Gypsies Are Coming to Kentucky!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
LEXINGTON, KY -- On the first weekend of June each year, Romani Gypsies traveling in ornate wagons pulled by colorful horses converge on the township of Appleby in northern England, just as they have for more than three centuries.
Kentucky photographer John S. Hockensmith was allowed a rare glimpse on the inside of this remarkable journey and the culminating arrival and celebration at Appleby Fair. The International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park is pleased to unveil a new exhibition of the resulting photography, Gypsy Horses and the Traveler’s Way: The Road to Appleby Fair, June 17 – Sept 10.
Traveling as a guest of prominent gypsy families, Hockensmith recorded the beauty of the Gypsy horses and the love and pride they generate in their owners, all set against the background of a culture that is both changing and unchanged. In Gypsy Horses and the Travelers’ Way, Hockensmith’s vivid photography, lively prose and visceral poetry bring to life the joys and hardships of the journey. A stunning coffee table book by the same name will be available in the Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop.
Special appearances will be made by several live Gypsy horses, June 15-18, which are shipping in to the Kentucky Horse Park especially for the opening of this exhibition from Black Forest Shires and Gypsy Horses in Colorado.
For more information on the exhibition or the book, contact Jim Joseph, (859) 619-8180 or red_wing@adelphia.net. For more information on Gypsy Horses, click on www.gypsyhorses.com.
Park Hours and Rates: From March 15-October 31, the park is open seven days a week. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children 7-12. Children six and under are always admitted free of charge. Admission includes the International Museum of the Horse and the American Saddlebred Museum.
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