As a child I loved books; I loved to be read to and I learned to read early so that I could get lost in my favorite stories. It is my belief that there are some people who simply are born with an attraction to and desire for horses in their lives. So, naturally I read over and over again books about horses; The Black Stallion series and Misty of Chincoteague.
Somewhere along the way I became enchanted with the mystical unicorn. Its history was intriguing and vague, the reality of it lost somewhere as civilization grew and developed. Medieval tapestries depicted it as a white horse like creature with a single horn coming from its forehead. It always had a little bit of feather on its hooves. Its mission was always defending what was good and pure. It could only be captured by a virgin.
When I encountered my first Gypsy Vanner Horse it was like a unicorn come to life. Its development unsure and vague; questionable to say the least; how appropriate that it was from a culture steeped in mystery and stories. The recognition of the Gypsy Vanner Horse as a breed runs parallel to the legends of the unicorn. It was a young stallion who caught first the attention of a lady; who loved horses; who had a childhood passion for them. While I appreciate that her husband was with her on that trip; it is what I saw in her face through her husband’s photos of that special moment in time that says it all.
The little stallion had captured her not the other way around. Her passion for this horse, this breed grew. She loved many animals, many breeds, but suddenly this horse had her focus, her complete attention. Shortly after the sixteen original Vanners arrived in America the television series, Animal Planet, did a segment on the Gypsy Vanner Horse. In that segment Cindy Thompson is shown up close as she gently caresses the mare, Papuza. Cindy says as she smiles, “We don’t have a life outside the horses.” A declaration of her commitment to this breed; she not only loved these horses but she clearly saw their potential. She recognized through their beauty, manageability, and versatility that this horse would find many places to serve mankind. Regrettably we lost Cindy Thompson in July 2002. Yet, she inspired many of us to stay the course she started. To understand and find the purity in the breed; to respect the four year study it took to even begin to appreciate the horses that were a breed, then to see what a wonderful gift this breed can be.
At Belle Rose Farm we honor Cindy Thompson’s passion for the Gypsy Vanner Horse. It is our goal to stay focused on the quality of the breed and its potential to do good in ways we know Cindy would be proud. We are grateful that a little unicorn, then named The Log called out to Cindy, that she recognized indeed what he was, and later named him most appropriately Cushti Bok, which in the language of the gypsies means “Good Luck”.
