It's my understanding Orion was first registered with the IMHR, which merged with AMHA. AMHA accepted IMHR's papers. I would imagine Orion's AMHR papers came along at a later date.
Don't know and don't really care. Maybe way back when the registrys were first getting started they didn't require better records.
Bingo.
The AMHA was open until 1987 (or was it 1985? Anyway...) Meaning any horse that was 34" or under could get papers. Not having supporting paperwork was not a problem. So yes, when you're looking at the really old pedigrees from that time, you need to keep an open mind. There ARE errors. Some have been caught, more probably never were. Things were
different and it's not fair to judge how things were done by
today's standards
Even mares that were over 34" could get papers- they were classified as "FOUNDATION/OVERSIZED" up until... 1988, I think? I think they're in the studbook was "F/OS" Blood typing was not required until the mid 1990s, and only under certain circumstances (I think if a stallion bred more then 5 mares or something like that)
Here's one to contemplate. Until about 1994/1995, FWF Legionare was credited as the sire of NFC's Sugar Boy. Legionare is/was a homozygous tobiano, Sugarboy is solid. There is *no way* Legionare could be Sugar Boy's sire. Of course back in the 1980s there was no tobi test (heck, they didn't even KNOW about a T/T) In the 1990s Sugarboy was DNA tested as a son of Roan Ranger. Looking back with our 2010 knowledge it's obvious, but back then (and while I was pretty much a kid, I was around Miniatures in 1991) it really wasn't.