Registration:  ApHC #9618
Foaled:  1959
Died:  ??
Color:  dun

It was considered unlikely and a highly unusual way to get started with Appaloosas, but Bill and JoAnn Robinson of J & B Stables in Utah, came by it honestly. Theirs is a story that begins much like that of Colida, Wapiti, Peavy Bimbo, and other great Appaloosas. It started with a couple of registered Quarter horses.

Bill Robinson was in need of a good roping horse. In his search for a good calf roping horse, he bought a registered quarter mare, Earley Ribbon AQHA P-35872 bred to Hopscotch Reed AQHA P-42298. Earley Ribbon had been used as a professional calf roping horse throughout the Inter-mountain area and on the West Coast. When Earley Ribbon approached foaling time, she disappeared one morning into the mountains. When she was found, she had already foaled -- a big blanketed dun Appaloosa filly! Bill was not familiar with the Appaloosa breed and was not happy that his registered quarter mare had presented him with an Appaloosa. His dismay was short-lived as he received many offers for the Appaloosa filly, J & B's Spotted Fawn.

The Robinson's then purchased a full sister to Spotted Fawn, J & B;s Little Red Rose, and were on their way to becoming Appaloosa breeders.

Earley Ribbon was sired by Cooterville Norell's Little Red that was registered in the AQHA stud books as Norell's Little Red AQHA P-113788 and in Appaloosa stud books as Cooterville Norell's Little Red ApHC F-1673. Earley Ribbon's dam was a match race mare, Blazella AQHA P-8580, by Joe Barrett and out of a Thoroughbred mare by Flaming Light by Reigh Count, winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1928. Reigh Count also sired Count Fleet, a Triple Crown winner, who sired Count Turf, winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1951.

In addition to Spotted Fawn, Earley Ribbon produced the following Appaloosa foals: J & B's Little Red Rose (by Hopscotch Reed), Ole Red (by Chief of Sky High), J & B's Wayward Wind (by Elkins Sierra Cat), J & B's Red Cat (by Cat's Flash, and J & B's Spotted Beauty (by Winkin Wayne AQHA).

J & B's Spotted Fawn produced foals that were loaded with color at birth. Her foals:

J & B's Quinta, a dun blanketed gelding by Quinta Chief.
J & B's Quinta had one foal crop and due to an injury had to be gelded. He was never beaten at halter as a stallion. He won the 1965 Futurity at Payson, Utah and placed seventh in the 1965 World Wide Futurity. At the 1967 National Appaloosa Show in Walla Walla, Washington, he placed thrid in the geldings, four and over class.

Mr. Red Bars, a loud blanketed sorrel stallion by Mr. Tonto Bars AQHA 108820.
Mr. Red Bars performed well on the race track winning the Jerome, Idaho Juvenile Stakes, the Utah Futurity, and the Beehive Futurity. He also had the top time in the trial heats of the ION Futurity and finished fifth in the finals. At halter he never stood below third. From his first foal crop came fifteen registered Appaloosa foals and three solid foals, an excellent color producing record considering his breeding and the fact that he was bred to fifteen solid colored mares and three Appaloosa mares.

War Reed, an extremely high colored sorrel stallion by War Don.
He stood Grand Champion at the Golden Spike in Ogden, Utah, while being shown five times in 1968 with four first place wins and one second. On the race track, War Reed won the ION Futurity, placed second in the Utah Futurity, losing by a nose, placed second at the Bridgerland Futurity, and placed fourth in the World Wide Futurity. His first foal crop arrived in 1969 with seventeen loud colored foals and five solid foals that showed signs of coloring. His get did exceptionally well at halter, winning over older horses.

Bar Gill, a large blanketed dun stallion by Mr. Tonto Bars.
A full brother to Mr. Red Bars and Spotted Chance, Bar Gill won many races in 1968, as a two-year-old, losing only to Ledge Deck. In 1969, due to a heavy breeding schedule, Bar Gill ran in a limited number of races. At the Colorado State Fair, Bar Gill had best time in the time trials for the Stakes Race. He went on to win the Stakes Races, outrunning the great Ledge Deck this time.

Spotted Chance, a loud blanketed dark chestnut by Mr. Tonto Bars.
This 1967 foal of Spotted Fawn won the Treasure Valley and Utah Futurities. He came in fourth in the Bridgerland Futirity and was laid up with an injury sustained during that race.

Golden Girl, a 1968 dun blanket filly by the quarter horse Winken Wayne.

How many mares can repeat the produce record of Spotted Fawn for color, halter winners, and race winners? She has been Grand Champion at halter and did exceedingly well in prformance in both adult and youth events. At the 1960 National Appaloosa Show, Spotted Fawn was second in the yearling filly class. Mr. Red Bars and Bar Gill won the produce of dam for Spotted Fawn at the 1966 Utah Appaloosa Club Regional Show.

J & B's Spotted Fawn was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.

{To read more, check out the source for this story, an article by Gene Carr that was published in the Appaloosa News, February 1970, "J and B STABLES .... Breeders of Racing Appaloosas"}

Copyright © 1970 Appaloosa Horse Club. All rights reserved.