The Colorado Ranger Is The Original Rocky Mountain High Horse

The Colorado Ranger Horse was named for itssensation that Mike Ruby was urged by the faculty of
Colorado High Plains origin. Verbal references to thosewhat is now Colorado State University to name this
"range bred" horses eventually led to their being morenew breed of horse. And so the Colorado Ranger
commonly known as Rangerbreds or RangerbredHorse was officially named in 1934 to reflect that they
Horses. But despite its appearance, the Rangerbred isoriginated in Colorado and were bred and raised under
not a type of Appaloosa even though manyrange conditions.
Rangerbreds are double-registered with theAnd with the naming of the breed came the breed
Appaloosa Horse Clubs of both the United States andregistry. The Colorado Ranger Horse Association
Canada. It has its own unique heritage.(CRHA) is an older registry than the Appaloosa Horse
Colorado Ranger Horses were bred for being cowClub (ApHC). In fact, it is the oldest of the western
savvy, and can anticipate the movements of cattle,horse breed registries still in existence in the United
and for their performance capabilities. They excel inStates. It was founded in 1935 by Mike Ruby, who
ranch work with great stamina and do well inwas its first president until his death in 1942. Its
endurance competitions.corporate charter was granted in 1938. Ironically, its
Colorado Ranger Horses are refined horses due tohome office is currently in Pennsylvania.
their Arabian/Barb ancestry and are compact animals,In the beginning, registration was limited only to the first
with powerful hindquarters. Like most popular breeds,50 CRHA members, so a lot of true Rangerbreds
Rangerbred sizes range from 14.2 to 16+ hands withwere not allowed to be registered with CRHA.
the average height at 15.2 hands, and they have goodHowever, those horses with the appropriate color
dispositions.patterns were gladly accepted by the Appaloosa
Although the breed as we know it today is consideredHorse Club which was another breed registry that
to have originated in America, its roots can be tracedwas founded several months later. In 1964, the CRHA
back to Constantinople, Turkey.lifted the fifty member limit and registration was
During 1878, General Ulysses S. Grant visited Sultanopened to all horses meeting the pedigree
Abdul Hamid of Turkey as part of a world tour. Therequirements, regardless of the owner's membership
Sultan, in showing his regard for the General, gave himstatus. This enabled the CRHA to register many of the
the gift of two desert stallions; a blue-gray Barb namedAppaloosas that had Rangerbred heritage that were
Linden Tree and a gray Siglavy-Gidran Arab named"lost" to the organization for so many years.
Leopard. These horses are listed in the studbooks ofAbout 90% of all registered Rangerbreds are also
both the Jockey Club and the Arabian Horse Club andregistered with the Appaloosa Horse Club, but not all
their influence has touched almost every breed ofAppaloosas are eligible for registration with the CRHA,
horse in the United States.unless they have the required pedigree that shows a
These two horses went to Virginia at first, where theydirect descent from one of the two foundation stallions,
were used as foundation sires in a new breed ofMax #2 and/or Patches #1 in an unbroken line.
light-harness horse called the Americo Arab. But whenPatches #1 was purchased from the Whipple Ranch
the automobile was invented, along with otherand traces to both Leopard and Linden Tree. Max #2
difficulties, the breeding project was discontinued incame from the Governor Oliver Shoup ranch at
1906 and his herd was disbanded.Colorado Springs and is descended from Waldron
So, Leopard and Linden Tree spent a season inLeopard.
Nebraska and sired a few foals, some spotted orWhile many Colorado ranger horses display the same
colored, from the native mares of the General Colbycolor patterns as the appaloosa, the CRHA is a
Ranch. A.C. Whipple, of Kit Carson County in Colorado,bloodline registry, not a color registry. In fact, color and
obtained a herd of broodmares from the Colby Ranchmarkings are not considered in eligibility for registration,
who were all sired by either Linden Tree or Leopard. Inonly ancestry is. The breed's founder wisely decided
addition, a black-eared white stallion named Tony wasthat a horse's ability has nothing to do with color of his
used as the herd stallion, because he was double bredcoat.
to Leopard and was part of the family's extensiveAs with the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC), the CRHA
line-breeding program using Tony and his sons.recognizes the same approved outcrosses as the
In the early 20th Century, Mike Ruby, of the Lazy JApHC. The following breeds are considered as
Bar Ranch, bought one of Tony's sons, a stallionacceptable outcrosses for the Rangerbred and may
named Patches and Max, son of Waldron Leopard. Hebe used in a CRHA Breeding Program: The American
used these stallions as the foundation sires of the newJockey Club (TB), The American Quarter Horse
breed, in which unusual coloring was seen more andAssociation (AQHA)., ApHC of USA, Canada &
more frequently in his herd of more than 300 mares.Foreign, The Arabian Horse Club (AHC), ARA-APP,
So, in essence, the Colorado Ranger was developedand the International Colored Appaloosa Association
by Mike Ruby, who kept meticulous records on every(ICAA) (with certain reservations). The outcrossed
foal that he bred. These records included foaling dates,mare must be registered with one of the above
coat patterns and complete pedigrees and are still inregistries. Paints & pintos are not among these
existence today with all horses still being recorded byapproved outcrosses.
hand in these ledgers, as well as by more modernResearch indicates that one out of every eight
methods in the Colorado Ranger breed registry.Appaloosas is of Rangerbred heritage and also eligible
After two leopard-patterned stallions were displayedfor CRHA registration.
at the Denver Stock Show, they created such a