Honoring The Gypsy King

On the night of February 20, 2015, the Gypsy Vanner world lost a prominent icon of their breed. The Gypsy King (1992-2015) was laid to rest after a broken leg was noted to be incurable. Bill (as The Gypsy King was affectionately called) helped bring alive the dream of Dennis and Cindy Thompson, which was to showcase the beautiful caravan horses that the gypsies in Europe were breeding. Bill sired many Gypsy Vanners here in America. He has certainly left his mark on the breed as it has progressed.

Bill was the second Gypsy Vanner stallion to come to America. He was one of the original 16 Vanners imported from Europe by Dennis and Cindy Thompson and the twelfth registered. The Thompsons discovered the gypsy bred horses while visiting the English countryside. They became enamored and did everything they could to learn more about these exclusively bred gypsy horses. While there, they attended Appleby Fair, a horse fair for the gypsies. There they met the owners and breeders of these beautiful horses. Tom Draper was among this crowd. He owned the stallion called Bill, and the Thompsons became able to claim Bill as their own. He was imported Easter Sunday in 1998.

With the horses the Thompsons imported to America, they started Gypsy Gold Horse Farm in Ocala, Florida. Their intent was to produce the dream caravan horse the European gypsies started. On November 24, 1996, the Thompsons founded the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society (GVHS). There are now more than 3,000 registered Gypsy Vanners in North America.

The group of sixteen that was imported included five of Bill's daughters. These were Darby Dolly, King's Kaulo Ratti, Gypsy Gold's Rexi, King's Gypsy Princess, and Crown Darby. These mares help provide a strong foundation for the future babies to come in North America. After all, they were sired by "the King" himself. ("The King" is what Bill eventually came to be known as because of the high quality offspring he produced; hence his registered name, The Gypsy King.)

After his arrival, Bill went on to produce more quality sons and daughters. Two of Gypsy Gold's stallions sired by Bill are BB King (Birthday Boy King) and King William. These two studs play an important role in breeding at Gypsy Gold.

Bill certainly made a splash of color after his arrival in America. This special horse holds the position on the logo of Gypsy Gold and was the first Gypsy Vanner to be portrayed as a Breyer horse model. He has made appearances at events such as Breyerfest and Pin Oak, and has done some modeling on the side. Bill can be seen in the 2013 winter issue of the magazine, Momazine, and in an ad for Oster clippers.

“I cannot tell you how dignified he was to the very end,” Gypsy Gold posted on their Facebook page the night of Bill’s passing. They went on to say, “he was a horse that commanded respect, but had the swagger of a star.” The Gypsy King contributed so much to the growth of Gypsy Vanners, and his legacy will live on through the wonderful quality of horses that he has produced.

For pictures of The Gypsy King, please follow http://www.gypsygold.com/1TheGypsyKing.html.

Sources

"Gypsy Vanner Horse Society History." Vanner 1 Jan. 2014: 20-21. Print.

Christian, Joyce M. "A Passion For Pedigree." Vanner 1 Jan. 2014: 23-27. Print.

Vanner Central. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <http://www.vannercentral.com/Vanner Stallions.html>.
Gypsy Gold Horse Farm. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <http://www.gypsygold.com/index2.html>.
"The Gypsy King." Momazine 1 Jan. 2013: 63-66. Print.
Pinterest. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448600812852781558/>.
Facebook. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gypsy-Gold-Horse-Farm/182984201761496>.