The Gypsy Horse Association’s members continued to share their passion for the Gypsy Horse in July when Villa Vanners and Silver Feather Gypsies attended BreyerFest (July 18-20), an annual event put on by Breyer® Animal Creations®, maker of equine models since 1950. Appropriately located at that bright jewel, the Kentucky Horse Park, BreyerFest is a weekend dedicated to Breyer models and to the horses which inspired them. The event is well attended by Breyer model and equine enthusiasts. The theme of BreyerFest 2008 was “Global Gallop,” and the Gypsy Horse, with its origins in the British Isles, fit in perfectly.

Exotic colors were the leitmotif of the GHs in attendance this year. Villa Vanners brought its famed palomino stallion Clononeen Mull of Kintyre (aka Romeo) and its newly imported stallion Taskin, a rare buckskin Gypsy. Silver Feather Gypsies brought two of its signature gray and whites—Silver Pearl and its promising young stud Silver Phantom.

The Gypsy Horse demos were all well attended, and many stopped by the barns to visit and see the horses in person. The entire event was extremely well managed, and KHP and Breyer personnel were unfailingly helpful and polite. The Gypsy Horse Association wishes to thank both Breyer and the Kentucky Horse Park for making BreyerFest 2008 both a pleasant experience and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the versatility and sterling qualities of the GH.

Members of the Gypsy Horse Association plan to participate in many other events in the upcoming months:

October 7-12, 2008 – Villa Vanner’s Romeo will participate in the 4th National Drive to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park (Lexington, KY). This event is dedicated exclusively to driving and aims to become the largest gathering of recreational drivers in the U.S. Romeo will also participate in the Pine Tree Combined Driving Event (Southern Pines, NC) on October 30-November 2, 2008.

October 11, 2008 - Please join Golden Signature Farm’s Desi Meurer and Mary Hart for a Gypsy Horse demo at the Bluebonnet Horse Expo. Proceeds from the expo, which is organized by the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society, go toward costs of protecting and rescuing horses in need throughout Texas and Arkansas. The Bluebonnet will be held at the Travis County Expo Center in Austin, Texas. Its web site is www.bluebonnethorseexpo.com. If you’re in the area, please join Desi and Mary in support of this very worthy cause and have some fun doing it.

October 12, 2008 – In its third year, the highly successful Feathered Horse Classic, held in conjunction with the Georgia National Fair (Perry, Georgia), will play host to many GHA members and their horses. Among those member farms planning to show are Belladonna Gypsy Farm, J-Lo Haven Farms, Mountain View Vanner Ranch, Silver Feather Gypsies, The Pelton Vanners, T-N-T Gypsy Horses, and Villa Vanners. The FHC’s web site is www.featheredhorseclassic.com.

October 24-26, 2008 – Belladonna Gypsy Farm’s Claudette Griffith is organizing a Gypsy Horse Enthusiasts Camping Trip at Love Valley, NC. Cabins and RV hookups are available for rent. Love Valley has trails for riding and so horses are, of course, welcome, but participants need not be GH owners or members of GHA to attend. This promises to be a fun weekend of camaraderie, fun, and Gypsy Horses! Contact Claudette at 910.948.9968 or claudette@belladonnagypsyfarm.com for information on lodgings, stabling for your GH, and directions.

October 24-26, 2008 – Please join the Dunbars of Chocolate Horse Farm for the Women and Horses Expo 2008 (Missouri State Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO). The expo features a three-day, three-phase versatility event with high point winners, a stallion showcase, and many well-known presenters. Chocolate Horse Farm will be doing a GH demo which will accent the breed’s versatility. Please see the expo’s web site at www.WomenandHorsesExpo.com for further details.

November 13-16, 2008 – GHA will attend its first Equine Affair (Massachusetts). The three EAs are the largest and most prestigious equine expos in the U.S., and GHA intends to have a presence at all three. GHA member farms planning on participating in the Massachusetts EA are Blarneystone Acres, Chocolate Horse Farm, Hearts n Horses Farm, Iron Bridge Farm, Painted Hills Gypsy Farm, and Snow Eden Gypsies. Please join them for the GHA’s inaugural EA.

Just eight months old, the Gypsy Horse Association is a vibrant, growing organization with an engaged and committed membership. If you are interested in learning more about the Gypsy Horse Association, you’re invited to view our web site at www.gypsyhorseassociation.org.

SFG Silver Phantom, 2 years old (BB King x Silver Belle) & Lisa Baker,
trainer of Silver Feather Gypsies

Silver Pearl, a 3-year-old grey tobiano filly (The Lottery Horse x Candy)
from Silver Feather Gypsies