FINDING OUR HORSES
Gypsy MVP personnel who are in the UK, Germany, and France constantly look for our concept of the vision horse this breed should be. The best horses we find are through our wonderful friends and contacts that promise every year to sell us their best and most prized horses when they are ready. Many of these horses have been prized broodmares, stallions, or family riding horses. They trust us, because they know that their horses will go to only the best homes that MVP picks for them. In addition, every year Gypsy MVP goes to Appleby fair to find even more wonderful horses. Lately, due to the popularity of this horse breed, the gypsies have decided, some of them, that US horse buyers are naive. In Appleby between 2005 and 2007 we have only found 10 horses who meet our high standards. We looked at hundreds of horses before making our decisions. We at Gypsy MVP would like people to understand just how rare the best of this breed is to find.
THE HISTORY OF APPLEBY FAIR
The history of the gypsy horse is embodied in Appleby Horse Fair, the largest traditional horse fair of its kind in the world. Set up by charter under the reign of James II in 1685, it has been an annual event since that time. Originally a venue for the trading of all types of livestock and general merchandise, its popularity with the vast numbers of gypsies who would come each year eventually led to the occasion being known as a special horse fair. Today, Appleby Fair is the venue of one the largest remaining gatherings of Romany and gypsy people. The event is held during the second week of June, beginning on the Wednesday of that week with the main horse sale on the Tuesday of the following week. Harness races and celebrations lead up to this sale day and horses are seen trotting up and down the lanes in order to show them off prior to the sales. The field, which is the main site for the participants, is found on the outskirts of Appleby. It was originally known as Gallows Hill, due to the nature of its usage in earlier times. However, it is now called Fair Hill and looks West over the town of Appleby and East toward the Pennines. Gypsy families travel to Appleby to meet up with old friends and conduct business. Appleby survived an attempt at closure by the Westmorland Borough Council in 1965.
MILLIONAIRE'S ROW
Millionaire's Row is a corner at the fairground where for years you could find gypsy men who envision their breed, and own the horses that most embodied the ideal gypsy horse.
Today, Millionaire's Row isn't what it used to be.
Practice has taught MVP personnel that sometimes the best horses can be found hidden behind a tree, in a hidden pasture, or bathing in the Eden River. It is crucial to understand how important Appleby is to the vision of the breed and it's significance in locating the types of horses that Gypsy MVP offers for sale. It is our intention to offer here the type of horses that might be standing on a corner in Appleby England called Millionaire's Row.
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A traveler and his horses, as he makes the journey over to Appleby Fair. |
During the two weeks of the Fair, horses may be found everywhere...in the river, on its banks, along the green, on roadsides and lanes, or even tethered outside hotels, shops and public houses (the local taverns). The ownership of a horse can, by wheeling and dealing, change several times throughout the course of the Fair and sales are usually clinched with a slap on the hand, after a one-to-one bartering rather than a traditional type of auction. Appleby is famed around the world for its ancient Horse Fair and for the throng of colorful characters who gather on Gallows Hill (Fair Hill) every June. The date used to be fixed by the date of the Derby at Epsom; Fair Hill week began on the Sunday following the mid-week Classic race which is held in the first week of June. This Sunday is known as Visitors' Day, when people can walk between the rows of caravans, watch the horses being washed in the River Eden or "flashed" up and down the road, have their fortunes told, or buy cheap goods from the many side stalls. |
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The little children are asleep in the wagons. When they get up, they water the horses, then everyone has bread and cheese and a little bit of onion. Some of the old ladies tell people's fortunes. They go rabbiting with the dogs. It is very common to see a gypsy family cooking a rabbit over an open fire in front of their wagon. And so it goes at the Appleby Horse Fair. |
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Appleby Horse Fair, Circa 1965
"When the little chavvies getsup, they take the grails down the pani... then we
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Appleby Fair 2006Appleby 2006 was the warmest one in history. Temperatures the first week of June were in the high 80's and humid beyond Houston, Texas humidity! The old time gypsy folk told me it was the largest turnout they had seen in 20 years. We saw over 100,000 people per day...easy. We looked at many hundreds of horses and only bought three. They was a colt out of our Warlock stallion, a 15 hand gelding named Aurthur, and the stallion, Caruso. Either the quality was poor or the prices were to high, but no one bought many this year. The Gypsy folk think we in America are stupid and were asking outrageous prices this year. When we won't pay it for a year or two they will lower them again. -Doug Kneis |
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Images Below Are from the 2009 Appleby Fair
Down the Hill to River Eden
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Look at this boy , there was a helicopter taking off right in front of him and all he did was watch, I kid you not --- if I could have found his owner I would have bought him on the spot!
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From The Northern Echo (click here to see full article and video footage of the Fair) Police make arrests after gangs clash at horse fair By Rachel Wearmouth » A TOTAL of 53 arrests were made at a horse fair over the weekend. Police attending Appleby Horse Fair, in Cumbria – popular with travellers from across the North-East and North Yorkshire – had to deal with an early morning gang brawl as well as confiscating almost 60 whips. The RSPCA also seized two horses and made six formal warnings during the same period as thousands made their annual pilgrimage to the fair. One animal had to be humanely destroyed when it was hurt in an accident. Although most of the arrests involved drunkenness, drugs or public order, a violent clash between two rival gangs saw 27 arrested at 5am yesterday. One man was taken to hospital with head injuries and later arrested for violence. Chief Superintendent Steve Johnson, in charge of the Appleby Fair policing operation, said: “Early intervention by our officers neutralised the situation and avoided what could have turned into a significant incident of disorder at an isolated location outside the town. “Officers dealt with the situation in a firm and fair manner under difficult circumstances.” The event, which attracts in excess of 30,000 people, is more than 100 years old. Each year, travellers from across the region create a colourful sight as they make their way to and from the Eden Valley. But this also causes controversy among the communities they pass through, with complaints of illegal encampments and flytipping prominent. Alfred Welch, originally from Darlington, is a regular. He said: “It’s a good fair. It gets very very busy, because there aren’t many fairs like Appleby, to be quite honest. A lot of people will come just for a visit and a look around – just to see something they don’t see normally.” The 53 arrests were made between 8am Saturday and 8am Sunday. The RSPCA also gave animal health advice to 47 people, and firefighters dealt with a caravan blaze, though no one was injured. Cumbria Police made eight seizures of suspected cannabis and cocaine, and 36 fixed penalty notices were handed out for traffic and low-level public order offences. |
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