Native American Tribes

Mould name: Silver - The Lone Ranger

Released: 2001

Designed by: Kathleen Moody

Original mould number: 574

Official Description: Pony Story: Native Americans believed that the bond between horse and rider was sacred. These two spirits became one. inBlood Brothers in pays tribute to this eternal devotion as a loyal war pony respectfully bows at the grave of his fallen rider, his friend, his Blood Brother. Even at the end of life, these bonds of loyalty and love could never be broken.

Last Number at Retirement

Official Description: Pony Story: A gifted writer and painter, this Cherokee artist wanted her Pony to stand not only as a work of art, but an inexpression of healing and support for those in need in our community. in Adorned with a tribal sash made of leather, shells and beads, decorated with individual handprints of children, Mary worked overtime to complete this invision and personal prayer in before passing to the other side in the summer of 2003.

Last Number at Retirement 7E/6289

Official Description: Pony Story: Carries the Spirit is standing tall and proud on its hind legs, as if stepping to the beat of a drum at a powwow. This rearing white stallion has caught the spirit of the two Native dancers in dazzling regalia, who spin and leap dramatically, fringe and feather blowing like grass in the wind. Powwows are tribal gatherings where Native people sing, dance, socialize and honor traditional values, and reflect important aspects of Native American society.

Last Number at Retirement 2/6716

Official Description: Pony Story: Cathy Smith is a historian and scholar of the American West. She is also an authentic costumer who has worked on such films as Dancing with Wolves and All the Pretty Horses. Her original Pony was adorned with a Crow woman's Horse Trappings Outfit, circa 1870s. The keyhole-shaped ornament on the forehead was a classic Crow design, the beaded rosette surrounded with horsehair tassels and wrapped in dyed cotton string. Made to carry a short buffalo lance or captured cavalry sword, the case was fashioned out of buffalo rawhide painted with natural earth pigments. Outfits similar to this are still paraded today at the Crow Fair in Crow Agency.

Last Number at Retirement 3E/2418

Official Description: Pony Story: An appreciation of all earthly and spiritual gifts in the Native American culture and traditions led this gifted Montana artist to create a Painted Pony that honored an authentic Native art form not widely known. After thoroughly researching the Cheyenne woman's tradition of painting abstract designs of spiritual significance on dressed, buffalo hides, Liz conceived of a Painted Pony design that, in the words of a tribal elder, inis a beauty and has won my heart. in The original Cheyenne Rawhide Pony was selected as Best of Show by Southwest Art magazine in the Native Art of Horse Painting competition.

Last Number at Retirement 3E/0522

Official Description: Pony Story: “Dog Soldiers” were the military elite within the Cheyenne culture on the Northern Plains during the mid-1850s, when their homelands were besieged by fortune seekers and homesteaders. Respected as well as feared, these warriors were sworn to protect their people at all costs. To cover the retreat of a companion or village under attack, the bravest among them would stay behind and stake themselves to the ground with a “dog sash” secured to a lance, remaining there until death if necessary.

Last Number at Retirement 1/3916

Official Description: Pony Story: History books describe Crazy Horse as a respected war leader who fought against the U.S. government in an effort to preserve the traditions and values of the Lakota way of life. He was that and much more. As a young man he had a vivid dream of a horseback rider, with lightning zigzagging down his cheek and a turquoise earring in one ear, who looked up to see a red-backed hawk fly overhead. When he related the dream to his medicine man father, Crazy Horse was told he would achieve future greatness in battle. A lifetime of victories on the battlefield followed, culminating with his triumph over George Armstrong Custer at Little Bighorn. No photographs of Crazy Horse exist, but with this Pony C J Wells, a Native inartist warrior in herself, has given him a high-voltage interpretation. C J lives and exhibits her large paintings in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and also shows in The Trail Gallery in Carefree, Arizona.

Last Number at Retirement 2E/5416

Mould name: John Henry

Released: 1988

Designed by: Jeanne Mellin Herrick

Original mould number: 445

Mould name: San Domingo

Released: 1978

Designed by: Chris Hess

Original mould number: 67

Mould name: San Domingo

Released: 1978

Designed by: Chris Hess

Original mould number: 67

Mould name: Indian Horse

Released: 1998

Designed by: Kathleen Moody

Official Description: Pony Story: Drawing on his Cherokee heritage, this Arizona artist, whose large, spiritually powerful portraits of Native American warriors are coveted by museums, has created a visual interpretation of the traditional tale of the Dreamwalker. It is a story about a medicine man who is told in a vision that inthe discovery of power will come through the ways of animals. in Shortly thereafter, he sets out on a trek across the Great Plains to the East, where Illumination lives. He carries a pipe with him, has many encounters and draws on the powers of a medicine wheel. Near the end of his journey he is greeted by a White Stallion, who tells him the secret of intrue power in is compassion, caring and sharing one's gift with others. Ben lives in Sedona, Arizona. The original Masterwork of Dreamwalker was selected as a finalist in the Native Art of Horse Painting national competition.

Last Number at Retirement 2E/6201

Mould name: Johar

Released: 1983

Designed by: Chris Hess

Original mould number: 3030JO

Official Description: Pony Story: According to legend, Eagle Spirit was a horse born deep in a hidden forest under the watchful eye of an all-powerful eagle endowed with magical powers. To bond them in spirit, the eagle added golden colors from his feathers to the colt's black coat. And as time passed and Eagle Spirit grew into a magnificent stallion, with each act of bravery, courage, devotion and wisdom, an eagle feather would float down from the sky above, and attach itself to Eagle Spirit's flowing mane and tail.

Last Number at Retirement

Official Description: Pony Story: Read this Cherokee artist's resume and you will understand why he is listed in Who's Who in American Art. A Vietnam veteran whose personal philosophy is inEverything is an experiment. That goes for life, for art and for painting a Pony, in Bill adorned one side of his Pony with a portrait of a Plains Indian warrior, and the other with a serene Pueblo scene. Asked for his inspiration for Earth, Wind, Fire, he wrote, inFrom the Great Spirit and Mother Earth, All things are made. in Last Number at Retirement 4E/1710

Official Description: Pony Story: Before the turn of the 19th century, the Navajo switched from making traditional Native American blankets to weaving brilliantly colored tapestries with hand-spun wool that featured fantastic geometric shapes and bold color palettes never before seen. This groundbreaking shift gave birth to what is now known as the Eye Dazzler rug. These weavings not only offered Navajo artisans the chance to express their individual artistry, freedom and ceremonial musings, they also influenced others who drew inspiration from these rich and colorful designs, and incorporated the aesthetic into other mediums, such as Painted Ponies.

Last Number at Retirement

Official Description: Pony Story: Before the turn of the 19th century, the Navajo switched from making traditional Native American blankets to weaving brilliantly colored tapestries with hand-spun wool that featured fantastic geometric shapes and bold color palettes never before seen. This groundbreaking shift gave birth to what is now known as the Eye Dazzler rug. These weavings not only offered Navajo artisans the chance to express their individual artistry, freedom and ceremonial musings, they also influenced others who drew inspiration from these rich and colorful designs, and incorporated the aesthetic into other mediums, such as Painted Ponies.

Last Number at Retirement

Official Description: Pony Story: The Fancy Dance evolved from the early Plains tribe's war and victory dances. It is an energetic style of dance, usually performed by younger men who spin, twist and make quick steps and fast turns. Their outfits are traditionally composed of lots of bright colors, metallic beads, sequins and ribbons which create a flashy display. They have two bustles, a head roach and intricately beaded headband... all of which are faithfully and stunningly recreated on a spirited, snorting horse that is caught up in the excitement of the drumbeat. This unique creation by a Virginia artist won The People's Choice Award in the national competition, The Native Art of Horse Painting.

Last Number at Retirement 3E/5485

Official Description: Pony Story: The Fancy Dance evolved from the early Plains tribe's war and victory dances. It is an energetic style of dance, usually performed by younger men who spin, twist, and make quick steps and fast turns. Their outfits are traditionally composed of lots of bright colors, metallic beads, sequins and ribbons which create a flashy display. They have two bustles, a head roach and intricately beaded headband - all of which are faithfully and stunningly recreated on a spirited, snorting horse that is caught up in the excitement of the drum beat. This unique creation by a Virginia artist won The People's Choice Award in the national competition, inThe Native Art of Horse Painting. in Last Number at Retirement 1E/3120