Gypsy Vanners win BIG at FCMR Driving Competition

D'Jango Jazz and Sandra Pelton

The Florida Carriage Museum Driving Competition celebrated its 13th year showcasing the horses, talents and style of drivers and carriages. Gypsy Vanner farms and Vanners were well represented in this American Driving Society approved event.  Sue McClure drove Gypsy Vanner Ranch's Starbuck, Dave Essary drove WR Destiny, Bill Ricci of WR Ranch with Esmeralda in the commercial division, Sandra Pelton of Pelton Vanners with DJango Jazz, Bob Giles drove WR Ranch's team of Esmeralda, Jasmine, WR Pie and Vanilla Swirl.

                                                        Sue McClure and Starbuck

Bob Giles also drove Villa Vanners'  Romeo. Romeo was the Grand Champion of the single pony division which was  the largest division in the event. Romeo looked and performed spectacularly. This is a BIG win for Vanners with so many other Breeds in the class! Well done.

               Bob Giles and Romeo

WR Ranch's four-in hand team was the Grand Champion in the multipes division. The deciding point of this competition occurred at the water hazzard. Bob Giles' command as they approached the water was "Be brave".  They were brave and went through at first attempt and finished the Marathon portion in first place and went on to win the Grand Championship in Multiples.

WR Ranch 4 horse Vanner team              

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

An Insurance Story

By Marla Moore

Your horse is suffering from colic.  You call your veterinarian.  He comes to your farm and tells you that he can probably save your horse with surgery.  You ask the cost and he tells you it will be around $5,000.  You don't have the money so what do you do? You love your horse, you don't want to have him euthanized, but you can't afford the surgery.

If you carry Major Medical coverage on the horse, it is a very easy solution and you can breathe a sigh of relief.  It gives you the luxury of telling your vet to go ahead and perform the necessary surgery knowing that you will only have to pay a small deductible and perhaps some insignificant uncovered charges.

Major medical coverage is purchased as an endorsement to the Mortality (life insurance) policy.  Medical coverage will not cover any "well horse care" such as routine checkups, vaccinations, routine pregnancy checks or normal foaling, but does provide coverage for any illness, disease or accident that requires veterinary care or surgery that occurs during the policy period.   The average cost for medical coverage is anywhere from $200 to $450 depending on the company and the amount of coverage purchased.  The deductible is normally around $250 - $325 per claim and the average coverage amount is between $5,000 to $15,000. 

Using this same scenario, let's say you do have Mortality and Major Medical coverage on your horse in the amount of $10,000 mortality and $7,500 medical insurance.  Your vet clinic presents you with a total bill of $5,000.   You will pay your $325 deductible and the $50 initial farm call that your vet made to your farm (not a covered charge) and the company will pay the balance of $4,625.  In the unfortunate event that your horse would die from this occurrence, you would also be paid the insured value of $10,000, a total insurance payout of $14,625.

Bronze is the most enduring medium for an artist to work in.  The origin of all bronze sculpting begins with the lost was process.              

The lost wax process and bronze casting process has survived the test of time as early as Egypt ... 2000 years ago.  Some of the tools have changed from ancient chisels and hammers to air-powered tools but the 2000 degrees of a molten river of red bronze still flows for thousands of years.

Even before I enter my studio to start creating a sculpture, I have usually thought or dreamt of an idea or concept.  Sometimes the name of the piece comes to me before the image does.  As I slowly walk up to my sculpting stand and stare at a large lump of clay I wonder where this journey is going to take me.   Once I get my hands moving, I am pushing and adding chunks of clay.  It's like I'm a by-stander watching as a sculpture is getting its first breath of life.  I'm lost in the piece and hoping that others will find that feeling of enjoyment too.

When the clay piece is finished, a mold is then made for the lost wax process and then it is cast in bronze.  This is really where it comes to life in all its glory of color patina.  Here are two photos showing "Gypsy Dancer" in the finished clay and another photo showing the finished bronze.  Even though it is in timeless bronze metal, one can feel the horses striking movement.

 My newest Gypsy Vanner Series of Three is of a mare and her foal that I have named "Precious Moment" which will be in black and white patina.  Here are the photos to show the process on this first sculpture of the Series starting with the "rough bulk out" on the left and the "final clay" before casting in bronze on the right.  I wanted to create the electricity and emotion between a mare and her new foal.