West Hill Ranches Nestled Among the Rolling Hills and Green Pastures of Upstate New York
How it All Began Years of summers spent on their 500 acres in central New York persuaded Kristina Rodriguez and her family to move permanently to the area where they could spend the weekends riding their beautiful horses with their children. Their girls loved the magnificent Gypsy Horses, and they too, were charmed by their intelligence, strength, and grace and soon found the saying to be true that “Gypsy horses are like chocolate chip cookies—you can't have just one.” They began to grow their herd of Gypsies by importing top-quality horses from England and soon decided to create West Hill Ranches.
Experienced horse trainers and showmen, David & Jennifer Hughes are permanent residents on West Hill. The Hughes had partnered with the Rodriguez's before, spending 20 years raising and training locally renowned Belgian horses that were loved by all for their appearances in parades, weddings, and hay rides. David's long experience working with horses and his outstanding horsemanship made him perfectly suited for the job of managing West Hill Ranches and handling the Gypsies, while Jennifer's award-winning showmanship of Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and Quarter horses filled in the final missing piece needed for West Hill. David and Jennifer are also accompanied by their son, Dalton, another talented horseman who has helped ensure that West Hill runs smoothly and the Gypsy horses are well taken care of.
With the expertise acquired at West Hill Ranches, the Rodriguez's have imported some of the finest of the breed of Gypsy Horses. Their stallions include Rock A Fella, Blue Billy Boy, Viking, Silky Boy, Lloyd's of London, Dreammaker & Black Jack. Their mares are in foal to the famous British stallions; The Producer, The Midget Stallion, Thomas' Bay Stallion, The Superior, and The Old Horse of Wales, just to name a few. West Hill continually complements their breeding program and the horses they offer to consumers by importing excellent bloodlines every 3-4 months.
The Rodriguez's want to preserve the stock of top-quality Gypsies and have enough room to continue to grow their herd, importing only the most excellent Gypsy Horses possible from superior bloodlines. Breed preservation is ensured by West Hill Ranches' alliance with legendary Gypsy Horse breeder, Tom Price. Based in Wales, Tom has devoted his life to the Gypsy Horse, he has been credited with raising the first selectively bred horse developed by Gypsies to be recognized as a breed. He has long been recognized as one of the largest and top breeders of Gypsy Horses in the world.
West Hill Ranches - "Dedicated & Committed to Importing and Breeding Only The Finest Quality Bloodlines" - The Farm's business model is based on four fundamental pillars: Conformation, DNA-proven lineage, breed preservation, and customer satisfaction.
Accreditations
Certified Equine Breeding Facility - New York State Department of Agriculture, NYSHHAP (New York State Horse Health Assurance Program) The NYSHHAP, a voluntary certification program introduced the Fall of 2002, is designed to promote and to teach a pro-active approach (or “an ounce of prevention” theory) to equine health, care, and welfare through the use of certain “best management practices” or standards.
Better Business Bureau - West Hill Ranches has been accredited by the BBB, and is a member in good standing.
Affiliations - Registries
Gypsy Horse Association - The Registry of Choice for Registration & Promotion of The Gypsy Horse. The GHA is a registry that welcomes all lovers of this amazing breed, and recognizes all breed names currently in use. West Hill Ranches is a Founding Lifetime Member.
Gypsy Vanner Horse Society - Official Registry of The Gypsy Vanner Horse. The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society's mission is to bring honor, recognition, and a better understanding to one of the world's most colorful and least understood societies and the horses they love so dearly. This registry was established to protect a vision that was born over half a century ago to create the perfect horse to pull their colorful caravans. West Hill Ranches is a Lifetime Member.
Gypsy Cob & Drum Horse Association - The Gypsy Cob & Drum Horse Association was formed as a way to protect the bree, record the parentage, preserve the history, and promote the Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse as a breed in North America. West Hill Ranches is a Lifetime Member.
American Gypsy Horse Breed Association - Providing education and promotion of the Gypsy Horse Breed and providing benevolent contributions to worthy causes. West Hill Ranches is a Corporate Member.
Gypsy Horse Registry of America, Inc - The Gypsy Cob Society of America, Inc. has changed it's name to Gypsy Horse Registry of America, Inc., a tax exempt, not for profit education organization. West Hill Ranches is a Lifetime Member.
