An Interview with Gypsy Vanner Judge David Riedel

Provide some of your background and experience.

My experience in the horse industry started in 1969 training horses with my father who contracted with the government training mustangs and then shipping them to adoptions as directed by the Department of Agriculture. My life continued in 4-H showing horses from 1969 to 1979, which yielded two county championships, and one showmanship with honors at the state level. In 1980 I received my first Ranger bred horse Association World Championship in aged mare and men's pleasure. I continued to train and show horses but have started to exhibit harness horses, one to eight up hitches, for First Merit bank performing 300 outings a year until 1996 when the economy changed.

     I received my 1^st judging card in 1992 with the state of Ohio and since have received cards with Indiana Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and New York. I also have cards with Morgan association, Walking horse, Gypsy Vanner Horse Society, Palomino Horse Association, Appaloosa Horse Association, AMHR, Shetland pony, American Snaffle Bit Association, Pinto horse society, and Shire Horse Registry. I have judged futurities with Gypsy Vanner, open breed shows, West Virginia state fair, Miniature Horse "R", Shetland, Hackney, COSCA association, driving events for the National Driving Association. I teach conformation judging for Medina county judging teams for the last 12 years. My judge's evaluations are on line available with the OSU judge's evaluations that reflect 30 shows a year.

Have you judged Vanners yet and if so can you share your experience you had judging them?

The beauty of working with an association like GVHS is the guidelines are given in rules and breed standards. Having the chance from the beginning I am able to take that experience in to the show ring to uphold the association intent of the breed. So many breeds want to be everything to everyone and then they destroy the true intent of the breed. GVHS is a breed that is a combination of beauty of the feathering and substance to the muscling and bone. The halter horse will also function as a performance horse which many breeds have problems achieving. The show committee that put on the show provided the judges with the picture of an ideal of the breed which was beneficial when identifying the breed characteristics.

Have you any experience with draft breeds over all?

My experiences with Draft breeds have seen the draft pony rise and fall to the Heflinger Associations changes and differences of opinion description and intent of the breed. I have enjoyed the beauty of the Percherns in the show ring, field, and with the association, but I am disgusted with the rule book designation of the breed "what placed first at the last show is what the breed standard is for today" Judging for many of the draft associations is required to be a breeder in order to judge their shows. This is a real disservice to the association because then it creates the atrocity of horses, as Wayne Hipslely exhibited of Draft horses of old in England. Remember Conformation Judging is to promote the long productive life of the animal, not just to make it to the meat market.

 
How do you judge conformation and athletic ability? And do you feel our breed can maintain its true breed type and still have athletic ability?

The true strength of a breed is in the strength of the leadership of the association, to not only post a written description of your breed but the inclusion of a picture is the best way to insure the ideal of the breed is understood. Conformation is very descript in the GVHS Breed description. I like to start with a "form to function" for the first set of traits to be considered in judging conformation (in this case draft characteristics). Then I use a Five major criteria for judging a horse balance, structure and travel, muscle, quality, then breed and sex characteristics, in this order. A horse with poor form for a Grand Prix show jumper could have excellent conformation for a World Champion cutting horse, or to be a champion draft horse. Every horse has good and bad points of its conformation and many horses (including Olympic caliber horses) excel even with conformation faults.

In comparison to other breeds that you have judged, what characteristics stick out to you as a Gypsy Vanner judge that impact your decision when judging?

Feathering, muscle, bone development, and temperament.

Do you feel the GVHS Judges/Breeders seminar is helpful to judges learning about our breed? And is there anything you would like to see added to this program

I feel to maintain an integrity within our organization it must be mandatory to have the judges maintain a file with the association that identifies: ongoing yearly education, annual rule book test, annual organizational membership fees, bi-annual training from the organization, and an evaluation of all GVHS shows, with a minimum of 3 shows a year of open any breed shows. This will allow potential show committees information to decide if the judge will work in the capacity they may want.

FOR SALE 

Perfect Storm's Lady Morgana  aka Momo

GV02144F2

Date of Birth:  May 18, 2009

Sire:  Cushti Bok's Perfect Storm

Dam:  Isadora

Momo is easy to halter and handle, not yet broke to ride because only 2 years old.  Correct conformation, loads of feather, beautiful markings.  Was born on the same day that her grandsire, The Old Horse of Wales, died, so we believe his spirit lives on in her.  She is located in Westcliffe, CO.  Contact Gabi or call 719-783-9049

"Gypsy Spirit"Bronze Sculpture

By June Towill Brown, of J.T. Brown Sculptures

"Gypsy Spirit" which is the second of Stallion Series

"Gentle Giants ~ Series of Three"

Available in black/white or red/white custom patina.

Soon to be released:

 "Mare & Foal - Series of Three"

Orders Now Accepted

Limited Edition of 35 / Swivel Base Included

Length 24" / Diameter 10" / Height 18"

For more info:

June Towill Brown

P.O. Box 4398

Incline Village, Nevada 89450

www.junebrownsculptures.com (775) 831-1313 studio/fax