Jo Warren - ApHCC Hall Of Fame

Born on a horse ranch in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, in the Big Muddy country close to the Montana border where his father was a Member of Parliament, Jo Warren graduated from school in 1932 and did what he had to do to survive the Great Depression. He served six years overseas in London during the Battle of Britain and in the advances into Holland. He was a member of the South Saskatchewan Regiment, achieving the rank of Sergeant-Major.

He returned in 1945 to raise mink in the Regina area despite being offered a job to create art work for Walt Disney in California.

Jo's first love was always horses. He was a fine horseman, taught by his father who was an outstanding horseman himself. His love for spotted horses began in Regina in the late forties when he purchased his first registered Appaloosa, Warren's Pride. It proved to be the first in a long line of outstanding horses he would own over the next 50 years. In 1956 he bought three mares from the legendary Ben Johnson in Colorado, including a skinny red leopard mare called Patchy's Jr. Lila Gleska (meaning many spots). She became the foundation of his horse ranch.

Jo Warren brought the first Appaloosa classes to the Pacific National Exhibition in 1958 and was also instrumental in forming the first Light Horse Association in BC, the BC Western Horseman's Association. He also brought the first big horse sale to Cloverdale, BC.

Jo Warren's horses have earned Canadian National Champion titles, Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada Outstanding Member of the Breed, Superior and Supreme Awards. The list of individual horses having earned these awards are too numerous to mention but include the offspring of Patchy's Jr. Lila Gleska & Top Hat Jr. Top Hat Jr. won countless awards throughout his career including four National Breeder's Medallions and a World Championship trophy. Warren's Sundance won more than 120 first place ribbons and placed second in the US Nationals. Jo was the first breeder to win both the Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Stallion at the Canadian National Show. For many years, Jo sponsored the Halter Champion of Champions class at the Canadian National Appaloosa Show with the recipient receiving the prestigious silver and jade "Jo Warren Medallion". And at the US ApHC National Show, he annually donated a mink stole to the Highest Point woman exhibitor.

Jo Warren was inducted into the Appaloosa Horse Club Hall of Fame in Moscow, Idaho and is the only Canadian honored by the ApHC. In 1993, the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada inducted Jo Warren into its Hall of Fame. Jo also served as President of the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada for seven years, Director for five years and held Canadian and American judges cards.

He was affectionately known as Canada's "Mr. Appaloosa".