Rafter DS began with the purchase of Ulrichs Cheyenne from the Don & Mary Ulrich Wyoming breeding program. The Ulrich's were famous for Leopards and the Appaloosa Shuffle. Cheyenne has 18 Leopards in his 6 generation pedigree and has produced several shufflers.
The first registered Appaloosa was Babe (F-1), owned by Fred Busby of Fossil OR. This horse was later sold to Claude Thompson of Moro, OR. Claude leased Old Painter from Fred in order to help found the Appaloosa breed. Our goal here at Rafter DS is to continue the tradition of high quality horses that was begun in Fossil, OR.
Ulrich Cheyenne can trace his bloodlines directly back to Old Painter. Ulrich Cheyenne's Foundation Blood Percentage is 89.07 % (using the IPPA method). Cheyenne is also registered with the FAHR & ApHC as 90% FPD.
After obtaining Cheyenne, Rafter DS then searched the Northwest for old line Appaloosa mares. We discovered that the Tobys, Pratt, Kaniksus, Foster, DREA, Goer, Joker, and Ulrich bloodlines proved to have the superior specimens we were looking for in our future mare band. You can see the pedigrees and photos of our current mares on the OUR MARES page.
Our ultimate goal at Rafters DS is to preserve the intellectual and athletic ability of the native bred Appaloosa horse. Therefore, the next step in our breeding program is to cross our exceptional Ulrich Cheyenne fillies with the best example of a purebred Appaloosa stallion that we could find. War Tobys Troubadour is that stallion (ApHC FPD 100%, IPPA FBP 98.44%). You can see numerous photos of Troubadour on the OUR STALLIONS page.
War Tobys Troubadour's first foal crop produced the red leopard filly Ochoco Glory G (ApHC FPD 100%) from one of our own Ulrich Cheyenne mares. He also produced the dark bay snowcap colt Ochoco Agustus (IPPA FBP 99%, ApHC FPD 100%) from the deeply bred Toby mare Tobys Destardee Moon (IPPA FBP 100%).
All of our foals are eligible for registration as Foundation Pedigree Designation with the ApHC. Most foals are also eligible for FAHR, CRH Association, International Purebred Appaloosa Association, and Sundance 500 International registration. If you see a horse you like and can give him or her a great home, please give us a call.
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