“It is impossible to imagine a more
complete fusion with nature than
that of the Gypsy.”
~ Franz Liszt, Hungarian Composer
Imagine a breed of horses so rare, it was only in the
last decade of the twentieth century that they were discovered, officially
recognized and registered as their own unique and truly majestic breed.
Strange as it may seem, the magnificent Gypsy Vanner horses did not have
a name and their lineage remained a closely guarded secret held within the
world of Gypsies.
The first Gypsy Vanner horse was not imported to the U.S. until 1996. There
are now 3,500 Gypsy Vanner horses in the nation, a small number when you
consider there are over 120,000 horses in Wisconsin alone*.
ENIGMA
Gypsy tribes, discriminated against and persecuted in Europe since the
19th Century, became a nomadic race, never really assimilating with the
cultures they encountered. They did not develop a written language and
communicated family history and information verbally, which helped them
maintain the secrecy level they needed to survive.
*According to National AG Statistics Service of the USDA, December 31, 1998.
(Continued on Page 6)
Opposite Page: Price Almighty, cloaked by trees. Top: Trainer Audrey Nusz (R) of Waupaca, WI, on Lance
and 10-year old Mia Wandtke (L), one of Audrey’s students, on Princess. Right: Derek Krause walks Shanti.
Page 5
Neighbors-March 2011