Members of all Gypsy and Drum Horse associations, including the newly minted Gypsy Horse Association, mingled and competed amicably in the second, highly successful National Gypsy & Drum Horse Classic held May 2nd through 4th. Located at the gorgeous Kentucky Horse Park, the show was like a bright medieval tapestry skillfully woven out of the horses and their humans who participated.

Members of the GHA who were present provided some of the show’s brightest moments:

Fulfilling a five-year-old dream, GHA member Robin Hale took delivery of Golden Signature Farm’s Glenfiddich, her first Gypsy Horse, at the National and promptly won a 1st place with him in the Gypsy Color Class.

Desi Meurer of Golden Signature was there, along with Mary Hart, also of Golden Signature, to deliver Glen to Robin and to show GSF Aurora. In the Costume Class, they placed 2nd, and Desi and Aurora were decked out in costumes of a matching ethereal blue, which seemed to fit the name “Aurora,” Greek goddess of dawn.

Also proudly showing off a new addition were Tabatha and Travis Adkins of Bootleg Express Draft Farm, who brought their new smoky black and white Gypsy colt Nobility, whose name suits him. Nobility acquitted himself well in his first ever show, earning a 3rd in the Gypsy Yearling class.

Shamrock Farm, trainer of the gorgeous Gypsy stallion Dunbrody, fielded the Champion Gypsy Gelding, Billy O’Brien, and several others, including the wonderfully named Swanky Lashes.

Blarney Stone Acres, one of the oldest Gypsy breeders in the U.S., showed its dressage-trained Sailor, who placed 1st in the Dressage First Level Test 1 class. The McNamaras, owners of Blarney Stone, have done much to showcase the versatility of the breed over the years.

The GHA, the country’s fastest growing Gypsy Horse breed association, was pleased and proud to support and participate in the National and plans to appear at the North Carolina Equine Extravaganza. If you would like more information about GHA, see our web site at www.gypsyhorseassociation.org or call 423.538.7966 for more information.

Desi Meurer of Golden Signature Farm rides GSF Aurora.
Aurora placed 2nd in the Costume Class.

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

Blarney Stone's Sailor, Gypsy stallion, ridden by Mary Jo Wicker.
Sailor placed 1st in the dressage First Level Test 1.

Robin Hale and GSF Glenfiddich place 1st in the Gypsy Color Class.
Gordon Boswell of The Gordon Boswell Romany Museum (Lincolnshire, England) , honored visitor at the show, looks on.

Honored visitors at the show, Gordon Boswell of The Gordon Boswell Romany Museum (Lincolnshire, England) and Andrea Betteridge of Little Shatterling Farm (Canterbury, England), support the GHA by holding the drawing for registration numbers that will be given to the very first GHA-registered horses!