Let's All Hear It for MRS. Appaloosa--Iola Hatley

Congratulations are in order for my friend and mentor, Iola Hatley of Moscow, Idaho. After over 60 years of behind-the-scenes work on behalf of the Appaloosa breed, she has been named the lone 2008 inductee to the Appaloosa Hall of Fame.

This, in the Appaloosa Horse Club's 70th anniversary year, is a most appropriate and long overdue tribute to an extra- ordinary person. (Here we are--Iola at left, me at right--getting ready to serve campfire coffee at this year's invitational Hatley sleigh ride.)

Many people with connections to Appaloosas recognize George Hatley's name in conjunction with his honorary title, Mr. Appaloosa. George was one of the people largely responsible for turning an obscure relic of the Old West into an internationally recognized breed of horse. But what many don't realize is that Iola worked right alongside him, starting even before their marriage in 1947, and that she does so to this day.

This Idaho couple built the association from an initial set of records that fit inside a shoebox. They gave their time for years, without pay, and ran the outfit out of their home until sometime in the 1960s. Even after there was enough money for the association to erect its own building, Iola reported to work every day, answering phones and running the office.

Now in her eighth decade, she remains just about as tireless. Most 80-year-olds do not spend their winter days putting on sleigh rides and wintertime outdoor potlucks for the enjoyment of their fellow horse enthusiasts.

But, most 80-year-olds are not Iola Hatley, either.

Here's to someone who deserves to be in a Hall of Fame--and then some.