We said goodbye to one of the finest Gypsy Vanner Stallions in the US.  He is headed to his new home.  Congratulations go out to his new owners

Gypsy Vanner Stallion Sundance & Doug Kneis

We’ve been having fun taking pictures of all the new Gypsy Vanner arrivals.  They sure make for some sweet photographs.

This photo is of Outlaw, a Gypsy Vanner Colt.

Dam is Pretara and his sire is Sundance. He is offered for sale by Gypsy MVP in Texas. Please call Erica at 281-389-3356 for more information.

This article will be in the upcoming issue of the Friesian Blood Horse Magazine

There are some special happenings in Katy, Texas, that are quickly making headlines throughout the entire equine industry. Truly the epitome of visualization and hard work to achieve excellence, Gypsy MVP, a world-class facility importing and producing the finest eclectic breeds of Gypsy Vanner and Friesian horses, has soared to new heights with their latest, and beyond a doubt greatest, addition. Lone Star, a bay spotted Gypsian colt, has stunned all who have seen this one-of-a-kind horse.  Ulleke, his Dam, is a majestic registered Friesian mare, imported from France. His sire is a spotted registered Gypsy Vanner stallion named Ghost Rider, who is both handsome and kind. The melding of characteristics between these two phenomenal horses is nothing short of genius, producing Lone Star’s already evident elegance, athleticism, and unparalleled conformation.

Lone Star our Gypsian Colt & Ulleke, his dam, a registered Friesian.

Gypsy MVP owners Doug and Elaine Kneis work hand in hand with a passionate team of professionals to offer expert services to equine enthusiasts all over the world. On an outing with his wife to the movies one night, Kneis saw the movie Ladyhawke and was captivated by the stunning Friesians in the film. “I leaned over to my wife,” Kneis says, “and exclaimed, ‘Holy smokes! I gotta have one!’” He even went so far as to contact and visit with the horse trainer for the movie Zorro, and was able to interact with the horses used on set. In his communications with a friend in France years later, Kneis saw Ulleke and was immediately enamored with her presence. “I can see her as a king’s horse,” Kneis says of the Friesian, “She is just drop dead gorgeous.” A registered Dutch pedigree mare, Ulleke has a tremendously regal look, upward movement, and carries herself with grace and power. After a few years of breeding her with some Friesian stallions with fantastic results, Kneis decided to cross her with his Gypsy stallions, and the results were splendid, sporty qualities that would be ideal for some of the different disciplines. In learning more about these crosses, Kneis was told that spotted Gypsy Vanner stallions had the best results when bred with black mares. “We thought, ‘By golly, we have this beautiful Friesian mare, let’s go for it!’” he tells.

In choosing a stallion for Ulleke, Kneis had to look no further than Gypsy MVP’s Ghost Rider, a coming four-year old spotted stallion with all the attributes essential in a significant registered Gypsy Vanner. “He’s still packing on the muscle,” explains Kneis, “He’s going to be about 14.2, a chunky stallion with a good neck who is quite athletic with a docile personality. He’s a real in-your-pocket kind of horse, who will stand with you in a paddock adjacent to his mares, and love on you instead of looking for mares – although when it comes to breeding he is all business.” Ghost Rider is so docile in fact, that Kneis is considering taking this now famed father to news channel Great Day Houston. “They’ve had us on before and are asking for us again and I believe Ghost Rider has the calm temperament and sound personality to be a great guest on the show, even with all the activity of a busy, cramped set,” he says.

With such magnificent parents, Lone Star certainly has the makings of something amazing and his emergence into the world was beyond exciting. When Kneis got the call from his manager that Ulleke had given birth, he says that everybody was so beside themselves that they could hardly speak. “We were all just stunned. I had never before seen a swirl pattern like this in my life,” he says with pride. “He is beyond gorgeous and a lovely mover with conformation that is just fabulous.” Kneis is not the only person with this opinion. On a recent visit to Magnolia Ranch (Gypsy MVP’s headquarters), world-renowned judge Wayne Hindsley commented that Lone Star had the best conformation of any horse on the ranch, even at such a young age. “He liked my horses,” says Kneis, “but when he saw Lone Star he said ‘This the best horse you have on the whole ranch, and not just because of his color – he is put together just like I like them with a seamless neck, fantastic bone structure, and exceptional movement.’”

A true treasure, Lone Star was named for his home state, but also because “He’s just like a star in the night, and all alone in his uniqueness and excellence,” Kneis tells. “The reason you cross breed is to create something better, and we’ve been experimenting with this since the beginning of time, so every once in a while, let’s see if we can drop a dollop in to make something special – and we’ve succeeded.” The Gypsy Vanner horse has a rich heritage in United Kingdom, and is still a relatively new breed here in the United States. Gypsy MVP strives to import and breed only the finest quality Gypsy Vanner horses, and with inside connections and longstanding relationships with some of the most respected breeders in Europe, they are able to uphold the most stringent standards of conformation, attitude, and breed standards. The team of professionals at Gypsy MVP caters to each client in a way unlike any other company, with a true concern for both owner and horse. Each horse and owner is matched with care and precision and the new owners become family to Gypsy MVP, invited to network with training, breeding, and management.

The cross between Gypsy Vanner and Friesian, in Lone Star’s case, has resulted in the most wonderful attributes of each breed, creating an equine with the abilities to go far in the show ring, dressage world, or sport-horse realm. With slightly finer bone and an athletic, refined body, Lone Star is sure to excel in any discipline, and draw awe from his audiences who will surely want to know more. Kneis plans on breeding Ulleke back to Ghost Rider this year, who already has several other babies coming this spring. The superior combination that created Lone Star, with both his spots and conformation, is something to marvel at. If you are interested in breeding your own Gypsian with the help and approval of Gypsy MVP please contact Erica Barton-Holliday at 281-389-3356 for more information. You can also visit Gypsy MVP’s extremely comprehensive website, with gorgeous photos and up-to-the-minute news at www.gypsymvp.com.

Meet Producer Strikes a Pose, the newest Gypsy Vanner Stallion arrival at Magnolia Ranch in Katy Texas.  This boy has it all, body, mind, and pedigree! Call Erica at Gypsy MVP for details 281-389-3356

Meet Producer Strikes a Pose, our newest Gypsy Vanner Stallion arrival here at Gypsy MVP Magnolia Ranch.  This boy has it all, body, mind, and pedigree! Call Erica for details at 281-389-3356.

Gypsy MVP has been busy finding gypsy horses that fit the pinnacle of the gypsy vanner horse breed conformation. Please be patient and look no further, we will have some shocking great examples in the next week. Please keep checking the site. The ones we have just selected will be gone quickly
Back to the barn
Doug Kneis November 2010

This is the 5th filly by Gypsy Vanner stallion Sundance.  He is turning out some fantastic looking foals.  Wow!  Sundance is standing at stud here at Gypsy MVP in Katy Texas.  He will only be bred to a very select group of mares.  If you would like more information please call Erica 281-389-3356.

A new Gypsy Vanner Filly by Sundance

Sundance has had four babies so far.  All have been fillies two black and two buckskin and white.

Here are some photos of one of Sundance’s filly’s owned by Renee Sigel by her mvp mare COCO dated 06/28/2010

Sundance is standing at stud at Gypsy MVP in Katy Texas.  Please call Erica at 281-389-3356 or visit his web site: Gypsy Vanner Stallions

Just wanted to share some really great photos of some of Tuxedo and his half brother Chili. It’s always great fun to watch the horses.  Most all of these Gypsy Horses are offered for sale so please contact Erica for more information 281-389-3356. Or visit us on-line: Gypsy Vanner Horses