Just a great big thank you for the "Spring Fling". You and your entire
staff were just "audacious"! For the first time in many years we are renewed in our "dream" of what can be!
With gratitude, Jim & Kathy Foster
p.s. see you in August!
Hi Sheila,
Thanks for another wonderful Spring Fling. What a pleasure to see Jullyen truly play for the first time in front of a crowd. Desperado was as always unworldly magical, such power. He was so beautiful this time he truly seemed unreal. When he slowly comes toward you in that gait that I can't even describe with his magnificent head bowed, well it is something I can't even find words for. Many a tear was shed.
I found myself as always out with the broodmares. La Kijan has always been special to me since I first saw Kleopatra Jullyen and had to see who her dam was. I loved how her whole focus was shielding her foal from the crowds and other mares, her one thought keeping it safe, totally unaware of her celebrity.
Another highlight for me this year was being in the show barn and seeing that incredible photo of Sanadik El Shaklan which I am always drawn to. When I heard a horse nicker, I turned around and saw one of the most beautiful mares I have ever seen and realized I was looking into the eyes of one of his very own daughters, La Kelila. Those are priceless moments one never forgets.
Thanks again,
Dallas Jackson
Hi Sheila,
WOW - As usual another Spectacular Spring Fling. Thank you. This was my 4th Spring Fling and I have more fun each time. It was wonderful to see Jaime riding Bravado around the grounds on Saturday. The weather was perfect - the horses were beautiful - the grounds meticulous - the food delicious, and those "classy" bathrooms - what a nice treat. You folks sure know how to do it right... I always learn from your seminars and have a great time chatting with fellow Arabian horse lovers.
You and your entire staff are always so gracious - it is very kind of you to open your farm to the public and share your knowledge with us amateurs. We soak up every word! Looking forward to my next visit to your farm.
Warm regards,
Mary Jane Hanson, PhD
Pennsylvania
Dearest Sheila,
So good to see you again. I hope your event was successful. As always, there were so many beautiful horses to see and enjoy.
I so appreciate you as a person and a horse breeder and as an advocate for horses in general. I always learn from you teachings.
I hope that you realize how loved and admired you are. You have so many loyal supporters.
Take care,
Barbara Beck
See you in August!
Your Spring Fling was breathtaking! Just simply sitting around the tables watching those beautiful pennants streaming in the wind was enough to make anyone's day. But the overall organization with name tags on ALL the pens, the spotlessness of the farm and of course, the horses, the horses, the horses! Wonderful.
Your five representatives from Santa Ynez voted on Flamedancer as your next cowpony. Gorgeous horse. Actually I could see myself elegantly riding the turf with that steed. We did see a couple watching intently as he was being shown, figured they were honing in on him.
We were touring the back pens when Desperado was turned back into his pen. He ran around, flopped himself down on the grass, rolled and rubbed the dirt back into his hair and then strolled over to check us out. After his debut, he had dry grass tangled back in his mane, dust covering his back. Looking very much like Hugh Hefner strolling the paddock in his silk robe.
As you unwind from this event, rest assured that it was a successful weekend. It doesn't even look like it is an routine annual event. It is so uniquely put together that it seems like it was a one day celebration. We had a glorious day.
Congratulations,
The Reynolds
Hi Sheila,
I just wanted to say thank you again for the Spring Fling. It was my first time attending one of your events even though I have wanted to for quite some time now. I had an absolutely AWESOME time, it couldn't have been any better. The seminars were great (and I could listen to you tell stories all day!), the food was fantastic, your place is beautiful, and the weather was wonderful. I was concerned about the rain on Sunday but I agree with you that it made it more intimate. The consistent quality and beauty of the horses brings tears to the eyes. It was so wonderful to see Desperado V, what an impact he has had on the breed. I was so impressed with what Maclintock V did with the Quarter horse mare, that was the final selling point for me to buy my breeding (not as if I really needed another reason, Maclintock V is great!). I am so excited about having purchased the breeding and I will find the right mare. Also, I will be back for the Summer Jubilee, maybe not this year (we'll see) but hopefully next year at least. Oh, and my highest compliments to those who work for you, they were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly!!
Anyway, thank you again for putting on such a fantastic event!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Ann Gauntlett
Hello Sheila & Angela,
Just wanted to say "Hats Off!" to everyone at that end for another wonderful Spring Fling! Always so enjoyable to have another chance to see the Varian stallions & sale stock, & thanks so much for placing Obsidian Silk out front where it was easy for me to visit with him (which I did, quite a bit!). He seemed pretty much back to his normal friendly self again. Thank you also, Sheila, for a wonderful ladies' dinner out, which was such a pleasant & interesting way to kick-off another Spring Fling. I do think the weather on Sunday was much harder on the organizers than on the attendees, as it was very pleasant to be so up-close & personal with all the horses & talks.
Very best,
Heather
Starfish Lavender Farm
Dear Sheila,
Still in a state of delight after Saturday at your place. Have wanted to come for a long time and could only do one day, but it was heaven. If we could have stayed yesterday would probably have had to be carried away as it was hard to leave after one day. Many thanks for you, your horses, and your gracious hospitality.
Gratefully,
Jo Gardner
Dear Sheila,
I just wanted to say a big thank you to you and your very wonderful staff for showing me why Varian Arabians is where it is today. I mostly observed and listened while I was there. I was entertained by beautiful horses, smiling faces and fine food and drink. I left inspired in a lot of ways but one is to come back some day to ride in those beautiful mountains with you!
I'm excited about the breeding to Bel Aire V that I booked!
Thanks again for everything.
Sincerely,
David Jones DVM
Kentucky
Hi Sheila - I just wanted to say thank you for a marvelous weekend! Watching those awesome horses and hearing your stories brought tears to my eyes several times. What a wonderful place you have there. Thank you for your hospitality and the opportunity to come and visit.
Lynn and myself talked all the way home about how we need to keep our horses cleaner and prettier - Lynn wants to teach her mare to "stand up" so she can show her off and was all excited about digging out the AHA papers on her 31 year old arab mare to see what her breeding is.
It was fun to meet other people who are just trying to improve their own horses. We were afraid that we would be the only "normal" people there - that everyone who attended your event would be there to purchase the next greatest show horse. We were very pleasantly surprised. I met a couple of gals who were also at Ft. Robinson as well. If only unlimited time and funds made it possible to come to your cousin's ranch and play and ride in May. But we have cattle to brand and horses to train and all the fun things we do here as well.
Lynn and I took time to wander around Arroyo Grande - we met the chickens. The locals don't seem to care for those chickens much, but we thought they were silly and very full of themselves. We drove up the coast, found a couple of great restaurants and walked on the beach every afternoon. We wandered old downtown San Luis Obispo and went to a service at the old mission on Sunday evening. That was great! It was brimful of students from the univ. and they have a contemporary service with guitars and drums. Very enjoyable. We found an old used books store in San Luis Obispo and I'm afraid my luggage was probably over 50 lbs - but they thankfully didn't charge me at the airport. Monday morning we ate breakfast at a restaurant overlooking Morro Bay and watched a couple of seals (sealions?) playing in the water, then we walked along Morro Beach and took zillions of pictures of the rocks and the water. We both thought that the only thing that would've made it any better would have been to be able to gallop our horses along the beach.
Thank you again
Talk with you soon,
Kim Price
Sheila and staff -
As one of the 300, I would love to take the opportunity to thank all of the staff and Sheila for a great time! This was my first time to a Varian event. It was so much fun and so informative. The breeding program, while well established, is still fresh and vibrant. The consistency of the horses is truly remarkable, and yet, Sheila brings in another stallion. The sign of a masterful breeder is one that never stops trying to improve. I saw some friends that I haven't seen in a very long time which was an added bonus! I was also very lucky to acquire two really lovely fillies!
Again, thank you all so much!
Ronai White
