The Horse Capital of the World

I just returned from our Ocala odyssey, where we discovered a magical place… Gypsy Gold Farm. The original home of the Gypsy Vanner horse in America!

I’d heard about Gypsy Gold Farm a number of years ago. My daughter, Rebecca Joy and purchased an adorable Gypsy Vanner colt, “The Pirate King,” while at Equine Affaire in Columbus Ohio.

Our Pirate’s bloodlines reached back to that original foundation stock, so I knew that someday I would want to visit. Fast forward nine years, and what I discovered at Gypsy Gold was not only the origins of the breed, but an enchanting love story as well.

A Love Story

I learned that Dennis Thompson, and his wife, Cindy, of Gypsy Gold Farm in Florida were responsible for  bringing this beautiful breed to the U.S. from the U.K.

It all began on a trip to England back in 1995, when Dennis and Cindy Thompson were driving along a country road, and encountered a stunning black and white horse grazing in a pasture. They’d never seen anything like him before! With long flowing mane, voluminous feathered legs, and a tail that swept the ground, they knew that they’d discovered something special.

The mystery was solved when they learned that the stallion was owned by a Traveller (sometimes known as a Gypsy) and that he had a band of mares hidden away that looked just like him. Soon, they met Fred Walker, who was known as “King of the Coloured Horses.” The Thompson’s were ultimately able to persuade Walker to sell his horse.

They brought him to the United States, and were stunned to discover that this horse was not recognized as a breed!  On November 24, 1996, the Thompson’s established the world’s first registry for a selectively bred horse developed by British Gypsies. With the help of their Gypsy friend , Fred Walker, they chose the name Gypsy Vanner.

But this special horse was not the Thompson’s only discovery. Their journey taught them about the Gypsy people. A proud and gentle people who’s culture has been unjustly maligned for too long. Their new Gypsy friends invited them to Appleby Horse Fair , an annual gathering of Gypsies in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria, England. The largest gathering in the world!

 

 

The Gypsy Vanner is a very versatile breed…and your’e hearing that straight from the horses’s mouth! 🙂

My daughter, Rebecca Joy, was just a petite pre-teen when she got the idea that she wanted a Gypsy Vanner. I thought it might have something to do with the remnants of a My Pretty Pony hangover.

But apparently she had been longing over photos of this beautiful breed. She was in Pony Club at the time, and riding some pretty forward horses, which often left me with my heart in my mouth. After doing some research, and learning that the Gypsy Vanner was often referred to as the “Golden Retriever” of horses, my mind was set at ease. Before long, a one year old colt The Pirate King joined our family at our farm, Little Paddocks.

The first thing that struck me was how incredibly smart this little guy was…and not only that, he was a bit of a clown, who delighted in “stealing” the halters off of his pasture mates.

Vanner Versatility

Although the Gypsy Vanner was originally bred to pull a caravan, that’s by no means the extent of their talent.

Today, you’ll see Gypsy Vanners participating in a variety of disciplines.

Dressage

Sara Bartholomew & the fabulous Peperooga’s Parno Ori     “Ori”

If only I could get Pirate to do that! 🙂

Tiger Tim & Alysa Matravers

The Gypsy King…Supermodel!

 

The Gypsy King by Tina Thuell. Breyer and Vogue model; trained in dressage by Lynn Palm, the winningest equestrian in history. Sire to Crown Darby. Great-great grand-sire to The Doppelganger. He rests in peace at Gypsy Gold Farm.

Keeping the Legacy Alive

          THE CUSHTI BOK FOUNDATION

Over the years, Dennis Thompson has developed a deep sense of responsibility for the discovery that fate had handed him and his late wife, Cindy. Dennis has established the “The Cushti Bok Foundation”, an approved 501C3 Education Foundation, to make a difference in this world through the magic of the Gypsie Vanner Horse.

Cushti Bok means “good luck”in the Romany language of Gypsies, and is the name of the first selectively bred horse developed by British/Irish Gypsies ever to be recognized as a breed.

A good luck horse inspired a journey to understand this magical breed, the colorful people who dreamed of creating it, and now a foundation on a mission of goodness.

As Dennis and Cindy sat on Fair Hill, in Appleby England, a fortuneteller approached them and as she read Cindy’s palm, she said:
“You have been handed a gift and with this gift, you can help a lot of people.”

Helping people and animals through education and understanding is what the Cushti Bok Foundation is all about!

Fair Hill at Gypsy Gold is the final resting place of Cushti Bok, the first sixteen Gypsy Vanner Horses imported to North America and Vanners of distinction. It is there that the dream unfolds.

 

 The Cushti Bok Experience…

• • You can scan QR codes with your Smart Phone and lift the horses buried on Fair Hill, out of the ground. Enjoy videos, stills and reading their amazing life stories.
  • Push a button on an ancient Oak Tree and hear mule canaries sing their hybrid songs, push another and hear a Gypsy talk to his horses.
  • Wisdom Walkers: Donkeys, Llamas and Vanners named after human virtues, will teach the meaning of their virtuous names to children that ride or trek them.“I know empathy”, “I know compassion” I know kindness will caption a child’s keepsake photo from their unforgettable “Wisdom Walk” on the Viking Trail.
  • Vanner Manor: A retirement home for Gypsy Vanner Horses. Caravan themed shelters with water cooled fans for summer relief and radiant heat for cold winter nights making life better for geriatric Gypsy Vanners.
  • THE CUSHTI BOK ARENA: Fascinating speakers, animal demonstrations and fund raising venues.
  • “Ani -Pal” a think tank, for solving domestic and wild animal problems and also a resource for animal loving youth, with grants, scholarships and passion based employment.
  • “Mule Moms” An endearing hybrid learning experience for young and old. Teaching children healthy life choices with extreme mothers.

• 

• Camp Cushti Bok…Where American children will meet children from around the world through the magic
  of satellite technology and a program called Empatico, Italian for Empathy, fed into a magical Gypsy Caravan.

How you can help…

This philanthropic endeavor involves the partnership of many who share an interest in our values and vision. You are an important part of The Cushti Bok Foundation! Your donations, large or small, will help this fledgling Foundation reach its potential and are fully tax deductible.