With feathers flying, flashy tack, and a colorful crowd of exhibitors, attending a Gypsy Horse show is magical for exhibitors and onlookers alike! Shows are a great opportunity to showcase, promote, share, and enjoy this wonderful breed with friends – old and new. Read on to discover the excitement happening in the Gypsy Horse world near you!

Continental Divide Horse Show: Gypsy Horse Classic
In its first year ever, the Gypsy Horse Classic at the Continental Divide Horse Show was a success and will become an annual event for the Larimer County Fairgrounds in Loveland, CO. “We had 18 Gypsies showing from six different farms,” says Jan Cox manager of the Gypsy Horse Classic and head of the Education Committee for the American Gypsy Horse Breed Association. “The most popular class by far was the Gypsy Anything Goes Costume class!” she says. The crowd was energetic and had a great time seeing the four Gypsy Horses and their handlers in full costume.
The Continental Divide Horse Show includes Morgans, Friesians, and Saddlebreds as well as the newest addition – Gypsy Horses. There were a total of 21 Gypsy classes, which according to Cox, all had entries although many other breed classes did not.
“The show management was thrilled with the Gypsies – not just the turnout, but that the Gypsies entered in their own classes and practically every Open class!”
Although Cox says crowds tend to be small for these events, the turn out was beyond their expectations. “We have been invited back for next year,” says Cox. “I know it will be bigger and better and there is talk about another Denver show for June.”
To learn more, contact Jan Cox at irishcobs@gmail.com.

Feathered Horse Classic
Gail Shrine first organized the show in 2006 when the Georgia National Fairgrounds offered her a set of dates during the National Georgia Fair to organize any show she wanted. Shrine had been visiting with friends at Amazing Grace Farm when she posed the question, “What do you think I should do?” The consensus was a Feathered Horse Classic where they could showcase not only the Gypsy Horse, but the Drum and Friesian horses as well. “It was a new opportunity to bring the breeds to the general public,” says Shrine.
Shrine has been managing horse shows since 1995 including major expositions and USEF shows. “I think it’s the best show I’ve ever done,” she says. “The people that come want to hear about their history and pet them and get their pictures taken with them.”
Harry Rubin, the show announcer, keeps the show lively and fun. “We couldn’t do a show without Harry!” says Shrine. “We call him our ‘mouth of the south’.”
After morning halter classes, exhibitors are given a three hour break where they can check out the Georgia Fair as well as chat with the general public about their breeds. “In the evening at 6:00 this show tends to fill the entire stand,” says Shrine. The halter awards are given to the champion and supreme, followed by the driving classes and the Friesian Liberty class. “They bring their horses out and when the judges nod to them they unclip the lead and the horse is asked to show off during exactly a minute and a half of music,” explains Shrine. Afterwards, the two handlers have exactly two minutes to lead the horse back out of the arena.
In recent years the Feathered Horse Classic has expanded to a spring and fall show. The spring show takes place at the Calsonic Arena in Shelbyville, TN. The Feathered Horse Spring Classic offers a larger class list because it takes place independently of any other events. Shrine says the facilities offer great space for numerous vendors and attendees. They also bring in local performers for an evening variety show after a professionally catered meal. This upcoming spring, Shrine has a talented chef from New Orleans preparing the meals for the exhibitors.
On the first night, exhibitors are invited to the World Champion Horse Equipment center located across the street from the arena. The center provides drinks, h’ordeuvres, plus a lot of great prizes such as a brand new Wintec saddle, custom halters, and show leads. “We try to do as much as we can because people come a distance and we want them to have a good competition but also to enjoy their time there,” says Shrine.
Last spring, the Feathered Horse Classic added a new class to its schedule – a ground driving in harness class. “Some of the horses are not yet ready to go in front of a cart or carriage,” explains Shrine. This ground driving class allows these horses to test their skills by maneuvering around cones in a pattern at a walk and slow jog. “Handling these horses in the long lines is not an easy task,” she says. Shrine also comments on how beautiful it is to see the horses wearing their extravagant Gypsy harnesses.
Shrine has a great time working with everyone involved with the show. “We’ve had the same staff for years and years. They understand the show and how to keep things moving along. We’re a really tight knit group and we love doing what we do.” Shrine is also working with show manager Barb Snyder as manager and secretary of the Gypsy Dream Park Classic (see sidebar).
For more information visit www.featheredhorseclassic.com or contact Gail Shrine at info@featheredhorseclassic.com.

Texas Gypsy & Drum Horse Summer Classic
This year’s Texas Gypsy & Drum Horse Summer Classic, held June 13-14 at Myers Park in McKinney, TX, was a great success. “We had an amazing turnout from both participants and spectators,” says show chairman Deb Stone of CornerStone Farm in Anna, TX. Horse enthusiasts of all ages attended, some awed by their first sighting of the Gypsy Horse breed.
“The primary goal was to create more opportunity to promote the Gypsy Horse breed to the public,” explains Stone. “These horses are so amazing and people are so overwhelmed by their beauty and demeanor that they beg to know more about them. The second goal for me was to have a showing venue that promotes building a cohesive and enjoyable environment for the participants.”
After the show, Stone was amazed by the amount of positive feedback she received. “Emails poured in after the show with kind words of gratitude and most of all expressing how much fun they had. It was like a big party for all of us.” Stone also mentions that although this was their first show, it went smoothly with the show management’s priority being a stress-free show environment, and everyone working well together.
The weekend consisted of Equine Exhibitions with Master Equine performers of both horse and rider. On Saturday evening, participants gathered to join in the Tejas Fajita Fiesta Dinner. “The social gathering for dinner was a great opportunity to meet and greet each other,” says Stone.
Participants graciously donated items for a silent auction that included hand painted Gypsy Horse jewelry, hand painted Christmas ornaments, home décor accessories, tack and supplies and Gypsy Horse artwork. “We appreciated the free items provided by our sponsors to be given to our participants. There were enough items that each participant received a welcome package.”
A percentage of proceeds from the entire show was donated to Hannah’s Horseshoes of Hope, a non-profit therapeutic riding center in Fannin County, OK.
Classes included the Junior and Senior Grand, as well as Reserve Champions in the halter division in order to give the younger horses a chance to compete with horses at the same level.
Stone says plans are already underway for next year’s classic with one minor change of plans: “It most likely will be next fall. We won’t have one in the Texas summer again if I can help it.” As far as what events can be expected for next year Stone says, “Since participants expressed their satisfaction with the show this first time around; we will probably keep many of the same events. However, I think it’s show management’s role to assess past shows and look for ways to make improvements so it’s the best show possible.”
For more information on this and upcoming shows visit www.showyourgypsyhorseclub.com or email Debbie Stone at debbiestone@dfwair.net.

Renaissance Gypsy Affair
Celeste Huston held the spectacular Renaissance Gypsy Affair at Cielo Celeste Farm in Santa Ynez Valley, CA, from August 1-2, 2009. This was Huston’s second year holding the event, which drew a large costumed crowd to the festivities. The attendees included a host of celebrities from Anjelica Huston and Bo Derek, to leading Gypsy Horse breeder Tom Price of Wales and Art Perry of the Morgan Horse industry.
Costume designer Keith Holman brought a display of his work that included garments worn by celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, and Diana Ross.
Artist, Ingrid Smith, unveiled an artfully poised carousel horse carved of wood. Celeste Huston had commissioned the horse, which was created in the image of her Gypsy Horse stallion, St. Clarins. The full cast of Cielo Celeste Farm’s stallions of color paraded on the lawn. A costume contest was held later in the day with a group of Gypsy Travelers taking first place. In addition, more than $1,000 was raised from a raffle for the William Holden Wildlife Foundation.
The evening concluded under a covered arena with a presentation of “Dancing Horses Under the Stars” by famous dressage trainer, Diane Olds Rossi. The performance is often likened to an “equine ballet” and is lit in an array of colors.
Huston and guests were so pleased with the turnout that there was instantly talk of its return next year. Visit www.cielocelestefarm.com for complete information on this and future events.