Patchy stood grand champion stallion at the first Appaloosa National Show held in 1948. The dark stallion’s sturdy conformation, athletic working ability, calm disposition and vivid color exemplified the beginnings of the Appaloosa horse and created recognition for his offspring.
His original registration papers recorded Patchy’s birth in 1939, but conflicting accounts place it as early as 1935. His dam, a Thoroughbred named Miss Rosalia, doesn’t hold an official race record, but she match raced throughout Washington state and British Columbia, Canada. At some point, Miss Rosalia was bred to a spotted stallion.
Patchy’s papers claim that stallion was Patches, but other sources recorded his sire as Chief Seattle. Bred and born in times of frequent horse trading and little paperwork, Patchy’s sire may have simply changed names from Chief Seattle to Patches. The specific location of Knobby on Patchy’s pedigree is also questionable, with some records showing him third, fourth or fifth generation on the paternal side.
Herb Camp of Lacrosse, Washington, registered Patchy and took him to the first National Show where the stallion caught Ben Johnson’s attention. Ben, who served on the original Appaloosa Horse Club Board of Directors, wanted a top Appaloosa stallion to improve his existing herd of mares. He purchased Patchy in 1950 and moved the stallion to his ranch in Grand Junction, Colorado. Patchy earned his keep with Ben as a ranch horse, show horse, racehorse and sire.
He sired 84 registered Appaloosa foals including three bronze medallion winners: Patchy Pete out of Helen R, Patchy Jr. out of Leopard Lady and Wibluta out of Blossom.
Don and Jimmie Imboden purchased half interest in Patchy in 1960 and moved the stallion to Sioux City, Iowa. Patchy died of natural causes on March 17, 1963.
