Watch for our Cactus
foals in 2008

Click Here to see a few of his past foals!

When looking for a herd stallion, not only were we looking for pedigree, confirmation, and color but we also wanted personality and temperament that was easy to handle. Cactus is one of those stallions that has "been there, and done it all" as well as being a family friend for many years for the Clarks. We are a small family operation and we are excited to add Cactus to our family. We plan on breeding him to the majority of our mares in 2007, but we have not yet decided if he will stand to the public. If we do decide to offer him to the public, we will be offering AI only and only to approved mares.

Vintage Appaloosa

As we spent the last few years going through OLD Appaloosa Journals and Appaloosa News, we found ourselves WOWed at the horses -- tons of color, wonderful hips, good strong legs, over all good, steady, healthy horses. Not to say in anyway that the modern appaloosa is not exceptional, but those photos bring back memories of the appaloosas that we grew up around.

We found ourselves wishing to continue in that legacy, with Cactus, we are able to fulfill that dream. Yes, Cactus is an aged stallion, born in 1989, but if you look at his parents, you see they were born in the mid 1960s and early 1970s, out of the horse greats of the 1960s, out of the legendary horses of the 1940s and 1950s. So within 4 generations, you find yourself back with the horses that helped create the ApHC over 60 years ago! Cactus allows us to look back and touch the time of the great legends of the breed that the world first fell in love with.

Below, we have included some of the great horses that are part of Cactus' pedigree.

 

 

Interested in showing a little pride in our wonderful Appaloosa breed?
We have several shirts for sale featuring the "Vintage Appaloosa".

Check them out!

 

Sire of Multiple National and World Champions in :
Performance, Race and Halter

• 1992 - Leading Sires Listings for BOTH Halter and Performance
• Reserve National Champion Get of Sire 1989
• World Top Ten Get of Sire 1979, 1980
• National Top Ten Get of Sire 1979, 1980
• High Point Get of Sire in OZAC Regional - 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
• Multiple Stakes Winning Sire
• Superior Halter Horse Sire
• Multiple Medallion Sire
• 3 Time Solid Gold Champion Sire

Ha Dar Shado was foaled on May 12, 1972. He was originally registered as Ha Dars Image by his breeders, Hadley Campbell and Al Levin in Gurnee IL. He was the second foal by the two time National Halter Champion, Ha Dar Honey. His dam Jinny Chic, who was proudly owned by the Clarks until her death at age 32, was a many times reserve high point halter mare and performance champion of the Blackhawk Appaloosa Association.

As a weanling, he was purchased by Bill and Darlene Schafer who changed his name to Ha Dar Shado. Shado won both the Open and Nominated Blackhawk Appaloosa Association Futurities, but due to an injury to his hock, surgery and recovery time, he was not shown again until he was two. In 1974, he became the high point 2 year old stallion in the OZAC Regional. The following year, he was undefeated as a 3 year old. Shado was never trained by a professional, he was a natural and a wonder to train. Darlene Schafer began riding him in the spring of 1975 and that same year, Shado became the reserve high point Jr. Western Pleasure horse and 3rs as Jr. Trail horse in the OZAC Regional. Shado's show career was short, but sweet as he retired from the arena switching the focus to his foals.

Shado was purchased by the Clarks in 1984, and after just 30 days of riding, Donnie Clark rode Shado to a First Place win in a 25 mile endurance ride. The list of Ha Dar Shado's foals that have achieved regional, national and world honors is endless for Shado had the uncanny ability to out produce himself over and over. In turn, Shado's Get have proven to carry the tradition into the 3rd generation producing top horses. Shado foals all seem to carry his conformation, disposition and eagerness to please. The Clarks proudly owned Shado until his death in November of 2000 at the ripe old age of 28.

When we purchase Cactus, Mary Clark passed on to us a great treasure of photos and history of Ha Dar Shado, Jinny Chic, Princes Dainty and C I'm A Shado Two. I was like Christmas going through the stacks and stacks of old photos of these horses. We have included a few of these rarely seen, if ever seen, photos of Ha Dar Shado and a higher quality image of the original photo of Jinny Chic.

Princess Dainty was an OWN daughter to the
ApHC Hall of Fame Stallion - Prince Plaudit.

Foaled on May 30, 1963, Prince Plaudit was the result of a cross between the red leopard stallion Red Plaudit (out of another red leopard, Juaquin F-801) and the Quarter Horse mare Princess Rita. Prince Plaudit, too, was a red leopard, and wore a small, near-perfect heart shaped spot on his left hip. He had the kind of conformation and gentle, trainable temperament his breeder, Hank Wiescamp, always strived for. Hank Wiescamp, of Alamosa, Colorado, bred Appaloosas for some 27 years.  His influence reaches deep into the breed's roots and far into its future.  The depth of consistent quality Wiescamp is known for from before Price Plaudit to today is legendary. 

Princess Dainty's bottom side through a Skipador daughter, Skip A Step, tied directly back to Skipper W, yet another link to Hank Wiescamp.

Skipper W was elevated to Hank's #1 herd sire when the sudden death of Nick Shoemaker occurred just prior to the 1947 breeding season, and left Hank Weiscamp with little time to decide who would replace him as his main herd sire.  Nick Shoemaker had crossed so well with the Plaudit-bred mares that Hank felt his best bet was to go with one of Nick Shoemaker's sons.    Hank liked the bottom side of Skipper W's pedigree, he was out of Hired Girl by Cowboy P-12.  Skipper W also had the kind of conformation that Hank felt would complement the Plaudit mares.  For these reasons, Hank chose Skipper W to be elevated to the rank of #1 herd sire. Skipper W was then bred exclusively to only his own mares.