Historic SLO County horse ranch sells to Olympian and Cal Poly alum

John Lynch
·4 min read
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One of Arroyo Grande’s most well-known ranches has a new owner.

According to a release from land trust California Rangeland Trust, Varian Arabians Ranch, a 150-acre horse ranch on Corbett Canyon Road, was sold to a two-time Olympic athlete and his wife. The couple paid $3,125,000 for the property, according to Zillow, after it was listed at $3.75 million in November. California Outdoor Properties was the listing agent.

Cal Poly graduate, five-time NCAA All-American and seven-time Western Athletic Conference champion Simon Arkell, who competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games as a pole vaulter for his home country of Australia, purchased the historic ranch and hopes to continue its legacy, the release said.

Arkell is also known for his medical contributions as co-founder of Versifi Technologies, Predixion Software and Deep Lens, an oncology clinical trial matching company that pairs cancer patients with clinical trials, according to LinkedIn.

“What is striking for me, having come to the U.S. to try and make it to the Olympics despite having almost no chance, is that my story feels a bit like (Varian’s),” Arkell said in the release. “Ms. Varian became successful despite the odds to make her dream come true. Caprice and I feel like we are being courageous in a new way to keep her dream alive.”

Sheila Varian, the ranch’s original owner and founder, was a well-known breeder and trainer of Arabian horses, with up to 70% of all Arabian horses in the United States carrying the Varian bloodline, the release said.

Sheila Varian with her arabian mare Breeze V at her ranch in Corbett Canyon, Varian was recently inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo from Nov. 27, 2003.
Sheila Varian with her arabian mare Breeze V at her ranch in Corbett Canyon, Varian was recently inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo from Nov. 27, 2003.

Before Varian died in 2016 of ovarian cancer, she partnered with the Rangeland Trust to make a plan to keep the property working as a ranch under its next owners, the release said.

“I could not bear the thought of this place being broken up,” Varian said. “Now all the animals that live here will be safe, and people will still be safe to visit here.”

Varian left the ranch to the Rangeland Trust with the understanding it would be conserved via a conservation easement and sold only once her longtime friend and ranch manager Angela Alvarez was ready to retire, the release said.

Alvarez will continue breeding Arabian horses on the property but will step back from day-to-day operations after 38 years at the ranch, the release said.

Varian Arabians ranch manager Angela Alvarez stands with 10-year-old breeding stallion Major Mac V, one of the last four Varian-bred Arabian horses still on the property. Varian Arabians Ranch founder Sheila Varian instructed Alvarez to care for the four horses prior to her 2016 death.
Varian Arabians ranch manager Angela Alvarez stands with 10-year-old breeding stallion Major Mac V, one of the last four Varian-bred Arabian horses still on the property. Varian Arabians Ranch founder Sheila Varian instructed Alvarez to care for the four horses prior to her 2016 death.

Varian’s prized possessions, which the ranch has housed in a small museum in her memory, will be spread across several locations, including her cousin Jack Varian’s V6 Ranch in Parkfield, the release said.

Memorabilia from her win at the 1961 Open Reined Cow Horse Championship at the Cow Palace, including the saddle she won the event on, will be displayed at the San Francisco pavilion, the release said.

The Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum will be home to the dress, hat and boots that Varian wore when she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the release said.

A history wall on the ranch will be preserved for guests to learn about Varian and her work in the equine industry, the release said.

Varian Arabians ranch manager Angela Alvarez looks at some of Sheila Varian’s possessions in the Sheila Varian Museum.
Varian Arabians ranch manager Angela Alvarez looks at some of Sheila Varian’s possessions in the Sheila Varian Museum.

Proceeds from the sale will go to the Rangeland Trust to conserve working lands across the state and keep the nonprofit funded, the release said.

“We are pleased to honor Sheila’s wishes and fulfill our promise to make her dream of conserving the beloved ranch, while also furthering additional rangeland conservation through the sale of the ranch, a reality,” California Rangeland Trust CEO Michael Delbar said in the release. “Additionally, we are excited to welcome the Arkells into the Rangeland Trust family as new landowner partners.”

Arkell said he hopes to continue Varian’s work on the ranch, and will use the property to advance his work in raising money for cancer charities, the release said.

The Arkells will continue breeding and boarding horses, opening the ranch’s boarding facilities to all horses under a new name, the “Varian Equestrian Center,” the release said.

A barn at Varian Arabians Ranch stands mostly empty of its horses.
A barn at Varian Arabians Ranch stands mostly empty of its horses.

In the future, the Arkells hope to offer the property as an event space and as a wedding venue to support the equestrian operation, the release said.

“Caprice, our kids Graham and Sophie, and I want to be stewards of this amazing property, to protect it and improve it for the community and future generations, but also leverage it to help others,” Arkell said in the release.