Showcasing Oklahoma’s Horses

This past legislative session, I passed a bill naming the American Quarter Horse the official state horse of Oklahoma. The governor recently held a bill signing ceremony on the front steps of the Capitol after riding horseback from the governor‚s mansion along with me, my granddaughter who requested this legislation, and the Senate author of the bill, Sen. Blake “Cowboy” Stephens.

When my granddaughter first approached me with this idea, she requested we make the state horse the Colonial Spanish Horse based on her research into the history of this magnificent animal. These pure Spanish Mustangs were brought to America in the 1500s by the Spanish conquistadors and were introduced to Native American tribes, soon becoming essential to the tribes. The Colonial Spanish Horse of Oklahoma is the only native horse in the state and has the purist bloodline. Native Americans used these horses to traverse the Trail of Tears when they were forcibly moved to Indian Territory. There is evidence that the Spanish Mustangs obtained from the Native American tribes were crossed with the English colonists‚ stock as early as the year 1611. The product of this breeding would come to be known as the American Quarter Horse.

After much discussion with other legislators, it was decided to designate the American Quarter Horse as the state horse. The Colonial Spanish Horse is already the official Heritage Horse of Oklahoma.

I recently began working with a lady named Gabriela McAlester who helped rescue a Colonial Spanish Horse and return him home after 20 years. There are only about 300 of these horses left in Oklahoma. This past week, Gabriela and I met with Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who serves as Secretary of Tourism, and discussed ways to feature Oklahoma‚s ties to the American Quarter Horse and its predecessor the Spanish Colonial Horse in order to draw people to explore our state‚s unique heritage. Many people come to Oklahoma wanting to see real cowboys, Native Americans, horses, teepees, and open ranges. They want to see what the wild west was like, with its cattle drives, wagon trains, Native American villages, etc. We have a great opportunity to show off our state‚s unique history by showcasing our newly established state horse that has such deep roots here.

The predominant horse breed in Oklahoma is the American Quarter Horse, and our state is home to the most registered American Quarter Horses per capita in the entire country. The American Quarter Horse Association has held its annual world championship show in Oklahoma City for nearly 50 years, and the show has an economic impact of more than $30 million every year. Highlighting this amazing breed and detailing its descent from our special heritage horses will attract enthusiasts from across the country and around the world. I look forward to working to see how we can best accomplish this.

If you or someone you know has an interest in this endeavor, please feel free to contact me at (405) 557-7375 or Randy.Randleman@OKHouse.gov.