(Hollywood White)
A few years ago I spent a weekend watching a reining competition and noting the bloodlines I liked, common mistakes of rookies and doing my best to score the patterns. I also noticed the usual assortment of colors, fake manes and tails, glittery show clothing and all that bling bling but after a while it all started to blend together... sure every so often a really eye catching palomino or buckskin would step in to the arena and stand out from the rest.... or a grulla, black or paint would pop out and say "look at me" but after a while it would take a special individual to pique my interest. In fact, there was just one such horse who walked in to the arena that night and made such an impression that I still remember him to this day....he truly was a stand out as his color just popped right out from everything around him... he was a color rarely seen in the show pen...he was a cremello.
From that day on I've had a special fondness for cremellos and perlinos. Sure I love them because of their double dilute gene (meaning no matter what color they are crossed on they will always produce a buckskin, palomino, smokey black....)
(Half Arabian Buckskin colt by Hollywood White)
....but I've come to appreciate their unique and mythical charm.
(Hollywood White)Some people really dont like the look of cremellos and I understand why...sometimes and in some light they can be pretty freaky with their pink skin and blue eyes...(some breeders also think that they are more prone towards skin cancers and blindness. They also can have trouble with sunburns.) But I especially like the way that cream colored coat stood out against the browns of the dirt arena... or maybe I'm still dreaming of the "white unicorn" of my childhood. Either way, I'd love for my next horse to be a cremello (and yes, I just might have a specific one in mind.)
Do you like the look of a cremello?
(Hollywood White)
In this post are pictures of one of my favorite stallions Hollywood White who stands at Forgotten Lane Farm. He is an own son of Hollywood Jac 86 and a World Champion reining horse. He was primarily used as a sire for half Arabian reining horses...
(Half Arabian reiner by Hollywood White)
but has recently been bred on more AQHA mares. He also caries the dun gene! Check out his video to see what I mean about that cremello/perlino color standing out in the show ring
He definitely stands out. I like the looks. Don't know as I'd want one in Texas because of the sun. Poco's nose gets burned every year, but he won't let me put stuff on it, nor does he have the sense to use the shade.
ReplyDeleteI too love the double dilutes! I have always loved blue eyed horses...and well horses that stand out in a crowd! Great post!
ReplyDeleteI do like them - but I'm an App lover so I'm used to the pink skin thing! I absolutely love the buckskins and grullas though. I find them so strikingly beautiful and unique in the pen.
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful cremello QH mare when I was a teenager - she would do anything - trails, patterns, jumping, sliding stops, gymkhana, pleasure classes - she was a prize, although we did have trouble with sunburn on her nose and eyelids.
ReplyDeleteI like Cremellos, as long as they're put together well. Here in Oregon, dilute babies seem to be a dime a dozen and most look like Dr. Frankenstein put them together, which is very sad.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm loving an APHA stallion named Rock Broker, an own son of Sock Broker that my trainer, Tasha, just purchased a couple months ago. Tasha's starting to get into Pintos now (she's an Arab person) but I'd love to find the right mare to cross with Rock for my own APHA baby.
I am an Appaloosa lover, and years ago white was not my favorite. But, since I have an amazing white horse now, of course I'm in love with them. Ladde has brown eyes and some brown points, but his white is bright and true white. Since owning unusually colored horses, I tend to admire the uniquely colored horses more so than your dime-a-dozen browns and such. Give me the unusual anyday!! Hey, Oregonsunshine - my girlfriend owned and just recently sold Rock Broker - he is a nice horse. Very small world! Same gal has a gorgeous Buckskin she stands.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I am not generally very crazy about the double dilutes. But a nice horse is a nice horse. So when a good one shows up, I can completely understand why people prefer them, particularly if they are good enough to remain stallions or are breeding quality mares. The indisputable fact is that color sells...particularly babies.
ReplyDeleteI was curious-was he used primarily on Arabian mares so they could register and show his foals before the AQHA accepted double dilutes?
There was a great article in the Paint Horse Magazine about Cremellos and double dilutes and the bloodline that it traces back to. I wish could remember the exact issue, but it was last year sometime. After reading that article I have seen a bunch of horses that were called something else- but actually had the pearl gene.
ReplyDeleteAnd the article made a point of mentioning that the pearl gene has a characteristic uncommon to the horse world- green eyes!
ReplyDeleteOh I LOVE 'em! Not to own one but I have bred my black mare to one!! I bred my TB mare to APHA stallion Final Review! I have a smutty/sooty buckskin filly!! Gotta love those double dilutes!! It's nice to know that you are guaranteed color not matter what! I don't think I would ever own one, because keeping them clean would be nuts!! But they defiantly do catch your eye!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree a nice horse is a nice horse, I am not a fan of the freaky skin and I hate blue eyes on a horse. I've gotta admit I don't really get the color thing - it's nice but nothing I've bought specifically for.
ReplyDelete