Chelse 30th Bday

When I discovered her in '92 I was a novice with horses having only had my first two since 1987. (Even after 23 years in the school of experience I still keep the attitude of a novice today.) The books & riding friends told me of warning signs that suggested I should have walked away. But I had done my homework on pedigree's and she not only fit the bill with her strong Foundation & Ghost Wind Appaloosa lines of Chief Chelsea (Dancer's Rainbow), Toby, and Sundance 500; but goodness she was a BLUE ROAN! The roan's tend to be recessive and allow the color genes to carry through, and the blue roans meet the Ghost Wind formula better than my other mare at the time, a strawberry roan (not-so-foundation) App named Stolen Melody.

As I drove up to the ranch in Sisters, OR, "Pratt Chelse Girl" was on a hot walker when I arrived. Not good. The owner acted hesitant, almost afraid as he picked up her feet. Not good x2. Said his wife usually dealt with her. (Right - you were the one in charge of beating the horses, eh...?) They were using her as a broodmare and had 2 spotted mules out of her. Based on pedigree and looks, I ignored the warning signs, I placed a down payment and she was delivered on 5.9.92. As they drove up in the horse trailer she was kicking and kicking and had beat the door pretty good. ALL the wrong signs. LOL Paid in full without hesitation.

She settled in and was a bit bossy to establish herself with the other two. Over time they became the

"3 amigo's". She was never aggressive towards me but was very wary. John and Alice Pratt of Sweet Home, OR were her breeders and I had learned she was mostly out in pasture in a good sized herd. Very little attention. But someone had been rough with her and "cowboy'd" her. It took me about 5 years before I could walk in the pasture anywhere near her with a shovel or rake in my hand without her shaking ready to bolt. She was always perfect for the farrier - too perfect - due to fear from previous experience.

I first bred her to a stunning CMK Arabian R.A. Bo Jovan with numerous lines to the famous spotline Mesaoud via Abu Zeyd. (THANK YOU Linda & Vern!!!) Her first foal for me was an AraAppaloosa filly "RP7 Jahwah Keenah" (Jehovah's MostBeautiful - Hebrew 'Jah' + Yakima Indian from 'Wahkeenah Falls'). And although I was slightly disappointed she was NC (Non-Appaloosa Characteristic - needing at least 3: spots, white sclera, striped hooves or mottled skin), that was quickly overcome because she's a gorgeous lineback buckskin.... and the sweetest mare. Keenah's my "girlfriend horse" because she cuts me out of the herd and wants me all for herself. I'm serious! Her winter coat really darkens in her face and reminds me almost of a raccoon. You may have access to her when you pry her mane from my cold dead fingers - God willing. (On a side note, I think Abu Zeyd has the best confirmation of any horse I've ever seen.)

R.A. Bo Jovan

"Like this baby girl"

Keenah

Abu Zeyd,

best son of Mesaoud, born 1904

Chelse's next breeding was with my black leopard stallion Cascade Echohawk.

(also descendant of Chief Chelsea - pedigree below)

This beautiful '96 filly, black with blanket & spots & lightning marks on her legs, was born in the light of a rare blue moon, and I got to open her sack for her first breath! Prepared to name her some variation of Dancer, that night she became

"RP7 Blue Moon Dancer".

That was an extremely difficult year due to a loser/traitor, and 3 new foals on my own to boot, but time and time again these horses have grounded me during storms in what is important in my life (spiritually) and provided an incomparable joy. Plus many great times together as my family! But that night under the full moon still stands out...

Next came RP7 Cascade Blackhawk in 1998 - with Chelse at 18. My 2nd leopard but my first true Foundation leopard - an 11th gen black leopard in unbroken line to 1840! He continued the Ghost Wind ~

Chief Chelsea leopard line thru

Cascade Echohawk.

He's a buddy and has produced 2 leopard sons! More on other RP7 pages.

links at bottom of page

And finally, Chelse's last foal, RP7 Toby Juan Kanoby. I bred her a couple of times on the following years, but 2000 proved to be her last colt at 20. Toby is a neat stallion... and yes -

the Foundation Force is with him! ;-)

Now its time for Chelse's grand kids... In 2001 she earns her nickname of "Grandma Chelse". Tessie was a maiden mare and really didn't show her pregnancy well. Plus she was "accidentally" bred by Blackhawk so I didn't know the date to expect her foal. Surprise on 4.13.01 at about 2am was a commotion in the herd that woke me up. Horses yelling, dog barkin', stormy night... Geez... here's this leopard foal - in with the herd no less - Tessie nowhere nearby - and Chelse's herdin' this hour old foal away from all the other horses to protect him and trying to stand and let him nurse - and she's not preggers, therefore dry. Wow! What an instinct she has! Patchy snow, stallions goin' nuts, pitch black, I'm alone in this mountain ranch with no immediate neighbors, newborn colt stumblin' around with wet ears still, and his mama wants nothin' to do with him....... Funny, I don't remember this chapter in any of the books! LOL

So I've got to quickly re-arrange panels a stallion is in to create two corrals - in the frozen mud and snow by flashlight, throw out some hay to distract the herd, try and get Tessie away from the them with oats without the rest coming along, and count on Chelse to take care of the colt - which she did. In the meantime the (3) stallions are going nuts thinking someone's gonna get laid. I get 'er done. Now I can hardly get to the colt cause Chelse is bein' all protective and givin' me the mother attitude with strong warning nickers! Finally I just grab the little guy from her, cradled in my arms, and turn away and start marchin' to the corral and get him inside thinking it will all be good now. Wrong! Tessie has no idea what to do with this little guy and when he gets close to nurse she starts kickin' & bitin' at him! What the heck?? What now?? It must be almost 4am by now and I have to work tomorrow. Who cares - there's a rare Ghost Wind Foundation AraAppaloosa foal's life at stake! So I try some heated milk in a turkey baster but he wouldn't fool with it and the little guy is only interested in my arm pit thinkin' there must be some milk in there somewhere! LOL Watched him pass the plug & pee. Now its 5am and I'm worried sick he's going to die or be ill cause he's not nursing right away (colostrum). Feed store doesn't open till 9 and I'm there buyin' milk replacer (always on hand now), head back home, and just as I start to mix some, Tessie finally stands to let him nurse. Boy he didn't stop for about 5 mins. Whew! The amazing thing is over the next hour, Tessie transforms into this super mom and doesn't want me near him now! All protective suddenly... LOL I assume its a hormone thing kicking in once she started nursing her newborn. She has been a great mama since.

World watch out... RP7 Cascade Hawkwind has entered... and he is a magnificent alpha stallion! 12th generation Leopard in unbroken line to 1840 - the formula works!!! The HOLY GRAIL of the GHOST WIND FOUNDATION AraAPPALOOSA!

The things I've seen and experienced with Hawkwind since, the stories I have......... Strong willed? Yes! Stamina? I've seen him run a 60' round pen for dang near 3 days straight when he saw another stallion was in with "his" mares. Constant loud demanding whinnies till he was a hoarse horse. ;-) I was afraid my (acres away) nearby neighbors were going to complain. It was only the 3rd day he 'settled into' a constant trot all day. Endurance unmatched! Smart enough to know he needs help to get him out of a predicament - and let me? Yes! In control of the herd? Hell yes!! You should see this guy herd mares (and a [larger] stallion) when they all got out - in chest deep snow - and bring them all into the corral once he figured out what I was doing with the gate... pair after pair he'd bring 'em in - mostly with a just look, a head nod, and ears pinned back, then head back for more......

None of that would have happened if not for Grandma Chelse - both due to her breeding & her watchful eye as lead mare of the herd that night......

And finally, the neatest birth I've experienced (seen just 3 out of 11 foals) was RP7 Cascade ShadoHawk in 2006. Although the exact breeding as Hawkwind, he is mellower. And Tessie was mellower birthing him (her 3rd foal).

Today, June 18, ShadoHawk shares a birthday with Chelse and is now 4 yrs old. Happy Bday to Shado too!!

Chelse has been such a joy over the 18 years here, and has played the key role of my breeding program. I was hoping for more years out of Cascade Echohawk and Angel Many Spots but it was not to be. Chelse's color production has been fantastic including thru her grand foals. The only NC (Keenah) was by an outcross to a dark liver chestnut Arabian. (But I'll take that lineback Buckskin!) ALL the rest have color including her AraApp grand foals. She has warmed up in spite of her previous abusers and has passed on good dispositions. I have never actually heard her whinnie, only nicker in varying degrees. But she is a very talkative mare and has passed that on to all of her offspring here at the RP7. Thank you Chelse Girl! And thanks to my hero, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, Wallowa Band.

Happy 30th birthday Grandma Chelse! You have blessed my life immeasurably.

PRATT CHELSE GIRL: My BEST Foundation mare ever! A 1980 Blue roan mare, blanket with spots. "Chelse" is by Dun Roven Chelsea�s Image (lines of Chief Chelsea¹,High Thunderbird) out of PrattsSullyTogeta (lines of Sundance 500, Toby). "Chelse" is a 1x mare of the Ghost Wind line (Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

~~ R.A. BO JOVAN: A 1978 CMK Arabian stallion, liver chestnut, owned by Lin-Ley Arabians. Bo is by Bruk-Abi out of Amira Ga Zi, and was a magnificent stallion... I am forever grateful...

RP7 JAHWAH KEENAH²: A 1994 lineback buckskin mare. "Keenah" is by the CMK Arabian stallion R.A. Bo Jovan and out of Pratt Chelse Girl. Her combined lines feature many spotline Arabians, including Mesaoud through Abu Zeyd, as well as Foundation Appaloosas. "Keenah" is a 1x mare of the Ghost Wind line (Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

~~ CASCADE ECHOHAWK: A 1991 10th generation black leopard stallion. "Echo" is by Pratts Eagle Spot out of Cascadestormcloud. "Echo" is a 1x stallion of the Ghost Wind line (Pratt�s Eagle Spot, Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle). Other Foundation lines include Red Eagle, Toby, High Thunderbird. Deceased 12.25.99.

RP7 BLUE MOON DANCER : A 1996 black mare, white blanket with spots, lightning marks, heart on her forehead. Born under a blue moon, "Dancer" is by Cascade Echohawk (deceased 12.25.99, lines of Chief Chelsea¹, High Thunderbird, Red Eagle, Toby) out of Pratt Chelse Girl. "Dancer" is a 2x mare of the Ghost Wind line (Cascade Echohawk, Pratt�s Eagle Spot, Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

RP7 CASCADE BLACKHAWK : A 1998 11th generation black leopard stallion. "Blackhawk" is by Cascade Echohawk (deceased 12.25.99, lines of Chief Chelsea¹, High Thunderbird, Red Eagle, Toby) out of Pratt Chelse Girl. "Blackhawk" is a 2x stallion of the Ghost Wind line (Cascade Echohawk, Pratt�s Eagle Spot, Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

RP7 TOBY JUAN KANOBY: A 2000 black stallion, white blanket with spots. "Toby" is the last foal by Cascade Echohawk (deceased 12.25.99, lines of Chief Chelsea¹, High Thunderbird, Red Eagle, Toby) out of Pratt Chelse Girl. "Toby" is a 2x stallion of the Ghost Wind line (Cascade Echohawk, Pratt�s Eagle Spot, Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

RP7 CASCADE HAWKWIND²: A 2001 12th generation leopard stallion. "Hawkwind" is by RP7 Cascade Blackhawk out of RP7 Quintessence (CMK Arabian mare with Mesaoud, the famous Crabbet spotline stallion, enhancing several of her lines starting in the 5th generation). "Hawkwind" is a 1x stallion of the Ghost Wind line (RP7 Cascade Blackhawk, Cascade Echohawk, Pratts Eagle Spot, Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

RP7 TEN EAGLES PICO²: A 2003 chestnut stallion, white blanket with spots. "Tico" is by RP7 Toby Juan Kanoby out of RP7 Quintessence (CMK Arabian mare with Mesaoud, the famous Crabbet spotline stallion, enhancing several of her lines starting in the 5th generation). "Tico" is a 1x stallion of the Ghost Wind line (Toby Juan Kanoby, Cascade Echohawk, Pratts Eagle Spot, Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

RP7 CASCADE SHADOHAWK²: A 2006 12th generation leopard stallion. This newest kid is full brother to "Hawkwind", being by RP7 Cascade Blackhawk out of RP7 Quintessence (CMK Arabian mare with Mesaoud, the famous Crabbet spotline stallion, enhancing several of her lines starting in the 5th generation). He is a 1x stallion of the Ghost Wind line (RP7 Cascade Blackhawk, Cascade Echohawk, Pratts Eagle Spot, Chelsea�s Image, Chief Chelsea¹ [aka Dancer�s Rainbow], Desert Dancer, Desert Night, Pharaoh, Blue Hawk, Winged Hawk, Spotted Eagle).

RP7 QUINTESSENCE²: A 1996 CMK Arabian mare, chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. "Tessie" is by Gulastra�s Splash out of the Hearst bred mare Cheerfull Pico. (Sadly, Cheerfull was put down on 1.6.97 after contracting EPM). As her name depicts, Tessie is the fifth essence of Mesaoud, with this Crabbet spotline stallion enhancing several of her lines starting in the 5th generation!

2 I follow Claude Thompson�s breeding principals. I use these Arabian lines to improve and refine the Foundation Appaloosa as needed and then breed back to Appaloosa.