Yorke McGillivray: my journey to the land of the Chaar horse. A dream fulfilled and the first Chaar foal destined for the USA
After an amazing four-year journey with the International Chaar Appaloosa Horse Association, I am proud and overjoyed to announce my first Chaar foal.
He will be the first recognized Chaar to import to the United States as an ambassador for the breed!
A brief story about my journey to this moment...
Around Thanksgiving 2021, my mother and I watched a documentary called True Appaloosa. It told the story of how one determined woman and foundation Appaloosa breeder, Scott Engstrom from New Zealand, inspired an expedition in Kyrgyzstan to find the original spotted horses of Central Asia. The film captures their rediscovery.
As I have always been passionate about conservation of rare breeds and species, the story of the Chaar resonated with and inspired me so deeply. So a few weeks after watching the documentary, I found and reached out to the co-producer, Munarbek Kuldanbai, to ask if there was a way to get involved with the breed's revival and preservation projects. By then, Munarbek had begun to search for and purchase a number of spotted horses around the country, DNA tested them, and added those confirmed as Chaar to the breeding program.
Joining the breeding programme
Within a week I joined the stud farm's accelerated breeding program as a patron of the Chaar and became their USA Ambassador. I then helped facilitate continued genetic testing between Munarbek's Kyrgyzstan Chaar Stud Farm and Dr. E. Gus Cothran at Texas A&M University’s Animal Genetics Lab. The results confirmed the Chaar as a genetically distinct population in the region. Whether it is the heritage breed of the American Appaloosa is still an open question.
Then, last year, I began shaping a trip to visit Kyrgyzstan and the Chaar Appaloosa in collaboration with Munarbek and the International Chaar Association. The plan was to invite along a small group of horse lovers from North America to meet these sacred spotted horses and share Kyrgyz's unique culture and nomadic way of life.
Last week our group of 9 embarked from Bishkek to discover the Chaar and explore their naturally beautiful and historically rich homeland in and around the Celestial Mountains. The experience far exceeded expectations. We also had a fantastic group of individuals with wonderful hosts that together made the trip unbelievably special. We agreed it will likely be the first of many more Chaar cultural trips to come.
Meeting the new colt
On our final day in Kyrgyzstan, I was given the greatest gift of all: to meet my foal from the program's herds who roam freely and live so harmoniously with the land. Even more magical, I hiked up a mountainside to reach them and at first I was on my own, feeling that with every step I was realizing a dream I never imagined. I eventually crested a hill in full spring bloom to see Chaar stallion Besh's herd. And there, standing amongst his magnificent family, I met one of the program's newest additions. A bay leopard roan colt still learning his legs alongside his mother, a daughter of stallion ChaarSuluu who started it all.
Born only the day before, it felt kismet to meet him just in time before the trip's end. Soon, I will settle on a name. He has a beautiful, gentle and strong spirit. My deepest gratitude and appreciation to Munarbek and the association for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
I look forward to sharing how he matures in the coming months!
Photos by me. Video of Munarbek making first contact with him in the mountain pasture.
