exposition and Fat Stock Show grand champion stallion, the horse honored with the first registration number, P-1,

3408-549: The correct spelling of the owner's name, Byerley. The Byerley Turk was a dark brown or black horse of unknown breeding, but described in historic accounts as an Arabian . At the time, Turkish horses were described as descended from "those of Arabia or Persia", but stated that they were longer in the body and of a larger size. He was described as a horse of elegance, courage and speed. Many of his offspring were also noted to have been either bay or black. In 1692, Captain Byerley married his cousin, Mary Wharton (sole heir to

3479-680: The early Quarter Horse racers. Individuals who believed AQHA was too restrictive in its registration and membership policies formed the National Quarter Horse Breeders Association (NQHBA) in December 1945. Registration criteria in the NQHBA were much less stringent than AQHA, but yet were not exclusively focused on racing like AQRA. For example, Thoroughbred crosses were freely registrable in NQHBA, and they even registered Thoroughbreds. Within AQHA, there

3550-399: The estate of Goldsborough , near Knaresborough , North Yorkshire , England) and moved to live with her at her family home of Goldsborough Hall . After Byerley retired (as Colonel Byerley), the Byerley Turk retired to stud, first at Middridge Grange, then, from 1697, at Goldsborough Hall. The Byerley Turk died there in 1703 and it is believed he is buried close to the Hall. Goldsborough Hall

3621-410: The fact that AQHA only allowed stock owners to vote, and some breeders felt that this arrangement kept too much power in too few hands. Another contentious issue was racing, and how the association would support the needs of breeders and owners who raced their Quarter Horses. All three of these issues were woven together, for the racing interests were also desirous of more Thoroughbred blood being added to

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3692-614: The idea and hopefully act on the idea. About seventy-five people met in Fort Worth to discuss the proposals, with the eventual decision being to form a non-profit stock holding association in Texas to be the registry. Thirty-six people bought stock at the initial meeting. A board of directors and officers were selected. For the first five years, AQHA was the only registry for American Quarter Horses, however there were controversies over which horses would be registered, as well as how much non-Quarter horse to allow in. Other disputes included

3763-606: The internationalization of the discipline of reining and its acceptance as one of the official seven events of the World Equestrian Games , there is a growing international interest in Quarter Horses. The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States, and the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest breed registry in the world, with nearly 3 million American Quarter Horses registered worldwide in 2014. The Quarter Horse has

3834-587: The invention of the automobile, horses were still irreplaceable for handling livestock on the range. Thus, major Texas cattle ranches , such as the King Ranch , the 6666 (Four Sixes) Ranch, and the Waggoner Ranch played a significant role in the development of the modern Quarter Horse. The skills required by cowboys and their horses became the foundation of the rodeo , a contest which began with informal competition between cowboys and expanded to become

3905-500: The lineage of the sire Galopin . The research suggests that Galopin descends, not from the Darley Arabian sire line, but from the Byerley Turk. This is due to the descendants of Galopin possessing the Y chromosome Tb-oB1 rather than Tb-d, which is found in descendants of the Darley Arabian . This line of descent, which is a rare line via sire St. Simon (1881 – 1908), was found to exist as recently as 2023 in Saudi Arabia , from

3976-676: The nickname, "the world's fastest athlete." The show hunter type is slimmer, even more closely resembling a Thoroughbred , usually reflecting a higher percentage of appendix breeding. They are shown in hunter/jumper classes at both breed shows and in open USEF -rated horse show competition. There are several genetic diseases of concern to Quarter Horse breeders. Most can now be identified by DNA testing so that breeders do not inadvertently produce foals with these conditions: American Quarter Horse Association The American Quarter Horse Association ( AQHA ), based in Amarillo, Texas ,

4047-414: The offspring of other American Quarter Horses in its numbered stud book . However, AQHA does not maintain a completely closed stud book ; there is also an "Appendix" section. An "Appendix" American Quarter Horse is a first generation cross between a registered Thoroughbred and an American Quarter Horse or a cross between a "numbered" American Quarter Horse and an "appendix" American Quarter Horse. Horses in

4118-470: The other was a legitimate a concern about a condition called lethal white syndrome , which was not fully understood at the time. There was also belief that excess white indicated "impure" breeding with non-Quarter Horses. Today, modern DNA testing has now made verification of parentage possible, and also permits the detection of certain genetic diseases such as lethal white syndrome . Thus AQHA now allows registration of "high white" body markings typical of

4189-505: The past, spotted color patterns were excluded, but now with the advent of DNA testing to verify parentage, the registry accepts all colors as long as both parents are registered. A stock horse is a horse of a type that is well suited for working with livestock, particularly cattle. Reining and cutting horses are smaller in stature, with quick, agile movements and very powerful hindquarters. Western pleasure show horses are often slightly taller, with slower movements, smoother gaits, and

4260-657: The pedigrees of almost all modern Thoroughbreds through his daughter, Rouge Rose, who produced the Epsom Derby winner Bend Or ( Darley Arabian line). The Byerley Turk sire line has carried on in other horse breeds through his direct male descendants such as Diomed ( American Quarter Horse and Standardbred ), Denmark ( American Saddlebred ), and Justin Morgan ( Morgan horse ). Denmark, Justin Morgan, and Sir Archy (son of Diomed), are key foundation sires for their breeds. The Kisbér Félvér of Hungary has

4331-444: The pioneers found that the new crossbred had innate "cow sense", a natural instinct for working with cattle, making it popular with cattlemen on ranches . Early foundation sires of Quarter Horse type included Steel Dust , foaled 1843; Shiloh (or Old Shiloh), foaled 1844; Old Cold Deck (1862); Lock's Rondo, one of many "Rondo" horses, foaled in 1880; Old Billy—again, one of many "Billy" horses—foaled c.  1880 ; Traveler ,

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4402-423: The significant foundation sires for the Quarter Horse breed. Other significant Thoroughbred sires seen in early AQHA pedigrees include Rocket Bar , Top Deck and Depth Charge. Since the American Quarter Horse was formally established as a breed, the AQHA stud book has remained open to additional Thoroughbred blood via a performance standard. An "Appendix" American Quarter Horse is a first generation cross between

4473-401: The sons of Pleasant Colony . Focusing on the sire line may underestimate the ongoing influence of the Byerley Turk; detailed pedigree analysis shows that he has a higher percentage of blood in the modern Thoroughbred than either of his fellow foundation sires through other lines of descent. Thormanby (1857–1875), a Byerley Turk descendant who sired almost 100 stakes winners, is present in

4544-406: The stallion Impressive (see Genetic diseases below). Quarter Horse race horses are bred to sprint short distances ranging from 220 to 870 yards. Thus, they have long legs and are leaner than their stock type counterparts, but are still characterized by muscular hindquarters and powerful legs. Quarter Horses race primarily against other Quarter Horses, and their sprinting ability has earned them

4615-678: The stock type and the hunter or racing type. The stock horse type is shorter, more compact, stocky and well-muscled, yet agile. The racing and hunter type Quarter Horses are somewhat taller and smoother muscled than the stock type, more closely resembling the Thoroughbred . Quarter Horses come in nearly all colors . The most common color is sorrel , a brownish red, part of the color group called chestnut by most other breed registries. Other recognized colors include bay , black , brown , buckskin , palomino , gray , dun , red dun, grullo (also occasionally referred to as blue dun), red roan , blue roan, bay roan, perlino , cremello , and white . In

4686-549: The superior speed of his horse". As a general rule, the spelling of a name registered with the Jockey Club is considered definitive, even if it is an obvious error. However, the original edition of the General Stud Book was compiled nearly a century after the fact (in 1791) and contains several errors that have been subsequently corrected. Most sources consider the correct spelling of the horse's name to follow

4757-437: The top competitors and certain lifetime achievement recognitions for both horse and rider. As of 2023, AQHA has affiliate associations in 49 US states, 7 Canadian provinces, and 34 other countries. Today, people show American Quarter Horses in a variety of competitive events, including, but not limited to, halter classes; western style events such as Western Pleasure , Reining , and cutting ; English riding events in

4828-409: Was Wimpy , a descendant of the King Ranch foundation sire Old Sorrel . Other sires alive at the founding of the AQHA were given the earliest registration numbers Joe Reed P-3 , Chief P-5, Oklahoma Star P-6 , Cowboy P-12, and Waggoner's Rainy Day P-13. The Thoroughbred race horse Three Bars , alive in the early years of the AQHA, is recognized by the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame as one of

4899-612: Was a recognition that three organizations were sapping the strengths of the Quarter Horse breeders and owners, and within all three organizations there were efforts to merge. In July 1949, AQHA offered to merge with both AQRA and NQHBA. The AQRA voted to merge with AQHA in September 1949, and the NQHBA did likewise in November 1949. AQHA absorbed both organizations and moved their records to AQHA's recently established headquarters off Interstate 40 in Amarillo. According to an article in

4970-416: Was born at a meeting on March 15, 1940, in Fort Worth , Texas. The original idea had come from articles published by Robert M. Denhardt during the 1930s about the history and characteristics of the quarter horse. In an article entitled "The Quarter Horse, Then and Now" in a 1939 Western Horseman magazine, Denhardt also suggested that those interested in forming a breed registry meet in Fort Worth to discuss

5041-494: Was sired by the gray Belgian Thoroughbred stallion Rittersporn (b. 1917) out of the Shagya Arabian mare Jordi. Rittersporn was a male-line descendant of the English Thoroughbred racing stallion Herod (b. 1758) through Herod's son, Woodpecker (b. 1773), and Woodpecker's son, Buzzard (b. 1787). Ramzes was an influential warmblood sire of show jumping and dressage horses who stood at various studs, including

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