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In the midst of the state’s looming budget catastrophe, the Arizona Legislature got down to the, um, important business of determining a state horse.
The House Government Committee approved a bill that would make the Spanish Colonial the state horse of Arizona.
HB 2634, dreamed up by Representative Pat Flemming, would revise the state statute on state emblems to include the Spanish equine as the official state horse of Arizona, adding to the list of useless state emblems that, if nothing else, keep elected officials busy.
In case you didn’t already know (or care), Arizona has official state neckwear, the Bola tie, and a state butterfly, the two-tailed swallowtail.
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So why does Arizona need a state horse? Flemming says “It would honor a breed that dates all the way back to when Coronado was exploring the Southwest.”
According to the bill, “The colonial Spanish horse is closely related to breeds that descend from horses brought by Spanish explorers and colonists to the Americas in the 16th century. For many centuries, Spanish horses were the most common type of horse throughout the regions West of the Mississippi and few herds have remained in the Southwest being owned by traditional ranchers or Native American tribes. The colonial Spanish horse has various names including Spanish Mustang or Spanish Barb.”
We’re, um, glad that’s cleared up. Now how about that pesky budget?
