Gypsy Horse Journal Ebook

EquineJournal E-BOOK

Gypsy Horse journal

Mind Your Manners

TIPS FOR GROUNDWORK

FLASHY FOUNDATIONS

Meet Some of the Breed’s Founding Stallions

contents

Gypsy Horse e-book

6 Prepurchase Exam 8 Mind Your Manners Tips for helping your Gypsy Horse improve his groundwork.

2018

BY NATALIE DEFEE MENDIK

Welcome to our second Gypsy Horse Journal e-book. As the year draws to a close with a new year on the horizon, we are excited to bring you some great content to help you and your Gypsy enjoy a happy and healthy 2019.

First off, for those who plan to head into the show ring this year, check out our re-

14 Flashy Foundations Learn about some of the foundation stallions who have influenced the breed.

views of grooming gear on page 6. These products are sure to help your horse stand out in a crowd!

Speaking of grooming…if you have a horse that has trouble standing still while on the cross-ties, Natalie DeeFee Mendik guides you on how to help improve your horse’s

BY KANDACE YORK

manners in her article, “Mind Your Manners” on page 8. Whether you are a seasoned competitor or enjoy hacking around on your horse, this article can be helpful.

Lastly, be sure to check out Kandace York’s article, “Flashy Foundations,” on page 14, to learn about some of the foundation stallions who have influenced the breed.

As always, we welcome your feedback, and would love to hear about what you would like to see in upcoming issues. Contact us by emailing editorial@equinejournal.com.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ GENERAL MANAGER

SENIOR ADVERTISING/ MARKETING CONSULTANT

Elisabeth Prouty-Gilbride

Karen Desroches

OPERATIONS MANAGER

ADVERTISING/MARKETING CONSULTANT

Kelly Lee Brady

on the cover

Laurel Foster

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

SENIOR EDITOR

Karen Fralick

Terisé Cole ASSOCIATE EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Sherry R. Brown

Kelley Roche ART DIRECTOR

Candice D. Madrid

PUBLICATION SERVICE MANAGER

Cher Wheeler

page 8

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Emily Trupiano

page 14 Equine Journal

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COVER PHOTO MARK J. BARRETT

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ON THE COVER

Equine Journal Advertorial

Rod & Gun Club Stables

BY KATHLEEN LABONVILLE; PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK J. BARRETT GG Kiss Me Kate is a 16-time Supreme Champion, despite only being on the show circuit for three years.

SHE’S EVERYTHING A GYPSY VANNER Horse should be—she’s beautiful, she’s personable, she has gorgeous feather and outstanding conformation—she’s GG Kiss Me Kate, this month’s cover model and the top-rated Gypsy Vanner mare in the world as of this writing. “Kate” is owned

by Samantha and David Crook of Rod & Gun Club Stables, a 170-acre property in Ardmore, OK, that was originally a men’s hunting and fishing club in the early 19th century. Kate’s stablemates include three champion Gypsy Vanner geldings— Lakoda, WR Maxwell, and SGV Lou’s Suede Shoes—as well as two Missouri Fox Trotters and three Tennessee Walking Horses.

Samantha’s love of Gypsy Vanners is all encompassing, “I love their magical presence, their prized feather, their sheer beauty, nobility to mankind, power, docile nature, and their hearts.” Samantha is relatively new to the horse world but has immersed herself in the Gypsy Vanner show circuit, amassing multiple championships with her geldings.

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The story of Kate coming into her life is like a dream come true. Three years ago, Samantha was looking for a Gypsy Vanner mare to bring into her stable.

She perused an online sales site and saw a beautiful mare but only had time to save the ad to her computer before she and David headed to the Feathered Horse Classic in Mississippi. “On the last day of the show, I received a phone call from Dennis Thompson who told me he had a horse for me,” Samantha recounts.

“Knowing I am an amateur, he described this mare as an opportunity-of-a-lifetime horse that needed placement with a woman as she was a ‘diva’ with an attitude, but I could handle her. Dennis said she was black and she was beautiful, with perfect conformation, and just what I was looking for.”

As soon as Samantha and David returned home from the show, they turned around and went to Houston to see this mare. “When I saw her, my heart [skipped,] and I had a rush of emotion. I recognized her from the ad I had saved...It was her,

GG Kiss Me Kate! I knew she was mine,” Samantha explains.

Now age five, Kate is breaking records in the show ring. “She just won her second Supreme National title, and there’s never been another Gypsy Vanner to win it twice,” Samantha explains. In addition, Kate is a 16-time Supreme Champion, despite only being on the show circuit for three years. She finished her 2018 show season with a multitude of titles, including National Champion Mare, National Champion Dressage Suitability In-Hand, National Champion North American Bred, National Champion Amateur Mare, and National Champion Amateur Color. 2018 was her first year under saddle, and clearly she made a great impression, taking home the following ribbons in just her second show under saddle, the Feathered Horse Classic in November 2018 in Belton, TX: first in Open English Pleasure Walk-Trot and Open Dressage Suitability WalkTrot; second in Western Novice Horse Walk-Jog, Western Open Junior Horse Walk-Jog, English Novice Horse Walk-Trot,

ON THE COVER

Equine Journal Advertorial

and Novice Horse Dressage Suitability Walk-Trot; plus High Point Performance Champion Walk-Trot, Walk-Jog. In addition, Kate has been trained to drive. “She’s a very versatile mare. She can do it all,” Samantha says. Plus, “She has an air about her and she’s a diva. She loves to show.” After her performances, Kate looks to her handler, and even the judge, for “kisses,” hence living right up to her name, Kiss Me Kate.

GG Kiss Me Kate is proof positive that superior breeding will lead to incredible offspring. “She is out of VV King William and GG Velvet Doll, which are out of the legendary Gypsy King, Dolly and Latcho Drom,” Samantha explains. “Kate is the great-greatgranddaughter of The Governor who is a son of the legendary Tansy.”

GG Kiss Me Kate is now passing on her remarkable bloodlines. Her first foal, a colt born in 2018, was sired by WR Young Latcho Lou. “The colt was just spectacular,” Samantha enthuses.

“His conformation was just perfect.”

Samantha and David sold the colt and eagerly await Kate’s next foal, this one

by SD Hercules, a black stallion. This foal is due January 18, 2019, and is guaranteed black. Samantha has Kate bred via embryo transfer and explains, “We do one breeding a year, so the foals are limited edition.” This foal will also be offered for sale.

Samantha explains, “Our goal at Rod & Gun Club Stables is first and foremost to maintain the good health of our Vanners.

Horses come first in everything we do here. If we can produce some of the best of the best for others to enjoy this magnificent breed, then we have fulfilled our goal.”

In keeping with helping others enjoy the Gypsy Vanner breed, Samantha and David founded the Courage Initiative in 2017. Samantha describes it best: “The Courage Initiative is a nonprofit Equine Outreach Project that uses the docile nature of horses to help others overcome personal struggles, fear, and hopelessness. Depending solely on donations and volunteers, we provide programs free of charge while remaining committed to the belief that building a relationship with a Gypsy Vanner horse helps individuals face life’s challenges…and in that moment, the healing begins.”

For more information on Rod & Gun Club Stables, call 580-220-8837 or visit their Facebook page.

GG Kiss Me Kate recently became the first Gypsy Vanner to claim two Supreme National titles.

Rod & Gun Club Stables only breed GG Kiss Me Kate once a year, making the foals “limited edition.”

2018 Gypsy Horse January Journal 2019 || EQUINEJOURNAL.COM EQUINEJOURNAL.COM

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bits & pieces PREPURCHASE EXAM

SHOW HORSE MING GROO R GEA

1

1. ABSORBINE SHOWSHEEN At every horse show, you are bound to see a bottle of ShowSheen in just about every trailer, and for good reason. As the final touch in grooming, this polish and detangler has become a staple in our tester’s grooming box.

It’s a non-greasy product that can be sprayed all over the horse’s body for a clean and soft coat, mane, and tail that will catch any judge’s eye. After using ShowSheen, our tester found dirt and even burs easier to remove from her horse, making bathing a less frequent necessity. As for the spray’s fragrance, our tester found it to be refreshing and not too over powering.

BUY IT: absorbine.com; $16.99

2. EQYSS PREMIER SHAMPOO AND

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3

PREMIER SPRAY

Grooming your horse for a show begins with a good bath and a great shampoo. Our tester’s muddy gelding really put the EQyss Premier Shampoo to the test and we are happy to report that he came out squeaky clean! Gentle, silicone-free, and pH balanced, this shampoo easily removed dirt from the coat and white markings while being still safe for the most sensitive of horses. Though our tester did find that she needed to do an extra rinse to fully remove any leftover suds, her horse was left shiny, soft, and smelling amazing.

Perfectly paired with the shampoo, the EQyss Premier Spray gave our tester’s horse an added boost of moisture and shine that even her barn mates noticed! Intended to be used wet or dry whenever you’re grooming or bathing, this spray has a non-slip finish (that means no more having to carefully avoid the saddle area) that repels dust while being free of silicones. After a few days of use, our tester’s horse’s sensitive and dandruff-prone skin was less flakey and much more hydrated.

BUY IT: eqyss.com; Shampoo $17.99, Spray $16.99

3. PONYTAIL SHOW PONY SHINE Any equestrian knows that keeping a horse’s tail untangled can be an arduous task—those course hairs just want to be a tousled mess and tail swishing sure doesn’t help. Enter, Ponytail Show Pony Shine. This ultra moisturizing high gloss serum is made with a blend of argan, avocado, and macadamia seed oils that aid in detangling and shine without leaving the hair sticky. Our tester’s horse’s tail has a chronic case of knots, often resembling dreadlocks, but a little bit of this serum cut her combing time in half and kept it silky for the following days.

The best part? You can use it on yourself, too!

BUY IT: ponytailproducts.com; $18 Non-profit organizations can contact editorial@equinejournal.com to request an item from EJ’s Tack Trunk.

Our testers: This month, our Prepurchase Exam was conducted by: Terisé Cole, Senior Editor; and Kelley Roche, Associate Editor.

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Teaching your Gypsy horse to be patient while tied is an important part of training.

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R U O Y MIND

S R E N N MA GYPSY HORSE GROUNDWORK BASICS

BY NATALIE DEFEE MENDIK PHOTOS: MAMMANO PHOTOGRAPHY

A trrue people-horse, Gypsy horses are a real joy to bee around. While the in-your-pocket natture of the breed is one of their big selling-poiints, a horse of any breed with poor manners iss not only unpleasan nt to handle, but dangero ous as well.

Fortunately, wiith consistent wo ork and commonsen nse tactics, good basiics are fairly simple to insstill.

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Samantha VanSickle of Starre Gypsy Horses works with a foal. Gypsy horses are known for their easy-going disposition, which can work in your favor when it comes to ground training.

THE GYPSY HORSE:

YOUR PARTNER AND FRIEND

Known for their even temperament and easy-going personality, Gypsies are the breed of choice for many wishing to combine good looks with a fun personality. In training, this congenial nature can easily work in your favor.

“Gypsies as a breed crave human interaction and touch,” says Samantha VanSickle of Starfire Gypsy Horses in Dobbins, CA. “That desire for connection can be a really strong motivator for a Gypsy. Rewarding them with a good scratch, verbal praise, and giving them attention often means more to them than treats. They want to please ‘their’ people.” The flip-side to this is to remember space boundaries. While Gypsies enjoy a good cuddle, you need to maintain respect.

The laid-back attitude the breed is known for can also translate into the need for training techniques that create forward movement.

“With Gypsies, the issues are a little different,” notes VanSickle. “You are more likely to have issues with a 10 52

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“

Gypsies as a breed crave human interaction and touch. That desire for connection can be a really strong motivator for a Gypsy.”

SAMANTHA VANSICKLE E

Gypsy refusing to do something, than with a Gypsy, say, bolting.”

A natural learner and peoplepleaser, this task is not so difficult.

“If you set a Gypsy up for success, they are going to want to do more and learn more. They love to learn.

Gypsies get into trouble when you’re not giving them attention and a job,”

remarks VanSickle. “A lot of vices you see in the Gypsies come from not being handled, or having improper handling that sends mixed messages.”

Walk with us through some common issues and straightforward methods for addressing them.

HOT SPOT: RESPECT

While a horse that enjoys being in your lap may sound like a lot of fun, the reality is another story. The key to an enjoyable partnership is building and maintaining respect with your horse. VanSickle explains that horses with respect issues often fall into two categories: the insecure horse and the dominant horse.

First, understand why a horse may have respect problems, such as crowding, pushing, or pulling you. “A big point with establishing respect is actually being able to take a step back and evaluate the horse as an individual. We get a lot of horses in for training that have poor spatial boundaries,” says VanSickle. While some horses may seek an alpha role, others may have a security issue.

“A horse, being a herd animal, looks to have a leader,” remarks VanSickle.

When you don’t give the horse the security that a leader would, you can literally have a horse on top of you, because they are just not comfortable being in their own space.” Dominant horses, on the other hand, may choose to step into the role of leader when the handler is not up for the job, resulting in pushing the person around to display dominance.

The formula for approaching each of these types is quite simple. “A horse that’s in your space because he’s afraid or insecure will need a lot of reassurance. During a training session we constantly set the horse up to succeed. We give him tasks that will build confidence,” explains VanSickle. “A dominant horse should be faced with more challenging tasks.

The more you challenge them, the more they have to stop and think, which gives you the opportunity to step in as a leader and show them how it’s done. That can really get their attention and make a big difference with them.”

Remember your voice and body language transmit many messages.

Keep your shoulders back and chin up with direct eye contact and a strong, steady voice. “For example, if the horse is in your space and you’d like him to back up, face the horse and take a purposeful step toward the horse, asking him clearly and firmly to back, never letting your voice rise or become shrill,” explains VanSickle. “A horse will pick up a lot from the tone of your voice and your body language.”

So how much space is good space?

VanSickle recommends an arm’s length as a good, safe buffer between you and your equine. If you reach out, you should be able to touch him with the tips of your fingers. “The horse should not be in your space unless you have invited him into your space for bonding time,” she notes.

“You give a physical reward, and then you ask him to step back out of your space again.”

PR RETTY IS S AS PRETTY DOES ON NE IM MPORTAN NT THING TO KEE EEP P IN MIND WH HIL ILE E WO W RKING WITH H YOUR GYYPS P Y Vann nner, stress sses Daisy Fou outs ts of Stillwater Farm in Cashi hier e s, NC, is th hat while Gyypsies haave an amazzin ing temperament, they are still horsses e . “Gypsy Van a ners are a lot more docille, quiet, and laid-back than other breeds, b but a horse se is still a horse.. When they ey don’t get good foundation training they can an hurt you u just the sam me.”

Partticularly with young horses and green horses, Gypsies can be pushy and in you ur space. “Being a light draft breed, they can be strong,” sayss Fouts. “A A lot of theem like to be very close to you without intending harm.”

Befo fore you begin working your Gypsy Vanner in an arena, Foutss stressess that a good foun ndation begins in the barn and in the pasture, wiith leading g, cross-tyying, and single-tying, being touched all over, clipping, pic icking up feet, grooming ng, bathing. g. standing patiently, and so on. “They need tto be respe pectful off your sp pac a e and paati t ent with whatever you’re doing,” shee n notes.

Be a partt of o your hors rse’ e s training, and work together wi with a reputab able trai tr a ne ner, recom mme m nds Fouts. “Us “Use common sense. Do Don’ n’t treat any ho horse—Gyypsyy Vann nnerr o or any otthe her breed—like the h y’ y’re re pup puppies. i Stay aware and nd enforce g goo od mann ner e s to create yo our u perfect partnership in-hand and und nder saddle..”

VanSickle works on leading groundwork with a foal.

HOT SPOT: PATIENCE

Everyone’s been around the horse that fidgets, paws, and whinnies when tied. The solution: time and repetition. VanSickle uses a “patience pole” to gently reinforce this lesson. A place where a horse can be safely tied for work on tying and standing, the “patience pole” 2018 Gypsy Horse Journal October 2014

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allows the horse to learn to stand quietly as you keep an eye on him while going about your chores.

“For horses having trouble standing patiently while being tied, they go to the ‘patience pole’ after breakfast and stand and watch the morning’s activities. As soon as they stand quietly, we reward them by taking them off the patience pole,” says VanSickle. “The trick is to set them up for success. If you have a horse that’s dancing and pawing, you can’t untie him while he’s acting up. You don’t want to reward them by untying them unless they are standing quietly. It becomes a timing issue for the handler.”

The key is to watch for patterns.

For example, a horse may paw for several minutes and then take a break. Note this tendency, and be ready to untie the horse when he stops for even just a minute to take a break. Be sure you plan enough time for patience lessons. “You never know exactly how much time you’re going to need. A good training session should end naturally, not on a timer. If you untie them while they are still dancing and whinnying, you just reinforce that if they go long enough, they get untied.” Horses come to learn being tied is not a punishment, but just a part of the daily routine.

If you’re grooming and the horse keeps dancing away from you, move with him—if he dances to the side, go with him, keeping your feet out of the way. As soon as he stands quietly, give him a pat and reward him. As long as he is moving around, keep doing what you are doing. Holding the brush in one hand, maintain contact with the horse with the other. This way you can feel if he is going to spook or pull back, giving you time to react.

HOT SPOT:

TRAILER LOADING

Just like learning to stand quietly, easy trailer loading is the result of time and repetition. At Starfire Gypsy Horses, loading on the trailer is a regular activity, starting with foals at the mothers’ side. “If you do it over and over, it becomes part of their routine, part of what they expect,” says VanSickle. “It’s not a surprise, not stressful.”

Loading requires a balancing act of diplomacy and self-assurance. “You ask a horse into a trailer—you don’t 12 54

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Starting early on groundwork helps to lay a good foundation right from the start.

HORSE EY HEAD D-START AFFTER SEEI EING MANY GY GYPSIES THAT HADN’T BEEN HANDLLED E MUCH IN N THEIR early year ea ars, Starfiree Gypsy Horses launched its “Early Learnin ng Program,,” designed ed to introd duce stress-free basics in young horses. “We encourage ownerss to send their horses in for early learning basics—everyth hing from leading g, tying, bathing, clipping, loading, and standing for the farrrier. By giiving them that foun ndation at a young age, it’s a lot easier for them as an adult when they are startin ng under saddle,” explains VanSickle. “It can be veryy emotion nally, mentaally, and physically stressful for three- and four-year-olds wh hen they come withou ut any basi sics or groundwork.”

Manyy horses in n this program come first as weanlings or yearllings to leaarn the basics, an and then ret eturn as two-year-olds, first refreshing whatt they know w before go oing on to start thin ngs g like longeing, long-lining, and intro oducing the saddle.

T en as a th Th hree- or fourr yyear-old, the first ride is easier on them. “Theey are ment ntal a ly prepa pared,” says Van nSi Sickle. “There’s nothing ng scary s about the process ss.”

order a horse into a trailer,” notes VanSickle. “The more that you press and demand, usually the more of a negative reaction you get.”

She goes on to explain that people often fall into a body-language trap when loading: if you get in the trailer in front of the horse, standing directly in his way, leaning back, and pulling, your body is not only in the

horse’s way, you are actually telling him to back away out of your space.

Be at his side, leading confidently and easily forward. “Avoid mixed messages and gimmicks like butt ropes. Continually take the time to allow the horse to decide to load on his own; if every time you force him, it becomes a negative, unpleasant memory.”

This article originally appeared in the October 2014 issue of Equine Journal.

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FLASHY FOUNDATION A LOOK AT SOME OF THE FOUNDING STALLIONS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED THE GYPSY HORSE

W

hat do a small-town horse fair, roaming people, and the irresistible temptation to show off have to do with creating a horse breed? Two Gypsy horse experts explain.

Old-World Pride

The story of the Gypsy horse starts among the dales, lakes, and mountains of Northern England, in a small town named Appleby. For at least the last 300 years (some say 500 years), Appleby has hosted an annual country fair. Gradually over the last century, this fair has become more of an event for horse people instead of a general live14 42

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stock-selling event.

Roma, or Travellers, started coming to the fair some time in the 1900s. Since then, they have transformed the Appleby Horse Fair into an annual gathering of Roma friends and family from all over Great Britain. Some still travel by traditional horse-drawn gypsy wagons, often with extra horses tied alongside, just as their ancestors did. Appleby is the perfect place to buy, sell, and

PHOTO: JEANNE SCHLENK

BY KANDACE YORK

Sired by Son of the Old Black Horse and Daughter of the Long Mane Mare, the Aunique Ranch stallion Huston, is a great example of the genetic strength of some of the founding Gypsy horses.

show off horses, something that has been a big part of Roma life.

Emerging from the devastation of World War II, Roma people started focusing on horses that could pull heavy gypsy wagons and look stylish while doing it. A half-century of this breeding has produced today’s Gypsy horse, known by several names in the U.S. All describe a cob-sized horse with straight silky feather, distinctive “mustaches” and kind, quiet

temperaments—often with the bonus of flashy pinto coloring.

Like other breed authorities, Jeanne Schlenk, registrar of the Gypsy Horse Registry of America, Inc., credits two British stallions with huge influence in the breed: Sonny Mays and The Coal Horse.

Sonny Mays (United Kingdom)

Said to be owned by an Irish farmer, Sonny Mays was a popular

black-and-white pinto stallion in the 1950s. “Gypsy people didn’t always name their horses,” Schlenk says, “or they chose very simple names. They might not have been able to read or write, so they memorized pedigrees and handed them down from one generation to the next.”

Schlenk notes, however, that the Roma people remained fiercely proud of the horses they bred. Horses with kind tempera-

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ments, easy-keeping qualities, and high “trainability” were prized possessions, while horses that failed to measure up were culled.

“Gypsy people look for big flat bone in their horses, because they’re going to be pulling wagons,” she explains, “but they want the ‘flash’ to go along with their wagons.”

For a stallion to become widely used, as Sonny Mays was, is a tribute to his genetic strength that helped form modern Gypsy horse breed standards.

More than 200 horse-drawn caravans participated in Great Britain’s 2015 Appleby Horse Fair, according to event coordinators.

The Coal Horse (United Kingdom)

Consistent with simple Roma names, The Coal Horse, sometimes called The Old Coal Horse, is thought to have been named for his work of pulling coal carts in Ireland. This practice continued in Great Britain—as well as some parts of the U.S.—into the 1960s.

Pulling loads of coal through city streets would have demanded a strong, sensible horse that was able to work for long hours in sometimes chaotic situations. That alone would have been enough to attract mare owners, but The Coal Horse also had flashy black-and-white coloring and ample feather, which no doubt made him an impressive sight on Ireland’s streets.

One of The Coal Horse’s sons foaled in the United Kingdom is also well regarded within the Gypsy horse circles: The Roadsweeper. Foaled in Ireland in the late 1970s or early 1980s, this stallion is said to have earned his name from “sweeping” the road with his tail (or feather, or both) as he moved.

Although today’s Roma people rarely live on the road fulltime, Jeanne Schlenk of Gypsy Horse Registry of America, Inc., says some families still travel by caravan in their spare time.

(The Old Horse of Wales x Callie) Foaled 1992, died 2014 Imported to the U.S. in 1997

by Dennis Thompson/Gypsy Gold Cushti Bok’s name translates from the Roma language as “Good Luck,” which is what Dennis Thompson says the stallion’s owner said to them as he handed the lead rope over to the new owners.

Cushti Bok’s original name was “The Log”.

This was the first horse that Thompson saw with his late wife, Cindy. “We were driving through the English countryside on our way back to London,” he remembers. “We went through a traffic roundabout and Cindy said, ‘Did you see that little black-andwhite horse?’ We parked by the roadside and went back to look at him.” The Thompsons were in love and asked to buy him on the spot but they discovered he belonged to a gypsy and spent the remainder of that day in a gypsy camp. Two years would pass before The Log would finally become theirs and Cushti Bok, GV00001 with the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society.

The Thompsons founded the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society and are widely credited with discovering the breed. They also created the name, Gypsy Vanner (Vanner, “a horse suitable to pull a caravan” in the English Chambers Dictionary until it was removed in 1996 for lack of use). Vanners pulled all freight in Great Britain pre combustable engine.

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PHOTOS: JEANNE SCHLENK

Cushti Bok (U.S.)

The Gypsy King (U.S.)

(The Laughing/Smiling Horse x The Walking Bank) Foaled 1992, died 2015 Imported to the U.S. in 1998 by Dennis Thompson/ Gypsy Gold For many Americans, The Gypsy King was the first Gypsy Vanner horse they “met.” Soon after his importation, this stallion performed to huge crowds at Equitana in Lexington, KY, and at Equine Affaire in W. Springfield, MA, and Columbus, OH. The Breyer model that pays tribute to him was a top seller, and he was a guest at BreyerFest in Lexington, KY. First known as Bill in the United Kingdom, the stallion earned the Roma nickname of King in honor of his ability to stamp distinctive looks and performance traits on his get, Thompson says. When the stallion was imported to the U.S., he added to the name to reflect that remarkable heritage.

Although the stallion was famous for his charismatic look, Dennis Thompson says The Gypsy King’s beauty was only one part of his appeal. “He was a tremendous athlete.”

The Lion King (U.S.)

The Appleby Fair has played a large role in the history of the Gypsy horse.

(Son of Robert Watson’s Old Horse x PO Mare) Foaled 1996, died 2008 Imported to the U.S. in 2004 by Black Forest Shire & Gypsy Horses The Lion King was foaled in Ireland and was a great-grandson of the well-known British stallion The Roadsweeper, a son of The Coal Horse. Standing more than 15-hands tall, The Lion King was one of the larger stallions in the breed and highly regarded in Great Britain when he was imported to the U.S. Quiet enough to be ridden in parades, The Lion King was known for passing on his conformation and type, including ample hair and feather, plus his impressive black-and-white coloring. In the U.S., The Lion King sired a particularly well-known stallion, The Roadsweeper (not to be confused with his greatgrandsire by the same name, foaled decades earlier in Great Britain).

Latcho Drom (U.S.)

The Old Horse of Wales , the DNA verified sire of Cushti Bok. PHOTOS: (ABOVE) JEANNE SCHLENK; (BELOW) DENNIS THOMPSON

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 issue of Equine Journal.

Foaled 1995, died 2014 Imported to the U.S. in 2002 by Dennis Thompson/ Gypsy Gold His name means “safe journey” in the Roma language, which Dennis Thompson says is a tribute to the gypsies’ migration from India some 1,000 years ago.

“We bought Latcho Drom from the same man who sold Cindy and me The Gypsy King,” Thompson says, “He told us that Latcho Drom was the only horse he knew that was in the same zone as The Gypsy King.”

The stallion’s key traits were his striking black-andwhite coloring, alert expression and exceptionally quiet temperament.

Latcho Drom was also one of the most prolific and prepotent Gypsy Vanner sires in the U.S. Although he died in 2014, his legacy in this country continues through his 89 sons and daughters here. “Latcho Drom will go down as one of the best sires in the Gypsy breed,” Thompson predicts.

2018 Gypsy Horse Journal February 2016

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