U.S. #5590
2021 55¢ Heritage Breeds – American Cream Draft Horse
Issue Date: May 17, 2021
First Day City: Mount Vernon, VA
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, Flexographic
Format: Pane of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 25,000,000
The American Cream draft horse is the only breed of draft horse native to the United States. The first ancestor of this breed dates back to the early 1900s with a mare named "Old Granny." It was from her that the American Cream draft horse got its cream-colored coat, pink skin, and amber eyes. This became known as the "Champagne" gene.
Old Granny readily passed on her special coloration to her offspring, which became highly sought after for their unusual beauty. In 1944, the State of Iowa granted a charter to the American Cream Horse Association of America. The breed was officially recognized by the Iowa Department fo Agriculture six years later, in 1950.
Like other draft horse breeds, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the tractor led to a decrease in American cream draft horse numbers. However, because it was a rarer breed than other drafts, it suffered a much sharper decline. In fact, the breed almost went extinct.
Thankfully, in 1982, a group of breeders decided to re-open the books of the American Cream Horse Association of America. Since then, the population of American Cream draft horses has been slowly on the rise, though they are still extremely rare. With the help of heritage breeders and farmers, hopefully this special draft horse will make a comeback someday.