2006 Valley of the Arabian Horse Farm & Wine Tasting Tour

Legendary Horses of the Santa Ynez Valley

A GUIDED TOURS TO THE LEADING BREEDERS & HORSES / BY BOB SWEENEY

Santa Ynez has truly earned its reputation as the Valley of the Arabian Horse. The region’s current roster of national champion horses and leading breeding and training farms is without comparison. It is largely an uncontested fact that the quaint yet lush valley resting along California’s central coast between Santa Barbara and Santa Maria is home to the world’s largest concentration of Arabian horse owners, breeders and trainers.

Yet, the sheer number of horses who reside here only tell part of the Valley’s great tale. The current stars that decorate the local farms are mostly descendent of the enormous parade of Arabian breed legends that have called the Valley home over the past 40 years. To understand the depth and meaning this region enjoys, here is a brief look at the Valley’s heritage and it’s impact on the world-wide Arabian horse community.

Most breed enthusiasts equate Santa Ynez’s indoctrination into the world of Arabian horses with the relocation of Gainey Fountainhead Arabians from Minnesota to Santa Ynez in the early 1960s. The Gainey program became famous through legendary stallions Ferzon, Gai Parada, Gai Argosy, Gai Monarch and the great National Champion Mare Gaishah, among a remarkable herd of broodmares including Gaffi.

As the Gainey ranch reduced its horse activities in the late 1990s, one of its proteges Evergreen Arabians, owned by Harold & Liz Green, simultaneously increased theirs through the acquisition of two of Gainey’s prized young mares. The Greens first purchased Gai Anastashah (Bey Shah x Gai Annabelle) and campaigned her to 1993 U.S. National Futurity Champion Mare. The second mare was the nationally-honored Gai Acaisha (Bey Shah x Gai Gay Fiera) who subsequently produced Evergreen’s multi-national winning stallion Llewellyn Fawr.

The Gainey’s and Green’s shared another common horse, the 1990 U.S. National Champion Stallion Ali Jamaal, who lived at Gainey Arabians while being conditioned for his national championship halter career. The Gainey’s and Green’s were brought together by local halter trainer Greg Gallun of Gallun Farms, handler of Ali Jamaal, Gaishah, Gai Anastashah, Gai Acaisha and Llewellyn Fawr, among others. Following Ali Jamaal’s importation to Brazil in the early 1990s, the Green’s purchased the young Ali Jamaal son *Pershan El Jamaal to breed to its herd, featuring many Bey Shah and Gainey bred mares. Evergreen Arabians now offers two facilities in the valley, one devoted to performance training and the other to its stallions, mares and young show horses.

In addition to presenting the Evergreen horses, Greg Gallun is one of the breed’s top-winning halter handlers, and also stands many current and past champions including U.S. National Champion Senior Stallion Enzo and Polish National Champion Stallion*Piaff. Gallun Farms has been a long-time staple in the valley, and was previously the location of Bethesda Farms and its National Champion stallion Strike.

While the Gaineys were establishing their niche in breed history, several other farms came to the Valley to play their part in its legacy. The famous enterprise Lasma Arabians opened its satellite farm “Lasma West” in the early 1980s, and stood champion *Bask sons Cognac and Wisdom, in addition to National Champion Stallion *El Paso. The *Bask influence was strongly imparted in the Valley, as at least seven of his sons made their mark here, including: Fire Wind and Gdansk at Caravan Arabians, Fire Alert at Magness Arabians, Gask at AYM Arroyo Arabians, Ariston at Four Winds Arabians, Cease Fire at Gil Chavez Training Center and Electryc at Brierwood Arabians.

The Arabian horse industry was booming in the 1980s and its abundance was quite evident throughout the Valley, as both large breeders and prospering trainers were seemingly on every corner. The largest of the farms was Magness Arabians, home to over 300 head at one point. Built on a core of imported pure-in-the-strain Polish-bred Arabians, the Magness herd at one time occupied three separate facilities, and hundreds of acres of pasture land. The importance of its program has mostly been felt in the Arabian racing world, as its stallion AH Monarch gained fame as one of the breed’s most prominent race sires.

One of the nation’s most successful imported Polish stallions, *Emanor, also resides in the Valley at Windhorse Farm. Following his U.S. National Champion Stallion win in 1999, the animaed grey stallion won the 2002 Canadian National Park Horse Championships, ranking himself as one of the few horses in the breed to win National Champion honors in halter and performance.

Another Minnesota transplant in the mid 60s was Hemming Arabians and its double National Champion Stallion Raffon. Breeders Paul and Carol Hemming were among the first to embrace the dual purpose of the halter / performance show horse, and nurtured Raffon’s career and reputation as a sire, predominantly of great broodmares. Following Raffon’s passing, the Hemming’s acquired BA Bey Elation in the late 1980s, a Huckleberry Bey son and leading sire of multi-purpose halter and performance show horses. BA Bey Elation is the sire of multi-national winning Western Pleasure stallion HR Kareem, now shown by and standing at Bill Porcher Pleasure Horses. Dedicated to the art of training and showing the best in Western Pleasure horses, Bill Porcher has trained and shown many Valley stalwarts, including the stallions CA Hermoso and LBA Lodestar, both who gained national prominence while Bill and fellow trainers Brian Murch, Steve Heathcott, Rich Simpkins and Dick Adams all worked out of the former Royal Oaks Arabian Center.

Another big player to enter the Valley in the 1980s was Om El Arab International, owned by Sigi and Jay Constanti. Riding on the international fame and fortune of her world-renowned stallion *El Shaklan, Sigi brought her family here from Germany in 1983 and built one of the most picturesque facilities in the nation. The farm is one of the few to endure the changing tides of the Arabian horse industry, and is still going strong nearly a quarter century later.

OM EL SHAMAAN

Om El Arab’s talent for producing the exotically beautiful style of horse popular in Europe has brought the Valley a virtual stream of interest – and subsequent new residents – over the years. One of the newest and most active arrivals is Silver Maple Farms owned by Henry and Christie Metz. As a top breeder of pure-in-the-strain Egyptian-line Arabian horses, the Metz’s keen eye for a beautiful horse has literally infused new blood into the Valley. Silver Maple stands many notable straight Egyptian stallions, the most famous is the 1991 Triple Crown Winning National Champion *Simeon Shai, the only stallion ever to win the Arabian Triple Crown and European Salon du Cheval in the same year. The personable *Shai still dazzles guests with his great personality and style, even in his golden years.

Intara Arabians actually helped orchestrate Om El Arab’s arrival here, as owner Doug Dahmen moved to the Valley from Spokane, WA to entice Sigi to let him show and stand *El Shaklan from 1982-1984. Intara also brought Ali Jamaal to the Valley in 1987, prior to the stallion’s exportation to Brazil. Since, Intara has relocated up the coast to Santa Maria and established itself as one of the top breeders in the region and part-owner of the 2002 U.S. National Champion Stallion *Dakar El Jamaal, an Ali Jamaal son. Intara also owns and stands Mazkarade, a top-winning *Dakar son.

The Ali Jamaal influence remains strong, yet subtle in programs across the Valley. Jade Creek Arabians owns and campaigns Jake Jamaal JCA, an Ali Jamaal grandson. Jade Creek’s sprawling breeding/training facility is one of the Valley’s newest faces, and quickly making a good name for itself thanks to its youthful string of nationally award-winning stallions.

JAKE JAMAAL JCA

In the heyday of the 1980s, movie stars and celebrities often found their way to the Valley home of movie director Mike Nichols, and his horse endeavors at Nichols-DeLonpre Arabians. For several years, the NDL facility was a bustling center for high-profile public auctions and champion horses, including Barbary, *Enoss and *Eter. In subsequent years, trainers Don DeLongpre and Richard Petty opened their own operation and guided the emergence of the prominent young stallions Afire Bey V and Reign On, alongside the legendary monarchs Barbary and Khemosabi. The former DeLonpgre apprentice Cynthia Burkman used her Valley roots to sharpen her skills in the saddle, now running her own showbarn in nearby Los Alamos. Cynthia is now regarded as one of the top Hunter Pleasure and English division trainers in the nation. Her facility at High Star Farm is a bustling show barn catering to open, youth and adult amateur riders.

Over the past two decades, several famous Bey Shah sons called the Valley home, and even more of his daughters anchored the programs of many top local breeders. Paragon Arabians first made its mark in the early 80s as a marketing center, then later moved across the Valley to the former Sheffield Stud to develop its own breeding program. Its popular stallion Shah Azim was one of the area’s first Bey Shah sons and subsequently a leading sire of both halter and performance horses. He was later joined in the Valley by the noteworthy Bey Shah sons Kouvey Bey and CWP Chances Are.

The most influential Bey Shah son of them all also left his mark on the Valley: Fame VF. The first and only U.S. National Champion Stallion sired by Bey Shah, Fame VF is the sire of Showkayce+, a local-boy made good, and the only one of his line actually born in the Valley. Showkayce+ is now the breed’s leading sire of Sport Horses and also consistently ranked among the top sires of National halter and performance winners. Owner and breeder Carol Steppe built her program Day Dream Arabians as a protege of Paragon Arabians, and into one of the country’s most versatile and successful breeding programs. In 2005, the program produced the U.S. National Reserve Champion Yearling Colt Signifikayce, as well as the top-winning Arabian Sport Horse ShowGun. This is quite a divergence of talent, though typical of this prospering program.
Day Dream’s amazing success in the booming Arabian Sport Horse world has spread to local farms and trainers. Long-time Valley trainer Kristin Hardin, now a resident of New Cuyama east of Santa Maria, successfully bridged the open hunter / jumper world with the Arabian show world through showing the get and grandget of Showkayce+. Trainer Paul Keenan, the former trainer at Day Dream, opened his own facility across the street from his past employer and now exclusively shows Arabian and Half-Arabian Sport Horses, many bred by Day Dream. One of his clients is LaVista Farm, a long-time Valley resident, that specializes in breeding American Miniature Horses, though now has found an affinity with Arabians and Half-Arabians. Owner Susan Hopmans has experienced great success in each breed, as she continues to fuel her reputation as a collector of exceptional bloodstock.

SHOWKAYCE+

The long list of legendary Arabians that has passed through the Valley is only as successful as the people who brought them here. Two stalwarts in the local Arabian community are Nancy Eklund, owner of Fair Oak Farm and Kelly Elm, head trainer at AYM Arroyo Arabians. Nancy’s family imparted her with their love for the breed, and she has since established her own small farm and stocked it with very pretty and athletic horses. A devoted breeder, amateur rider and halter handler, Nancy has frequently served as the SYVAHA President, and is a consistent voice for advancing the love of the breed and its versatile use as a show, trail and family horse.
Trainer Kelly Elm is a lifetime horse woman and professional English division trainer. She moved to the Valley as a young woman, along with her *Bask son Gask, and has spent the past 20 years directing the show at AYM Arroyo Arabians. The farm is home to National Champion Khaffire, a halter and English Pleasure champion, and a breeding program that specializes in raising purebred and Half-Arabian performance horses. The farm also manages the Sutherlin Arabians horses, including the popular Bey Shah son CWP Chances Are and his exotic stable mate *Noble Lord JP. Sutherlin’s two-time U.S. National Champion Half-Arabian Mare She Be Jammin also resides at the farm, along with the young offspring of all three noteworthy champions.

This picturesque paradise for man and horse has seen many things come and go over the past 50 years. In some quarters, Santa Ynez is know as the Valley of Fads, as it has drawn the allure of a variety of creative collectible. But, in the beginning, it was known for its horses and scenery, and by the 80s, it became known mostly for its Arabian horses. At one time, there was an estimated 5,000 people and about 20,000 horses in the Valley, a high percentage of which were Arabians. Since, the Valley has observed the comings-and-goings of ostriches, emus, Llamas, Alpacas, various fashionable equine breeds, and of course, the booming wine industry.
Though made recently famous by the hit movie ‘Sideways.’ the historic communities that comprise Solvang, Buellton, Ballard, Los Olivos and the old west town of Santa Ynez, are proudly, and once and for all, simply, the Valley of the Arabian Horse.

Author Bob Sweeney is a leading Arabian horse marketing consultant and writer and the official Master of Ceremonies for the 'Valley of the Arabian Horse Tour.'

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