Equa Charge was foaled on March 20th, 1958. He bred by Mrs. Cynthia H. Masek and John K. Goodman in California. The Jockey Club lists Equa Charge as a “light chestnut,” but he was probably a palomino. Equa Charge was by Depth Charge, one of several Thoroughbreds to have been inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame. Depth Charge was by Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, Bold Venture. He stood at the Kentucky division of the King Ranch and was later moved to Texas where he sired numerous Quarter Horse racehorses, including stakes winners Johnny Dial, Super Charge, Tiny Charger, Dividend and Miss Queenie.
Foxy Win, the dam of Equa Charge, was responsible for his unique coloration. She was registered as “light bay” but was likely a buckskin. Foxy Win was bred by F. W. Ferguson. She was by Equifox, a stakes winning son of champion Equipoise. Foxy Win inherited her dilute gene from her dam, Bound to Win, who inherited it from her dam, La Robia. The dilute coloration of this family of horses likely originated in Great Britian but it is difficult to know for sure. Foxy Win produced two registered foals – Winning String and Equa Charge. Winning String, a Thoroughbred daughter of Piggin String, produced Quarter Horse racehorses Buff String, Johnny String and Bitsy Chick.
Equa Charge made his first official start as a three-year-old. In 1961, he won three races at Del Mar and Bay Meadows. He reportedly ran six furlongs in 1:10. Equa Charge continued racing until he was five years old. His final official record was sixteen starts, three wins, one second and two thirds with $5,395 in earnings.
Equa Charge covered his first mares while he was still racing. His first Thoroughbred foal on record, Equalight, was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Sigvard A. Hansen in California in 1962. His first Quarter Horse foals were born the following year at the Keith Bell Quarter Horse Ranch. One of his first Quarter Horse starters, Kaweah Twister, won eleven races and earned a Superior Race Horse award. After he retired from racing, Kaweah Twister competed in a variety of disciplines. He earned points in Heading, Heeling, Hunter Under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Western Riding and Halter. He earned a Performance ROM and an AQHA Champion designation. Kaweah Twister went on to sire 193 AQHA registered foals. His offspring did not inherit his talent on the track or in the arena. Only Royal Phippen and Ima New Twist earned racing ROMs and Brownkaweah earned performance points.
Kaweah Equa Bar, the best Quarter Horse starter by Equa Charge, was foaled in 1964. He made 144 starts and won 38 races, including the Yakima Meadows Derby, Yakima Meadows Invitational Handicap and Flying Charm Handicap. He also set a new track record in the 1968 Yakima Meadows Maturity for 440 yards in 21.980 seconds. He also set a track records for 400 yards at Yakima Meadows and Coeur d’Alene in 20.060 and 20.660 seconds. Kaweah Equa Bar earned $48,131, which is the equivalent of about $310,000 today.
By 1967, Equa Charge moved from California to the Tate Ranch in Lakin, Kansas where he stood alongside Glory Be Good. In Kansas, he sired Tom Raffles, one of the all-time greatest AQHA show horses. Tom Raffles made nine starts and earned $0 on the track. After he retired from racing, he was purchased by Mark Russell and sent to train with Gene Harvey. Harvey said that Tom Raffles ran off with him every day for an entire month before he settled. He went on to compete at the 1977 AJQHA World Championships with Carla Wennberg. They won the Showmanship, Western Horsemanship and Hunt Seat Equitation. In addition to three Youth World Championships, Tom Raffles also earned a Youth Superior Hunter Under Saddle award and an Open Performance ROM. He earned 411.0 total Performance points.
Equa Charge later moved to Bob and Raylene Tanner’s ranch in Inkom, Idaho. His last foals were born in 1978. In total, he sired 83 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse foals in sixteen foal crops. They earned $105,441 on the track and 488.0 points in the arena. His Racing ROM earners included Kaweah Benito, Equa Bear, Scene Stealer, Most Likely, Tish Me Baby, Sweet An Sinful, Equagell, Ladies’ Rights, Mays Equal, Charge On Request and Electro Charge. Honey Darlin’, Scene Taker and Deep Caro earned Performance ROMs.
Kaweah Twister was his most successful son at stud. His Quarter Horse son Electro Charge sired a handful of foals as did his Thoroughbred son Swinger’s Charge. Daughters of Equa Charge produced 90 Quarter Horse foals that earned $52,304 on the track and 54.0 points in the arena. His best performing grandget included Popaway May, Good And Cloudy, Hollywood Question and Equas Payday. Equa Charge does not have many living descendants, but he does have a few competing in western disciplines.
Sources: Equineline, Equibase, American Quarter Horse Association, All Breed Database
The Western Thoroughbred 