Last Updated on January 12, 2025
“No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.”
– P.T. Barnum
It sounded like a crazy dream and it took Karen Cobbs four years to convince her husband, Shannon, to make her vision a reality. Now, they model The Greatest Showman example by hosting events and providing farm tours. Their vision took courage and hard work, but they agree that it is a rewarding labor of love.
The Cobbs family banded together like a musicians and created a rhythm. Their tours and events create personal, accessible encounters for visitors, whether or not they are part of the equine world. From petting the gentle giants to experiencing the farm’s daily operations, each visit leaves a lasting impression.
Taking the Reins with Heart
Grandview Clydesdales is a thriving testament to the enduring power of family and tradition. Co-owned by Shannon and Karen Cobbs, this family-operated farm in the Horse Capital of the World outside of Ocala, Florida in Dunnellon, offers a rare glimpse into the art of breeding, training and showing majestic Clydesdales while embodying the spirit of generational legacy.
I had the privilege of experiencing their world firsthand and fell in love with this incredible family and their magnificent horses.
Shannon and Karen’s roots in farming stretch across North America. Shannon grew up on a farm in Indiana, while Karen was raised on a grain farm in Manitoba, Canada.
Though separated by 1200 miles, their childhoods were remarkably similar—filled with hard work, dedication, and a deep connection to agriculture. These shared values now form the foundation of their life together and the legacy they pass on to their three sons: Nash, Hessten, and Stone.
For the Cobbs, life on the farm isn’t just about hard work—it’s about honoring a legacy. Shannon’s lineage dates back to 1240, with the family crest proudly displayed on their custom show wagon imported from Scotland.
A natural horseman, Shannon began competing in horse shows at a young age, eventually driving the Grandview six-horse hitch across the country. Karen, a third-generation Clydesdale expert, began her competitive driving career at nine, earning national and world championships in Ladies Cart and Team divisions. Together, their combined expertise fuels the success of Grandview.
Shannon, Karen, and two of their sons, Nash and Stone, play a role in the farm’s operation. From breeding and training to showing their world-renowned Clydesdales, they embody dedication to tradition in the modern world.
Grandview also offers a sanctuary for retired horses, some of which contribute to therapy programs for individuals with PTSD. As their prized mare, May, prepares to welcome her foal in spring 2025, the Cobbs family continues weaving the next chapter of its remarkable story.
Get up close and personal and take a tour at the Grandview Clydesdales. Folks from two to 101 years old have attended the tours. Visiting Grandview Clydesdales is more than a tour, it’s an experience that leaves your heart fuller.
I was fortunate to enjoy the Christmas with the Clydesdales tour in 2024, a celebration that beautifully honors the birth of Jesus and the enduring traditions of family. The experience left me with a heartwarming memory I will treasure forever.
Once you surround yourself with this loving family and their extraordinary horses, you’ll feel like part of the family, too. As The Beverly Hillbillies would say, “Y’all come back now, ya hear?” I certainly plan to.
Another farm harnessing the horsepower of the heart is the Gypsy Gold Horse Farm.
From Tragedy to Triumph: The Story of Gypsy Gold Horse Farm
For Dennis Thompson, the journey to creating Gypsy Gold Horse Farm is one of love, resilience, and passion, a story that begins with family and is carried forward by legacy.
Dennis’s life began humbly in a chicken coop in Indiana where his parents nurtured his love for animals and instilled a strong work ethic. By 24, he was married with four daughters, but 17 years later his fate was to raise his daughters, ages 11 to 16, alone for the next seven years.
In 1995 Dennis and Cindy Thompson werereturning to England from a weekend in Northern Wales researching the largest horse breed in the world, the Shire Horse, when the look of a little black-and-white horse caught their attention. Intrigued by the horses striking look and gentle demeanor, they soon discovered that the horse belonged to a Traveler and that the Traveler had a band of mares that looked just like the little stallion that he kept hidden.
Dennis and Cindy would spend the remainder of their day in a Gypsy camp listening to words of passion from the horses’ owner. Their experience ignited a passion to understand British and Irish Gypsies, also called Travelers, and their heretofore unknown vision to create their perfect caravan horse, or Vanner.
Their four-year journey of understanding would result in Dennis and Cindy establishing the world’s first registry for their Gypsy Vanner horses and importing the first 16 Vanner horses to North America.
Their mission became clear: “to bring honor, recognition, and a better understanding to one of the world’s most colorful, least understood societies and the horses they so dearly love by respecting the spoken words of Gypsies who have dedicated lifetimes in pursuit of their perfect caravan horse, to remain quality based, culturally sensitive and socially responsible.”
In 2002, tragedy struck when Cindy fell to her death while foal watching the first Gypsy Vanner Horse to ever step hooves on American Soil.
Guided by a commitment to honor their Mission, Dennis has built an oasis of education and cultural understanding on his farm called Gypsy Gold. The farm’s tours, cultural initiatives and dedication to preserving the breed’s integrity embody the Thompsons’ dream of leaving a legacy that spans generations.
Five years after Cindy’s death, Dennis Thompson received a call from his daughter Lisa, then age 19, and working for a pet products distributor in San Antonio Texas.
“Dad, we just hired this new woman, she’s beautiful, she has forty parrots and a Porsche,” Lisa said. “She’s perfect for you.”
Married two years later, Dennis Thompson was blessed to find love again with his current wife, Erin. Together, they live on this 40-acre farm with their Vanner horses, donkeys, and parrots.
Gypsy Gold Today
At the Gypsy Gold Horse Farm, the story of these horses intertwines with the story of the Gypsy people. Known for their tight-knit families and deep cultural traditions, the Gypsies’ dedication to crafting the “perfect caravan horse” mirrors the Thompsons’ mission to honor and protect this breed.
Dennis affectionately describes the Gypsy Vanner as “a Golden Retriever with hooves,” a testament to their kind, companionable nature. Today, Gypsy Gold Horse Farm is more than a farm; it’s a hub of education, inspiration, and preservation. Visitors can explore the vibrant history of the horses and the culture that created them.
Through his storytelling, tours and dedication, Dennis ensures that the Gypsy Vanner Horse—and the legacy of the Gypsy people—will never be forgotten.
My visit to Gypsy Gold was unforgettable. Through his storytelling, Dennis invites every visitor to see the world through a lens of wonder and possibility. The legacy of the Gypsy Vanner Horse is not only preserved, but celebrated, ensuring it continues to touch lives for generations to come. He created a program around human virtues. His donkeys are named after them: Empathy, Compassion, Kindness, Curiosity, Trust and Honor.
Children come and they learn the donkey’s name, its meaning and then get a keepsake photo that says “I know Empathy, I know Compassion, I know Kindness” with a QR code that leads the child’s parent or teacher to a curriculum where they will learn the importance of human virtues more in depth.
The test program hosted 122 seven-year-olds. Gypsy Gold’s efforts to educate are now embraced by the Marion County school system and the Girl Scouts of America.
Not only does Gypsy Gold Horse Farm breed and sell horses and do tours, but Dennis Thompson also wrote and lives the mission that honors Gypsies and their beloved Vanner horses every day.
Dennis often reflects on the poignant quote by Banksy: “They say you die twice. Once when the breath leaves your body and once when the last person says your name.”
The time between these two moments is the essence of legacy, a connection to ensure stories are remembered. Give yourself a gift to remember, visit Gypsy Gold Horse Farm.
