Click HERE for a PDF of the actual Equine Journal article with photos.

Attending the 2009 Ohio Equine Affaire (April 2-5) were Gypsy Horse Association member farms Belladonna Gypsy Farm (NC), Bootleg Express Draft Farm (VA), Chocolate Horse Farm (MO), Creek Run Farm (NY), Fantasia Farm’s Gypsy Horses (OH), Lucky Star Stables (OH), Mountain View Vanner Ranch (NC), Rivertown Farms (KY), The Pelton Vanners (FL), and Villa Vanners (TN). We thank the owners of these farms for the considerable expense, time, and effort they expended to bring horses to the event. Also attending was the American Gypsy Horse Breed Association’s Angel Baby Sir Gawain, a gelding donated by Andrea Betteridge of Meadow Farm and trained to be a rehabilitation horse by AGHBA.

The breed presentations arranged by EA allowed members of the public to see what the GH was capable of under saddle and in harness. GHA’s breed stall in the EA Breed Pavilion allowed those wanting to lay hands on and interact with a Gypsy in person to do so, and many visitors went into the stall to meet the horses on display there. The EAs are of tremendous value in promoting the breed, and all GH breeders and enthusiasts owe those farms who brought horses a debt of gratitude.

The 2009 Ohio EA represented a milestone in the short history of the Gypsy Horse in the U.S. Thanks to its professionalism, hard work, and excellence, Villa
Vanners of Shelbyville, TN, was invited to participate in EA’s famous Pfizer Fantasia. Villa Vanners choose to show a unicorn, a three-horse hitch. The team was trained and driven by Rachel Nicely of Riverplains Farm, Strawberry Plains, TN. The crowd’s reception of the unicorn was extremely enthusiastic.

Please enjoy photos of the stars of the Ohio EA – the horses -- at the link above to the PDF of the article.