Worth a Whopping $12,419,850 “The Birthplace of Some of the Best Arabian Horses in the World” Finds a Pair of Unlikely Owners

The Arabian horse holds a prestigious reputation and commands global demand. These horses are renowned for their captivating presence, enduring athleticism, and exceptional character. In the United States, Varian Equestrian Center is known to be the place to go for the finest Arabian breed horses.

Recently, the $12,419,850 worth center is in the news not because of horses but because it has found new owners. The news was expected by the equestrian community because the ranch was on sale for several months. The new owners of the ranch are two-time Pole Vault Olympian Simon Arkell and his wife Caprice.

New Owners of the  Arroyo Grande Ranch

The renowned Varian Equestrian Center in Arroyo Grande has been sold. The new owner has acquired the horse ranch, which spans 150 acres of land and is located on Corbett Canyon Road, nestled between hills in the southern region of San Luis Obispo County. After the purchase the Olympian said, “We decided that this could be a fantastic opportunity for us to not only honor the history of the place but also to turn it into something that could be remarkable“.  He intends to involve the equestrian community and the local population to make the place remarkable.

He feels that the story of the Varian Equestrian Center founder is quite similar to his. When he came to the US to try to compete in the Olympics his chances were low. But he defied the odds and achieved his goals. Similarly, Sheila Varian despite facing the odds made her dream true and he and Caprice intend to her dream alive.

Simon Arkell has been involved in the medical field and is co-founder of oncology clinics trail matching companies like Versifi Technologies, Predixion Software, and Deep Lens. He intends to buy a hiking trail in the future but right now his focus is on Varian Arabians.

Varian equestrian center has a glorious history

Sheila Varian established the Varian Equestrian Center as a breeding facility for Arabian horses. As a dedicated horse breeder, she passionately devoted herself to the work and successfully bred other varieties such as Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. Later on, the ranch has been described as the birthplace of the best Arabian horse. About 70% of registered Arabian horses in the US are of the Varian bloodline.

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Sheila Varian died in 2016 but before that, she gave the ranch to Rangeland Trust to keep the property running. Sheila Varian had an agreement with the trust that the ranch would not be sold until her long-time friend and ranch manager, Angela Alvarez, retired. Angela will now look after breeding and pulls back from day-to-day operations.

It is a new journey for Varian Equestrian Center and the new owners would strive to keep the great legacy continue in the future.

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