Lapis Via Arabians
Start with a woman who is old enough to have realized that doing anything other than following your dreams is a giant waste of time. That's me, Jane Mallory Peple, Executive Recruiter by day and horse enthusiast all of the time. I met a handsome Systems Engineer, Sam Long.
Two years later, we are living our dream on a mini horse farm in the Virginia countryside. The first couple of horses came as a package deal with me. The rest we have acquired together.
Our farm name, Lapis Via, means "stone path" in Latin. Our name reminds us that Arabians were not born from a soft place, but from the stoney ground of the desert. It reminds us that we are on a journey begun by others, a journey that will be carried on by others if we do our part well.
But why Arabians? And why Crabbet lineage Arabians? If you must know, it started long ago...
Woodside Scamper at a schooling show. I am 12 or 13 years old in the photo. Scamp is 4. One of our goals is to bring the Arab cross pony back to favor in the hunter show ring.
This is Scamper's sire: Zarian Flash. We used to take Arabians of this substance for granted. Not any more! This may have been the first hint of my drive to be a breeder: I wanted to see Scamper's sire in person. My Mom made the arrangements, I took the pictures.
My 3/4 Arab, Mister Anthony, shown under the name "Syznyk". This is the horse that introduced me to the classic *Raffles look and movement. I am about 14 in this picture.
If you forgive the amateur photography (including the spot on the lens that shows up on his side), you have a glimpse of Beau Quest. This was taken in 2002 at Fairfield Farm, where Beau Quest stands today.
Beau Quest just standing there...gorgeous. Look for a Beau Quest X FFC Oxford Geynee foal in 2010.
Scamper was an incredible jumper, handling a four foot gate at one hunter trial like it was child's play. We did everything together and won a bunch of stuff until I outgrew her.
I told my Mom I wanted another Arab. That's when we met Dr. Russo and her beautiful herd of Crabbet lineage Arabians. That is where I heard the name *Raffles for the first time.
Dr. Russo owned an exquisite mare, Lewisfield Lilly, who passed away only a few years ago as one of the last grandget of *Raffles.
My next mount was Dr. Russo bred and trained Mister Anthony a 3/4 Arab by her Al-Marah bred stallion. We did well on the local hunter circuit. My kind and gentle gelding was unflappable and practically unbeatable on the flat.
And here the story goes cold. My next mount was a beautiful but difficult Thoroughbred mare who succumbed to colic my freshman year in college. I finished school, started a career and moved to the city. My commute home took me past the Fairgrounds.
One day I noticed an Arabian horse show at the Fairgrounds. My heart soared. I could not wait to see my favorite horses! I sat in the stands and watched the first halter class. As each horse was led in and shown I became more disappointed. The horses were not at all what I remembered. They were ethereal, tall, slender, and apparently very afraid of everything.
And then Beau Quest stepped in the ring. Looking back at that moment I understand that it was a devine alignment of time, place and people. The chance that I was there was not chance. The weird coincidence that this was Beau's last appearance in the show ring, in fact was Quest's last effort to turn the tide of show ring popularity, was not a coincidence.
At the time I simply thought, "Yes! That is more like it." The more I watched the more I just thought, "Yes." In fact, he was close to perfect. Beau was pinned close to the bottom of the class. By that time, the results were irrelevant. I had just seen the horse of my dreams. I followed him back to the barn to meet his owners.
Ron and Mary Andress of Quest introduced me to Beau Quest and Quests Allure. Later they sent me photos by photographer Barbara Augello. For the next 12 years I treasured those pictures, waiting for a time in my life when I could own a small piece of the dream.
When Sam came into my life he took to the horses like duck to water. They respect his kind and firm way and they know him best as bringer-of-the-apples.
It is our hope to make available to future generations the kind of dependable, athletic and beautiful horses that served me so well.
