Camarillo White Horse
Encyclopedia
The Camarillo White Horse is a rare horse breed less than 100 years old known for its pure white color
. It dates back to 1921, when Adolfo Camarillo
, one of the last Californios, purchased a 9-year-old stallion
named Sultan at the California State Fair
in Sacramento
. The California White horse was owned and bred
by the Camarillo family until the death of Adolfo Camarillo’s daughter Carmen, in 1987.
color, which includes pink skin under the white hair coat. Unlike a gray horse
that is born dark and lightens as it gets older, Camarillo White horses are white from birth and remain white throughout their lives.
The breed is not only a color breed
. It has other distinctive physical characteristics, including a compact and refined build. They are known to have strong limbs, an expressive face, large eyes, well-defined withers, laid back shoulders and a well-arched neck.
True white is a very difficult and rare color to achieve, as statistically there is only a 50% chance of producing living white offspring from any given mating, regardless of the color of the other parent. This is because of an unusual characteristic of the white "W" gene. Although it is a dominant gene
, it is lethal when homozygous (WW), and such foals die in the womb. This means that all living true white horses are heterozygous (Ww) for the gene. Thus, when a white horse (Ww) is bred to a non-white (ww) horse, there is a 50% chance of producing white and a 50% chance of producing a non-white horse.
When two white horses (Ww) are bred to one another, there is a 50% chance of producing a living white horse (Ww), a 25% chance of producing a non-white horse (ww), but also a 25% chance of producing a dead foal (WW). The W gene is dominant: if a horse carries the gene it will be white and conversely, if the horse is not white, it does not carry the white gene, and thus and cannot produce white offspring if bred to another non-white horse. Breeders of true white horses generally cross them on non-white horses, as the statistical probability of a white foal is the same with no risk of producing a WW foal. However, because there are different genetics involved, Camarillo White horses do not carry the genes for Lethal white syndrome
.
, Sultan, a Spanish Mustang
born in 1912 that Camarillo would latter describe as a "Stallion of a dream." Camarillo found Sultan at the 1921 California State Fair in Sacramento being shown
by the Miller & Lux
cattle ranch. Camarillo purchased Sultan and the pair went on to win many championships throughout California.
Camarillo bred Sultan to Morgan
mares
at the Camarillo Ranch, developing a line of horses privately owned and bred by the Camarillo family for the next 65 years. Upon Camarillo’s death in 1958, Adolfo’s daughter Carmen took over the horse breeding
operation. She continued to show the horses at parades and events for the enjoyment of the people of Ventura County until her death in 1987, when, according to her wishes, the horses were sold at public auction
, ending the tradition of exclusive ownership of the breed by the Camarillo family.
In 1989, five individuals decided to regroup the horses for public performances. By 1991, when only 11 horses remained, it became apparent the breed could die out, and the idea for an association began. In 1992, the Camarillo White Horse Association was formed. To avoid inbreeding
, the registry has an open stud book, requiring least one parent to be of Camarillo's original stock, but allowing the other parent to be from various breeds, including Andalusian
and Standardbred bloodlines. They also maintain a separate record of non-white foals from these bloodlines.
and even attended the parade to open the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge.
They are the official horse of the city of Camarillo. They have appeared in every Santa Barbara
Fiesta parade since it began in 1924. Many people of note have ridden Camarillo White Horses, including (then-Governor
) Ronald Reagan
, 1946 Nobel Peace Prize
recipient John Mott
, movie star Leo Carrillo
, and Steven Ford
(son of President Gerald Ford
).
Equine coat color
Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. A specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them.While most horses remain the same color throughout life, a few, over the course of several years, will develop a different coat color from that with which they were born...
. It dates back to 1921, when Adolfo Camarillo
Adolfo Camarillo
Adolfo Camarillo, was a prominent land owner, horse breeder, rancher, and philanthropist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Ventura County area of California, U.S.A. Adolfo, along with his brother Juan, Jr., owned much of what later became the town known by their family name, Camarillo...
, one of the last Californios, purchased a 9-year-old stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
named Sultan at the California State Fair
California State Fair
The California State Fair is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California.- Schedule Change :...
in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. The California White horse was owned and bred
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
by the Camarillo family until the death of Adolfo Camarillo’s daughter Carmen, in 1987.
Breed characteristics
The Camarillo White Horse is known for its pure whiteWhite (horse)
White horses are born white and stay white throughout their life. White horses may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant white genes, are rare...
color, which includes pink skin under the white hair coat. Unlike a gray horse
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
that is born dark and lightens as it gets older, Camarillo White horses are white from birth and remain white throughout their lives.
The breed is not only a color breed
Color breed
A color breed is a term that refers to horses that are registered based primarily on their coat color, regardless of the horse's actual breed or breed type....
. It has other distinctive physical characteristics, including a compact and refined build. They are known to have strong limbs, an expressive face, large eyes, well-defined withers, laid back shoulders and a well-arched neck.
True white is a very difficult and rare color to achieve, as statistically there is only a 50% chance of producing living white offspring from any given mating, regardless of the color of the other parent. This is because of an unusual characteristic of the white "W" gene. Although it is a dominant gene
Dominance relationship
Dominance in genetics is a relationship between two variant forms of a single gene, in which one allele masks the effect of the other in influencing some trait. In the simplest case, if a gene exists in two allelic forms , three combinations of alleles are possible: AA, AB, and BB...
, it is lethal when homozygous (WW), and such foals die in the womb. This means that all living true white horses are heterozygous (Ww) for the gene. Thus, when a white horse (Ww) is bred to a non-white (ww) horse, there is a 50% chance of producing white and a 50% chance of producing a non-white horse.
When two white horses (Ww) are bred to one another, there is a 50% chance of producing a living white horse (Ww), a 25% chance of producing a non-white horse (ww), but also a 25% chance of producing a dead foal (WW). The W gene is dominant: if a horse carries the gene it will be white and conversely, if the horse is not white, it does not carry the white gene, and thus and cannot produce white offspring if bred to another non-white horse. Breeders of true white horses generally cross them on non-white horses, as the statistical probability of a white foal is the same with no risk of producing a WW foal. However, because there are different genetics involved, Camarillo White horses do not carry the genes for Lethal white syndrome
Lethal white syndrome
Lethal white syndrome , also called overo lethal white syndrome , lethal white overo , and overo lethal white foal syndrome , is an autosomal genetic disorder most prevalent in the American Paint Horse...
.
Breed history
All Camarillo White Horses trace back to a single foundation sireFoundation bloodstock
Foundation bloodstock or foundation stock are horses that are the progenitor, or foundation, of a new horse breed or a given bloodline within a breed. The term is also used in a similar manner when discussing purebred dogs...
, Sultan, a Spanish Mustang
Spanish Mustang
The Spanish Mustang is a horse breed of historical importance. They descend from horses introduced from Spain during the early conquest of the Americas. They are a type that today is mostly or wholly now extinct in Spain...
born in 1912 that Camarillo would latter describe as a "Stallion of a dream." Camarillo found Sultan at the 1921 California State Fair in Sacramento being shown
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
by the Miller & Lux
Henry Miller (rancher)
Henry Miller was a German-American rancher who at one point in the late 19th century was one of the largest land-owners in the United States.-Biography:...
cattle ranch. Camarillo purchased Sultan and the pair went on to win many championships throughout California.
Camarillo bred Sultan to Morgan
Morgan horse
The Morgan is one of the earliest horse breeds developed in the United States. Tracing back to the stallion Figure, later named Justin Morgan after his best-known owner, the breed excels in many disciplines, and is known for its versatility....
mares
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
at the Camarillo Ranch, developing a line of horses privately owned and bred by the Camarillo family for the next 65 years. Upon Camarillo’s death in 1958, Adolfo’s daughter Carmen took over the horse breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
operation. She continued to show the horses at parades and events for the enjoyment of the people of Ventura County until her death in 1987, when, according to her wishes, the horses were sold at public auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
, ending the tradition of exclusive ownership of the breed by the Camarillo family.
In 1989, five individuals decided to regroup the horses for public performances. By 1991, when only 11 horses remained, it became apparent the breed could die out, and the idea for an association began. In 1992, the Camarillo White Horse Association was formed. To avoid inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
, the registry has an open stud book, requiring least one parent to be of Camarillo's original stock, but allowing the other parent to be from various breeds, including Andalusian
Andalusian horse
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE , is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation...
and Standardbred bloodlines. They also maintain a separate record of non-white foals from these bloodlines.
Events of Distinction
From the 1930s on, Camarillo White Horses became famous all along the California coast for their performances at various events. They became well known as regular participants in the Tournament of Roses ParadeTournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
and even attended the parade to open the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge.
They are the official horse of the city of Camarillo. They have appeared in every Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
Fiesta parade since it began in 1924. Many people of note have ridden Camarillo White Horses, including (then-Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
) Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, 1946 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
recipient John Mott
John Mott
John Raleigh Mott was a long-serving leader of the YMCA and the World Student Christian Federation...
, movie star Leo Carrillo
Leo Carrillo
Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo , was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist.-Family roots:...
, and Steven Ford
Steven Ford
Steven Meigs Ford is an American actor and son of former United States President Gerald Ford and Former First Lady Betty Bloomer Ford.-Early life:...
(son of President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
).