OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011 THE RIDER /63 The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society
“It is the mission of the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society to respect, the spoken words of Gypsies who have dedicated lifetimes in the pursuit of breed- ing the perfect caravan horse…the Gypsy Vanner. The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society’s mission is to bring honor, recog- nition, and a better understand- ing to one of the world’s most colorful and least understood societies and the horses they love so dearly. This registry was established to protect a vision that was born over half a century ago to create the perfect horse to pull their colorful cara- vans.
A perfect caravan horse is strong, intelligent, docile, athlet- ic, and colorful and has excellent endurance. These same traits make this breed well suited for any number of pursuits.
The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society remains quality based, culturally sensitive and socially responsible in the pursuit of our dream. Come share the dream with us!
Goals of the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society :
1) Establish the breed with the look envisioned by the Gypsies. 2) Establish the breed with the genetics that created the look. 3) Establish the breed with the feelings of the status and pride that Gypsies feel for their selec- tively bred horse.
4) Establish the breed in parallel to the values that Gypsies place on their selectively bred horses. Soon after World War II, a vision was born by the Gypsies of Great Britain to create the perfect caravan horse; “a small Shire, with more feather, more color and a sweeter head” was the goal. Selective breeding con- tinued virtually unknown to the outside world for over half a century until two Americans, Dennis and Cindy Thompson, while traveling through the English countryside, noticed a magical looking horse standing in a field. It was that very horse, eventually known as “Cushti Bok” who became the key to unlocking the heretofore- unknown vision and genetics that created the Gypsies’ “van- ner” breed (a horse suitable to pull a caravan). Be it good for- tune, good luck or pure Gypsy magic, a passion was born in the Thompson’s to understand the little stallion that captured their attention and stole their hearts. It would take years of research – without the help of the Internet – to learn about this special horse and, just as importantly, the col- orful culture, which had created it.
Invited by the stallion’s owner, the Thompsons attended Appleby, (the oldest horse fair for Gypsies in the world) with the sole purpose of developing a better understanding of Gypsies and their horses. For ten days they introduced themselves to every Gypsy who bought or sold a quality looking horse and then documented contact information for later pursuit. The discovery of that one special little stallion and ten days turned a curiosity about Gypsies and their horses into an obsession. – Dennis Thompson, GVHS Co-Founder. The Thompsons’ relentless pursuit of knowledge over four calendar years resulted in: • Uncovering the post World War II vision from which the breed was born.
• Identifying “Sonny Mays” and “The Coal Horse” – the two foundation stallions that inspired
the Vanner breed – as well as much of the influential stock originating from those two. • Identifying the genetics that created the breed: The Shire, Clydesdale, Dales Pony and Friesian.
• Tracing the genetic heritage of “Cushti Bok” through three countries. Discovering that, as a yearling, Cushti Bok had been “the most highly prized colt in all of Great Britain” at the same 300-year-old horse fair where their quest for knowledge began. • Naming the unnamed breed
“Gypsy Vanner Horse”. • Documenting the Vanner breed standard based on years of lis- tening to the spoken words of dedicated Gypsy breeders. Respecting the spoken words of Gypsies who have dedicated lifetimes in the pursuit of their dream is a commitment of the GVHS mission contained in its by-laws.
Breed Standard
• Writing the mission statement of the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society. Mission Statement • Developing the four goals of
the GVHS. Goals
• Importing the first two Vanner fillies (Bat and Dolly) Novem- ber 24th 1996.
• Importing the first two Vanner stallions (Cushti Bok and The Gypsy King) Easter Sunday 1997 and Easter Sunday 1998. • Importing a total of fourteen mares and two stallions for the breed’s introduction in June of 1998 at Equitana USA in Louisville Kentucky and on the Internet. All other names and efforts to recognize a breed of horse developed by Gypsies
throughout the world came after. The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society offers a voluntary evalu- ation program as an educational tool for the horse breeder to pro- mote thoughtful breeding of Gypsy Vanner Horses of the type as detailed in the breed standard, and to educate others about the breed. The program’s purpose is to help breeders and owners to educate themselves about the strengths and weak- nesses of their horses so they can use this knowledge in mak- ing educated breeding and pur-
chasing decisions as well as a unique marketing tool. There is a fee of $100 for each evalua- tion.
Telephone toll free 888- 520-9777, Fax: 940-234-1300, Email: info@gypsyvannerhors-
esociety.org
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80