March 29, 2000
Gary Griffith
Registrar
American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Armarillo, TX 79104

 

Dear Mr. Griffith: 

This is in response to the correspondence I received from you dated March 17th, 2000; which stated, and I quote the letter in it’s entirety:

"Dear Ms. Nelson:

The Stud Book and Registration Committee met recently during the 2000 AQHA Convention and reviewed your request to alter rule 227(j) to allow registration of cremello and prelino colored horses.

It was their unanimous decision to take no action on this request for change. Even though the Committee acknowledges the fact these horses are Quarter Horses, the same as excessive white crop outs by blood, it’s their feeling this is an undesirable characteristic within the breed.

Thank you for taking the time to write and express your opinion. Your support of the American Quarter Horse and the AQHA is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Gary Griffith
(your signature)
Registrar

This letter was a little hard to believe, since I attended the open Stud Book & Registration meeting at the 2000 AQHA Convention. Three other members and myself presented our proposals regarding Rule 227(j) of which there where no objectionable comments made by other members in the room, as on previously discussed topics. At the close of the meeting we were approached by several Committee Members, who commended us on such a well-organized presentation. In fact, a Committee Member told us that Rule 227(j) and our proposals were going to be seriously discussed in the closed meeting the following day.

You can imagine my shock when I received the above mentioned letter stating that it was their unanimous decision to take no action! Even harder to believe is that "it’s their feeling this is an undesirable characteristic within the breed" According to rule 205 GENETIC DEFECTS AND UNDERSIRABLE TRAITS color is not even mentioned, but parrot mouth, cryptorchidism, and HYPP is. Infact, the rule states "One or more of these conditions does not prevent a horse from being used as breeding stock or from participating in AQHA-approved events, subject to rules of the individual event." If it is allowable to register, show and BREED the above mentioned genetic defects and undesirable traits, then why not cremello and perlino colored horses, that are simply homozygous for the dilution gene.

It has been brought to my attention that in actuality; the issue of Rule 227(j) was tabled, NOT denied or even voted on at the 2000 Convention, pending the review of a study on cremellos. I would like to know the details of this study, what it is, where it will be conducted, and to whom I may address an inquiry regarding the results of that study.

If in fact rule 227(j) was unanimously decided to take no action, I would like to formally request that rule 227(j) be put on the agenda of the 2001 AQHA Convention.

Respectfully,

Natalie J. Nelson
AQHA #0686295

cc: AQHA President