Dear Mr. Gary Griffith:

I had written previously to the 1997 AQHA president and the White Rule Committee Chairman in 1997 and to the AQHA Vice President in 1998 regarding the white rule. The AQHA reviewed rule 227 and elected to keep the ruling the same. I would like to request AQHA to review only one section of the #227 rule.

I Natalie Nelson officially request AQHA to review and drop rule #277 section j at the 2000 AQHA Convention. In addition to dropping the rule #227 section j, to add the colors of cremello and perlino in rule 228.

Back in the August 97 issue of The Quarter Horse Journal an article talked about the AQHA white rule #227 in "Coat Color Genetics" which included a survey. It disappointed many of us that the article only briefly touched the subject of the cremello color and that there were no questions or pictures on the survey regarding the cremello color. Unfortunately, that led me and others to believe that the cremello color was going to be accepted until the 1998 convention where changes to the white rule were denied – including albinism. (Which by the way is a separate condition from cremellos and perinilos, which has been proven with in modern science via genetic research!)

Cremellos by the present AQHA rules (see 277-section j) are not eligible for registration because they generally have all three characteristics of albinism. However, cremellos are not the same as an albino. As we all learned in school an albino has no pigmentation whatsoever, this is the reason for pure white pigment and pink eyes. This is not the case in cremellos body color is a light cream with a definite whiter mane and tail, that can also have dappling, shadowing and white markings, plus their eyes are blue. Technically there are no true albinos in the equine world. Cremellos can only sire/produce dilutes, i.e. buckskins and palominos, plus when bred to another cream you get a cream! When I called the AQHA regarding this they acknowledged all this as fact!

When I asked why AQHA hasn’t changed the ruling, I got the answer "That’s the way it has all ways been." Fifty years ago when the organization was founded little was know about the genetics of cremello horses, or the differences between albinos and cremellos now there is. Rule 227(j) states: "No horse is eligible for registration which possesses all three characteristics which designate a horse commonly know as an albino: light (or pink) skin over the body; white or cream colored hair over the body; and eyes of a bluish cast." It is said that the blue eyes of these horses where undesirable due to their intolerance of the hot Texas sun. I have blue eyes (along with many of us in the human race) and the sun doesn’t bother me, plus blue eyes are not a disqualifying characteristic for AQHA registration. It is also said that white horses are susceptible to skin cancer. Grays are susceptible to skin cancer and they are registerable.

I currently own a cremello out of bloodtyped/DNA’ed parents, the result of breeding two buckskins which is a dilute. By breeding two dilutes together you have a 25% chance of getting these beautiful cream colored foals, which at the present time are unregisterable with the American Quarter Horse Association! By the way, Palominos are also dilutes; so consequently breeding two palominos or a palomino to buckskin can also result in a cremello! This is a natural SOLID color of the quarter horse, plus with one fourth of all buckskin to buckskin, palomino to palomino; or palomino to buckskin crosses resulting in a cremello it is a significant amount of solid colored horses not registered with the AQHA. In this day of age with DNA being required for breeding stock - shouldn't ALL solid color horses be accepted? I, say yes!

The American Jockey Club registers all foals out of registered Thoroughbred parents regardless of color. There are some breeders specializing in color that produce the rare palomino and paint colored Thoroughbreds, although not common. The American Morgan Horse Association lifted their white rule and now registers all Morgans out of two registered parents with a huge response. The Appaloosa Horse Club registers all foals of registered parents regardless if they have the color characteristics or not. The American Paint Horse Association registers all of the offspring of two registered parents from three registries (including non-registerable AQHA cream foals)!

I’m a pedigree junkie and I am constantly looking up pedigrees on horses. I know of several APHA cremello horses with two AQHA parents that excel in the show ring. I also see more and more cremellos compete in cuttings, reinings, futurities and any other events that offer competition open to all breeds. One that comes to mind is Hollywood White a multiple winner in NRHA events; of which APHA proudly claims as a Paint beating the other breeds! When in reality he is a full-blooded quarter horse of the wrong color!

Allowing all resulting SOLID colored foals of two registered AQHA parents (or AQHA to Thoroughbred for the Appendix registry) would be a win/win situation. A win situation for the AQHA because, it would increase registration applications that would otherwise be lost to outside registries, increase mares listed on breeders reports, stallions listed with the AQHA, plus increase AQHA Incentive Fund nominations, transfers, etc., which in effect increases AQHA’s already large numbers. It’s a win situation for members because it allows them to register otherwise ineligible foals with the worlds LARGEST equine registry - the AQHA (after all no other breed registry does more for their members). Not to mention to allow the cremello genetics work for the membership. Anyone can own a sorrel or a bay, but with the increasing amount of demand for color, the genetics of the cremello can increase buckskins and palominos within the registry.

In 1998 my cremello stallion turned two and I stood him to two mares. A sorrel overo paint mare and an AQHA registered bay mare. Resulting in a palomino colt from the sorrel and a buckskin filly from the bay mare. In 1999 I stood him to another AQHA registered sorrel mare! The owners of the quarter horse mares did not care that he was not AQHA registered – they did care how he was bred and that he would sire color. What's that mean to the AQHA? It means that the AQHA lost those resulting foals' registration to the APHA! I foresee the cremello color to be the next greatest hit since the homozygous tobionos and the black and white paints! All of which the APHA takes the credit – including cremellos!. Isn't time for the AQHA to be in the limelight?

AQHA says there are no white quarter horses. This is a false statement! There are white quarter horse the AQHA just refuses to recognize them! Through out history, the white horse has been a symbol of goodness and a general public favorite. Remember the Lone Ranger, and all those movies with a white stallion, we all watched when we where kids? Even in the Bible, Jesus is seated upon a white horse and his armies are mounted on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-15). Since AQHA doesn't register white horses it wasn't and won't be a registered quarter horse.

Let’s take a leap into the new millennium and take the stand not to discriminate a horse on its color! After all let’s not forget the old adage "A good horse is a good horse - regardless of color"! Besides if you can register a horse with a genetic defect per rule 205, which list cryptorchidism, parrot mouth and the newly added HYPP - color shouldn’t even be an issue!

I SAY DROP THE WHITE RULE #277 section (j) !!!!

Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter. You can contact me at any time by the methods listed below.

Sincerely yours,

Natalie J. Nelson (AQHA #0686295)
20628 W. Narramore Rd.
Buckeye, AZ 85326
(602) 386-2801 Home / (602) 393-6493 Work T-F 6AM-4:30PM (MST) / 1-602-5257131 Mobil