2007 Dressage at Devon Presented by WTDirect

Dressage at Devon Breed Show Wrap-up Makes Room for All Breeds
By Lynndee Kemmet for Dressagedaily.com

With the breed championships over, the final day of breed competition on Thursday focused on the individual breeds and this gave some lesser-known breeds a chance to shine. And perhaps some of the sweetest – and most colorful – of horses at Dressage at Devon were those of the Gypsy Vanner breed. Often looking like a bit of a cross between a Paint and a Shire, the Gypsy Vanners are relatively new as a breed.

As the name implies, the horses were initially bred mostly by Gypsies to be colorful cart horses. Aside from color, what makes them so special, said Gypsy Vanner owner Evaline Badnaruk, is their personality. “They were bred for temperament to be good with children and they are wonderful and sweet.” Badnaruk, of Elverson, Pennsylvania, is the proud owner of a Gypsy Vanner yearling filly.

EBV Quintessa, by EBV Charlie out of Sheba Bok, “has excellent manners,” Badnaruk said. “I’m just in love with her.” Quintessa is likely to have a dressage career, but if she’s like most horses of her breed, she can do just about anything. “They’re very versatile. They can do anything that other horses can do, including dressage. They excel at driving, but can also be ridden both English and Western.”

Of her own youngster, Badnaruk simply says, “I love her temperament and I just love the way she looks. She’s a dream horse. She’s so very loveable. She follows you and loves to be petted. She also listens very well and is very well behaved.”