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
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OLIVIA INGLIS
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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.
JEWELRY THAT BENEFITS THE BUCKET FUND HORSES! Every sale counts! Click image to see the new pieces!
Click here for webpage, click here for Facebook!
ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE BUCKET FUND!
FEATURED: The Piece to Have! Layered, alone, doubled, wrapped, necklace/bracelet! $54 I have one similar and I wear it all different ways! Czech glass pearls and orbs, crystal ice pieces, crystal beads, handmade Sterling beads with a handmade Sterling Flower charm midway and handmade Sterling heart charm at crystal closure. 36″ Scrumptious! So useful!
To purchase for $54, click here!
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!
FEATURED 2: Yay! The “Simply Sweet” necklaces are back! $18! Here we have a ball chain with a handmade Sterling Flower pendant! Sweet, simple, elegant. Wear alone or layered! Perfect for Spring! Chain is 16″, pendant an additional 1″
To purchase for $18, click here!
FEATURED 3: Yay! The EVERYDAY Pearl Necklace is back! ONLY $42! I call this the “Every Day Pearl” because I wear mine almost everyday… Czech Glass pearls with crystal closure. You pick handmade Sterling flower or heart. I wear it alone or layered, with jeans or dressy! I truly wear mine all the time! And, this one is special because you can have either a Sterling flower or a Sterling heart charm! You pick – just tell me in the ‘comments’ section of Pay Pal checkout! 18″.
To purchase this necklace for $42, click here!
Click to purchase for $42!
FEATURED 5) Turquoise Necklace with bronze patina medallion! ONLY $110! Turquoise beads strung with handmade Sterling beads, bronze patina pendant and handmade Sterling ring for lobster clasp! Stunning! Great to dress up or wear with jeans!! 20″
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FEATURED 6) TURQUOISE AND ST. FRANCY! Only $135! Turquoise nuggets large and small with handmade sterling beads including handmade Sterling hook ring and Sterling St. Francy “Watch Over Me” pendant! Wear backwards or forwards! Add more charms to the Sterling hook ring! Dress upwards or wear with jeans! 19″
To purchase this necklace for $135, click here!
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.