This week, we lost two horse women. One very sadly and one very tragically.
I wanted to bring the stories of Sheila Varian and Olivia Inglis to you, just in case you hadn’t read them already… mainly because of the outpouring of love and support that followed both events.
SHEILA VARIAN
OLIVIA INGLIS
FOLLOW THE ‘RIDE FOR OLIVIA’ PHOTOS
If you would like to follow the ‘Ride for Olivia” photos:
FB: linked here
Twitter: linked here
The outpouring is amazing… Here is just a sample of the hundreds of photos from strangers who posted in support and comfort.
GO OUT AND CHERISH WHAT YOU HAVE, LOVE THOSE YOU LOVE AND HUG YOUR HORSE.
Click here for webpage, click here for Facebook!
ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE BUCKET FUND!
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FEATURED 1: SeaTrade necklace! Lovely muted earth tones with pops of turquoise blue Czech glass beads! Only $28! Czech glass neutral discs dispersed with bright turquoise glass beads and matte trade beads ending in muted earth/sea tone seed beads Handmade Sterling flower charm at Agate closure. Very subtly beautiful. 19″
To purchase for $28, click here!
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To purchase this necklace for $42, click here!
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I will understand if you do not wish to post this. Lots of people say you should not speak ill of the dead even if what you speak is the truth.
I am sorry to say this, but: my admiration for Sheila Varian as a horsewoman died many years ago at US Nationals in Albuquerque. I witnessed Sheila standing by calmly watching as her then-Big Name Stallion (and there have been so many) was viciously whipped over and over and over and shanked repeatedly by one of the Varian trainers. This act of egregious cruelty was performed out in the open (at the fairgrounds where the show was being held) and actually took place in front of a crowd of people who had gathered to watch the horse being photographed by an equally Big-Name Photographer. People were murmuring, people were shocked, but seemed confused – no one seemed to know what to do, it was like the people watching were sort of frozen or scared because – why? You know. Big Name Trainer. Big Name Breeder. Power. Influence. Huge potential for retaliation. Well – I wasn’t frozen in place. I approached Ms. Varian directly and said words to the effect of why is this going on, why are you allowing this, why don’t you stop this, you of all people.
And I will never ever forget her arrogant, dismissive and condescending reply – “why, what’s wrong with it?” To me, that said it all.
I did ask about turning her in to AHA and filing a complaint with the authorities but was roundly discouraged by show committee members – it “simply would NOT do” to do anything against a Big Name Breeder and/or Big Name Trainer. AHA’s show commissioner at that time informed me that as I had not been an exhibitor, only a spectator, that I had “no standing” to bring a complaint of any kind. (I think I still have the letter in my files somewhere.)
Shortly after that, though I kept the Arabian horses I already had (including a Bey Shah son, an Asadd son, and an El Hilal daughter, and several winning performance horses) I and my family decided we wanted nothing more whatsoever to do with the Arabian show world. That a Big Name Trainer could senselessly abuse a horse in front of a crowd of people while the Big Name Owner clearly did not care – that was enough for us.
BTW the Bey Shah son lived to be 37 years old – a great example of how long and how well a horse can live when treated well.