About Appy Origins

Appy Origins is a companion series to The Appy Archives, created to document the earlier ancestors and bloodlines historically associated with, or identified through current research behind, known spotted alpacas. Some of these animals were not themselves documented as Appaloosa or Harlequin, but their pedigrees and production records connect them to important patterned families.

These entries focus on verified lineage connections and known spotted descendants rather than attempting to attribute the pattern to any single ancestor. Until the underlying genetics are fully understood, pedigree association should not be interpreted as proof that an ancestor was the genetic source of Appaloosa or Harlequin patterning.

Tilama-Chapoco at a Glance

• Registry Name: Tilama-Chapoco
• Registration Number: 152653
• Origin: Chile
• Breed: Huacaya
• Registered Primary Color: Medium Fawn
• Registered Secondary Color: True Black
• Documented Pattern: Unknown
• Registered Offspring: 10
• Currently Verified Appaloosa/Harlequin Offspring: 3
• Verified Patterned Offspring Produced Through Multiple Sires: Yes
• Additional Multicolor Offspring Requiring Research: At least 4
• Strongest Currently Documented Continuing Patterned Branch: Shasta Springs Kodachrome
• Most Recent Currently Documented Descendant Through That Branch: 2025

Why This Ancestor Matters

Tilama-Chapoco entered the North American population as a Chilean import and was registered Medium Fawn with True Black as a secondary color. Based on the documentation currently available, her own phenotype cannot be confirmed as Appaloosa or Harlequin.

Her production record, however, raises a much more interesting question. Among Tilama’s ten registered offspring, three can presently be confirmed as Appaloosa or Harlequin: Ameripaca’s Tessa, Limestone Ridge’s Chakita, and Shasta Springs Kodachrome. Importantly, those animals were not all produced by the same sire.

Kodachrome and Chakita were full siblings by SCF Lucky Luciano, a Dark Brown male. Tessa was produced by Acero Marka’s Champ, who was registered True Black.

Tilama therefore produced confirmed patterned offspring through at least two different sires. That does not establish Tilama as the genetic source of the pattern, but it makes her maternal contribution an important historical research lead.

Known Spotted Descendant Lines

Ameripaca’s Tessa

Ameripaca’s Tessa was a confirmed Appaloosa daughter of Tilama-Chapoco and Acero Marka’s Champ.

Tessa produced several registered offspring and later descendants. The most recent descendant currently identified within this branch was born in 2008, suggesting that the line may have ended or become inactive, although its current status has not been fully established.

Tessa is particularly important to the Tilama question because she provides an independently sired example of Appaloosa expression. Her sire was different from the sire of both Chakita and Kodachrome.

Limestone Ridge’s Chakita

Limestone Ridge’s Chakita was a confirmed Appaloosa daughter of Tilama-Chapoco and SCF Lucky Luciano.

Chakita was a full sibling to Shasta Springs Kodachrome but has no registered offspring currently identified. Based on her age, she is also presumed no longer active within the breeding population.

Although her branch appears to have ended, Chakita remains significant because she provides a second confirmed patterned offspring from the Tilama and Lucky Luciano mating.

Shasta Springs Kodachrome

Shasta Springs Kodachrome was a confirmed Harlequin/Appaloosa son of Tilama-Chapoco and SCF Lucky Luciano.

Unlike the Tessa and Chakita branches, Kodachrome’s line continued strongly into later generations. He produced seven registered offspring, five of which are currently verified Appaloosa, Harlequin, or Wild Card Harlequin.

Five of Kodachrome’s offspring went on to reproduce, resulting in ten currently documented grandcria. At least five are verified Appaloosa or Harlequin, with one additional probable patterned grandcria. Descendants from this branch are documented through 2025.

Kodachrome therefore represents the strongest currently documented continuing patterned branch identified from Tilama-Chapoco. His production and later descendants are documented separately in AA-010: Shasta Springs Kodachrome.

Key Documented Branches

Tilama-Chapoco produced ten registered offspring:

• Shasta Springs Zion: registered Medium Brown and White. No known offspring currently identified. Pattern phenotype remains unverified.
• Captain Jac: registered Medium Brown and White. No known offspring currently identified. Pattern phenotype remains unverified.
• Ameripaca’s Tessa: confirmed Appaloosa. Produced offspring and later descendants.
• Shasta Springs Olympia: registered Medium Brown and White. Produced three registered offspring. Pattern phenotype remains unverified.
• Tini Tim: registered White. Deceased with no known offspring.
• Shasta Springs Arapahoe: registered Medium Silver Grey. No known offspring currently identified.
• Shasta Springs Pioneer: registered Dark Brown and White. Deceased with no known offspring. Pattern phenotype remains unverified.
• Shasta Springs Sadie: registered True Black. Deceased, but produced a substantial descendant group with descendants documented as recently as 2019. Current continuation of this branch is unknown.
• Limestone Ridge’s Chakita: confirmed Appaloosa. No registered offspring currently identified.
• Shasta Springs Kodachrome: confirmed Harlequin/Appaloosa. Established the strongest currently documented continuing patterned branch, with descendants documented through 2025.

Several of Tilama’s multicolor offspring, particularly Zion, Captain Jac, Olympia, and Pioneer, remain worthy of further investigation. Their registered color combinations alone are not sufficient to classify them as Appaloosa or Harlequin.

What the Evidence Shows

Current research establishes several important facts. Tilama-Chapoco produced ten registered offspring, including at least three independently verified Appaloosa or Harlequin offspring. Those three patterned offspring were produced through two different sires. Kodachrome and Chakita were by SCF Lucky Luciano, while Tessa was by Acero Marka’s Champ.

The three patterned branches did not have equal outcomes. Chakita has no registered production currently identified. Tessa produced descendants, but the currently identified line appears to have stopped many years ago. Kodachrome developed into a much stronger continuing branch, with multiple patterned offspring and grandcria extending through 2025.

Tilama also produced several additional animals registered with multicolor combinations that warrant continued research, although their phenotype cannot currently be classified from registration data alone. Taken together, the record shows a recurring relationship between Tilama-Chapoco and documented patterned offspring across different matings. It does not tell us why that relationship exists.

What We Still Don’t Know

The largest unanswered question is Tilama-Chapoco herself.

No currently available documentation allows us to verify whether Tilama visually expressed an Appaloosa, Harlequin, pinto-like, or other unusual phenotype. Her registration as Medium Fawn with True Black secondary color tells us she was recorded as multicolor, but registry color alone cannot establish pattern.

We also cannot conclude that Tilama carried or transmitted the genetic mechanism responsible for Appaloosa or Harlequin expression. The sires, their ancestry, and other genetic factors must also be considered.

Several of Tilama’s offspring remain unresolved as well. Zion, Captain Jac, Olympia, and Pioneer were registered with combinations of brown and white, but photographs or additional historical documentation would be needed before assigning them a patterned phenotype.

The current status of some descendant branches also remains uncertain, particularly the later descendants of Shasta Springs Sadie and the older Tessa line. A confirmed historical photograph of Tilama-Chapoco would be especially valuable to this research.

Origin Summary

Tilama-Chapoco was a Chilean import whose documented production places her within an important early patterned family, even though her own phenotype remains unresolved.

She produced ten registered offspring, including three currently verified Appaloosa or Harlequin animals: Ameripaca’s Tessa, Limestone Ridge’s Chakita, and Shasta Springs Kodachrome. Those patterned offspring were produced through at least two different sires, making the repeated appearance of pattern within Tilama’s offspring particularly worthy of investigation.

The three branches followed very different paths. Chakita appears to have left no registered descendants. Tessa established a later generation, although the currently documented branch appears to have become inactive many years ago. Kodachrome became the strongest continuing line, producing multiple Appaloosa, Harlequin, and Wild Card Harlequin offspring and descendants documented through 2025.

Tilama-Chapoco cannot currently be identified as the genetic source of that pattern, and Appy Origins does not present her as such. Her importance lies in the documented production surrounding her and the questions that production raises.

Her story represents exactly what Appy Origins was created to preserve: an earlier ancestor whose own phenotype may remain uncertain, but whose documented descendants make the line too significant to overlook.

Research Information

Appy Origins
A companion series to The Appy Archives
Research by Brandon Sigler
Elderwood Farms
Version 1.0
Published September 2026
Research Status: Current through September 2026
Sources: AOA Registry · Historical breeder records · Photographic documentation where available
© 2026 Brandon Sigler | Elderwood Farms

Continue to The Appy Archives → AA-010: Shasta Springs Kodachrome