Through tales told by the light of stick fires to the drumbeat of
hooves across foggy moors, Gypsy Horses and the Travelers' Way reveals
the centuries-old but zealously guarded lifestyle of the Romani Gypsies
of northern England. With stunning images, lyrical prose and moving
poetry, renowned equine photographer John S. Hockensmith invites
readers on a unique journey across cultural boundaries to celebrate the
rituals of horse trading and spiritual renewal at Appleby Fair.
Hockensmith gained rare entrée into this secluded world when he was
invited to join a prominent Gypsy family over two summers during the
annual horse-drawn pilgrimage through picturesque villages, along busy
modern highways and into verdant pastures where time seems to have been
suspended.
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By the time readers reach the Appleby Fair--a boisterous gathering that
first took place more than 300 years ago--Hockensmith has shared a
penetrating insight into a way of life cherished by the Gypsies with
the same fierce pride they maintain for their horses. |
The striking steeds earn first billing by virtue of their historical
role in the Gypsies' nomadic existence as well as their chiseled beauty
and gentle strength. Hockensmith's lavish photos depict them hauling
the Gypsies' brightly painted wagons, carrying young bareback riders
through river currents, and punctuating sun-dappled landscapes with the
bold pinto patterns of their muscular bodies.
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Gypsy Horses and the
Travelers Way
The Road to Appleby Fair by John Hockensmith
Borderland Books,
2008
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a copy
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