About Us

Thomas of BFSGH sits proudly on "his" bowtop wagon, England, June, 2004.
 

Welcome! 

We are Jeff, Christine, and Thomas Bartko, the owners of Black Forest Shires and Gypsy Horses, in Platteville, Colorado. The farm itself is a 208 acre homestead farm outside of town.  It is on this single facility that we breed, house, and present our prized Gypsy Horses.

Aerial view of the barn, paddocks, and lakes of BFSGH (March, 2008)

     We have been working with, training and breeding horses for nearly 30 years.  In 1991, after many years of working with and training heavy horses (Drafts), we established Black Forest Shires, and began to build up our breeding herd of only the finest English Shire Horses.  Our farm in Colorado also houses our long-established breeding operation, standing several stallions at stud, and using embryo transfer to increase production of the rarer types and breed lines of Shire, Gypsy, and Drum horses.  Jeff and Christine are both fully trained and certified in Equine Reproduction and ultrasonography, which allows us to do all of our own reproductive work (stallion and mare) on the farm.  Jeff is also a certified farrier, and handles most of our shoeing and trimming needs himself, as time allows.  We are a "hands on" type of operation, with every aspect of breeding, training, importing, showing, and transport handled by ourselves personally.

     At any given time, our farm houses around 70-120 Gypsy, Drum, and Shire horses for visitors to come and meet.  Some are available for sale, and others are our own breeding and using stock.  In the Gypsy Cob, we feel what we have found is the perfect breed of horse, and will always have them in our lives, no matter what.  Nearly every shopping trip overseas adds another gypsy horse or two to our herd, as we cannot resist the allures of this magical breed of horse! 

     Our history with the gypsy horse began in early 1996, when we attended the World Shire Horse Congress, in England.  During our month of touring all around England and Scotland, we discovered the versatile and colorful gypsy cob.  For the next several years we would spend months at a time over in England, both with our shire horse duties, as well as learning all about the Gypsy Cob horses and the people that own and breed them.  Shortly thereafter, we realized our dream and imported our first gypsy horses, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Since that time, BFSGH has become the largest importer of this type of horse into North America.  We have also sent Gypsy Horses all over the globe, and have hundreds of satisfied clients worldwide.  BFSGH is also the original importer and breeder of the "British Drum Horse" into North America, and we continue to produce and import the largest number of this type of horse into the USA annually.  Our photo collection of over 250,000 (and growing!) images of gypsy horses is the largest collection of its kind anywhere in the world! 

Christine (and Thomas, our son) currently spend between 175 and 200 days in England with the gypsy families PER YEAR!   This time is not spent with another job, visiting family, or anything of the sort.  This time is spent exclusively with the gypsy families that breed, own and treasure these magical horses.  Christine has a knowledge of the people, horses, and bloodlines that few other non-gypsy people, and no other American people, possess, and this education is ongoing throughout each year.  Our connections with the true Gypsy people goes well beyond buying and selling - some of our dearest friends are members of the traveling people (gypsy) community.  These are not "fringe" connections with "wanna-be" travelers, they are strong connections with many of the best-known, and longest-breeding families that this breed has ever known.  We are proud to say that these relationships have provided us with skills, information, and knowledge that no other American has ever achieved.  In June, 2004, as a tribute to our gypsy bonds, Jeff was invited to travel with some of our gypsy friends to the world's largest gypsy horse fair.  This traveling was done in traditional style, in a bowtop living wagon, driving 60 miles across the North of England.  Jeff made history at that time, being the first American ever to travel the road to Appleby fair in his own "turnout", or "yoke" (wagon, horse, and harness combined).  For more on this journey, see the Great Journey page.  Jeff has made the journey each year since then, driving a different turnout each time.

     BFSGH is one of the original handful of breeders that have owned/bred Gypsy Cobs in the USA for more than a couple of years.  Over the past several years, we have been the trend setters in most matters involving the gypsy cob horse in the USA.  The way they are currently marketed, sold, promoted and imported into the USA by most other importers was originated by BFSGH.  Most of the largest breeders of this type of horse in North America have purchased horses from BFSGH - A fact that many aren't quick to share.

     In April, 2003, BFSGH organized a meeting where nearly 100 gypsy horse owners and breeders from all over the globe attended to discuss registry issues for our special breed of horse.  Attendees from England, Ireland and Canada were at this monumental event to discuss the future of this breed in North America.  Nearly all of the established breeders of gypsy horses were represented at this meeting, including representatives from the Gypsy Cob and Drum Association, and the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society.  After this meeting, the registry called the "Gypsy Cob Society of America" was established by many of the meeting attendees, and is well on it's way to becoming a proper, democratic registry for gypsy cobs in America. 

     BFSGH participates in numerous parades, expos, demonstrations, and the like throughout the country.  From the Equine Affaire events, to shows, parades and other events in California, (including the annual "Tournament of Roses Parade).  Our gypsy horses are presented and displayed publicly for people to experience and enjoy.  Along with numerous parades and horse expos, one of our horses represents the Gypsy Horse breed at the Kentucky Horse Park (Lexington, KY) every season.  Our horses Gracie (shire horse), and Galway Warrior (drum horse) were each immortalized into models by the Breyer^® Model Horse Corporation in 2003, and were special guest horses at the Breyerfest celebration in that same year. Click here for pictures!.  We thoroughly enjoy introducing people to this magical breed of horse. 

     Our long list of satisfied customers and our unique way of doing business have made BFSGH the largest, most experienced, and most trusted North American importer of Gypsy Horses/Cobs/Vanners in the world!   Our extensive and unequalled knowledge of the breed and the people who created it, along with our our satisfaction guarantee, have kept us on the top of the North American gypsy horse market.  As the breed becomes more prevalent in the USA, we are seeing more &  more shows with Gypsy Horse Classes.  It should be no surprise that the horses from BFSGH are consistently taking home the majority of top honors at these shows.  Hundreds of satisfied purchasers can't be wrong, and our reputation is the best in the business.  BFSGH does not sit still in the Gypsy horse world,  will continue to do what we have always done, to break new ground, and lead the industry into the future.

Feel free to contact us about any questions you may have on this wonderful breed of horse, or the sale or importing process.  We love nothing more than to talk about our horses, and to share with you the magic of the spectacular Gypsy Horse.