GHA members had a plethora of news to report as summer wound down and fall began.

Open Houses
Celeste Huston of Cielo Celeste Farm hosted her annual Renaissance Gypsy Affaire in Santa Ynez, California, on August 1-2. Approximately 300 guests were treated to an evening’s entertainment fit for a king – first a presentation of CCF’s stallions and then Dianne Olds Rossi’s “Dancing Horses under the Stars.” Attendee Linda Enger gave rides in her antique surrey with a fringe on top.

On September 5, Eric and Mechelle< Barton opened the gates of their beautiful new farm, LexLin Gypsy Ranch, to guests. Located in Rockwood, Tennessee, LexLin boasts horses from Tom Price’s herd, and Tom himself flew from Wales to attend.

Breed Shows
Texas Gypsy & Drum Horse Summer Classic (McKinney, TX, June 13-14) – Four of Chinkapin Ranch’s horses brought home eleven ribbons and supplied the Champion Gelding (Romany Rochir CR, also 1st in Western Equitation) and Reserve Champion Mare (Splash CR). Leo Son of Lion King CR placed 2nd in Senior Stallions.

Continental Divide Gypsy Horse Show (Loveland, CO, August 21-23) – West River Gypsy Horses supplied the Grand Champion Gypsy Stallion, two-year-old Callahan. West River’s strawberry blagdon stallion Ruari won “a bunch” of ribbons under saddle and in harness. GHA member American Gypsy Horse Breed Association awarded a trophy to the show’s performance high point winner, H. D. Milagro, owned by Lynne and Marie Andrade (Berthoud, CO).

Open Halter & Performance Shows
Rock Creek Horse Show (St. Mathews, KY, June 10-13) – Shamrock Farm’s gelding Billy O’Brien won English Pleasure, competing against horses of other breeds including Friesians.

Boone Country 4-H & Utopia Fair (Burlington, KY, August 8) – Billy O’Brien competed against 12 other entries to place 1st in Drafts under Saddle.

Custer County Fair & 4-H Achievement Days (Hermosa, SD, August 15-16) – West River’s Callahan and Jezebel took 1sts in their respective halter classes. Stallion Ruari acquitted himself well in Western Pleasure.

Dutchess County Fair (Rhinebeck, NY, August 30) – Karin Janin showed LadyGrace of Marlborough, who placed 5th in the Yearling Halter Class. This was LadyGrace’s first show and represented a very important step for her. Even though quite young, she suffers from osteochondritis dissecans.

Driving
Ventura County Fair (Ventura, CA, August 7-9) – Valerie Daidah showed Gypsy Rose in four Pony classes and earned one 2nd (Single Working), two 3rds, and a 4th. Linda Enger and four-year-old Clononeen Kilcorran Bree placed 3rd out of 12 entries in all but the Maiden Working Light Horse & Pony Class. Here they placed 1st against 7 other entries. Competition was stiff including Hackneys. Linda and Valerie are doing much to show the West Coast driving community what the GH is capable of.

Carolina Carriage Club HDT (Tryon, NC, May 25) – Competing in the Horse Division at Training Level against Morgans, Thoroughbreds, and Dutch Warmbloods, Ron Cowan and his inimitable gelding Bowtie took 1st place.

After displaying a slight limp at the HDT’s conclusion, Bowtie was diagnosed with an arthritic fetlock joint. Bowtie is expected to be sound and pain-free in a year. Ron states, “We are praying for that day and are amazed at the heart of this horse< who so loved his work that he ‘forged on’ even though he must have been in pain. Even if Bowtie does not regain the wonderful floating gait that first drew us to him, he has already taken us far beyond our wildest dreams in the driving world and he will remain my lifelong friend as long as I am able to care for him.”

Bowtie has long been a favorite of ours, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Youth
Shamrock Farm’s Billy O’Brien participated in a weeklong overnight summer camp with 24 children. He took them on trail rides and gave riding and driving lessons.

Keely Arsement and Ashton Terrell, showing for Chinkapin Ranch, were Champion and Reserve Champion in Youth Showmanship at the TG&DHSC. They and Maggie Kane, who pinned in Adult Showmanship, are students of Darla Ryder, certified CHA master level instructor.

Over the Labor Day weekend, stallion Gaelic Dancer, ridden by Jill von Ilten, participated in the 4-H Camp-and-Ride along with 50 other horses, ponying younger riders and charming everyone with his looks and good manners.

Please join GHA at the Massachusetts Equine Affaire on November 12-15. GHA’s booth in the Stroh Building is 2502. Please come by and say hello if you are attending the EA. For other upcoming events, you’re invited to GHA’s website at www.gypsyhorseassociation.org.

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