Of Land & Sea: The Story of Verdict J and Jalama Valley Ranch
by Evie Tubbs Sweeney
“No river can return to its source, yet all rivers must have a beginning.”
– Native American Proverb
It was a golden embrace of childhood on the Central Coast of California. Entire days were spent relishing beach activities like swimming and shell-collecting on the famous Shell Beach. The adventurous young girl found perfect happiness either at the ocean or riding her green-broke, tri-colored pony – aptly named “Brightly”– through rolling hills… returning home only when hunger and thirst forced no other option.
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The ocean’s melody and the earth’s heartbeat resonated within Violet Sage Walker long before her indigenous Chumash roots took hold in her heart.
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“I explored our whole homeland,” Violet recalled. “I could tell you the location of every sacred site. Our family is buried under Lake Lopez. I carry the stories of this place, its history, and oral traditions passed down through generations. We’ve forgotten a lot because of the things that have happened to our people. But we still have much, and we are recreating things we’ve lost, primarily a connection to this land.”
It is a soft, understated reference to resilience in the face of unspeakable atrocities to indigenous people groups… the Holocaust of its time that is still felt in their familial fabric today. Despite the hardships faced by California natives, horses and farming played a pivotal role in their survival, as highlighted by the original Vaquero hackamores made of deer skin – not cow hide – by Native Americans.
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“The California native people were on an extermination list,” Violet said. “Millions were killed. Our family changed their names and hid as farmers and ranchers. There was a time when horses and ranch-handed farming literally saved our people.”
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As Violet transitioned to Arroyo Grande in her teenage years, she encountered influential figures in the Arabian horse community like Sheila Varian, fostering her love for Arabian horses and California Vaquero traditions. Working at Rancho De Robles Arabian Horse Farm under Bob Gay's guidance exposed her to renowned Polish English horses such as Cognac, *Aladdinn, and Strike, shaping her passion for the Arabian breed.
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When Gay passed in 2014, Violet assumed care of a dozen of his horses, faithfully caring for them for the rest of their lives, putting her own dreams on hold, though she’d attend every Varian event with a dream in her heart.
Following significant losses in 2022, with her father's passing and the last of Bob Gay's horses, Violet found solace in acquiring a Varian-bred horse named Salah Al Din, reigniting her childhood dream of investing in quality Arabian horses.
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“I couldn’t replace my Dad,” said Violet. “But I could replace my horse.”
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Attending the 2023 Scottsdale Show marked a new chapter for Violet as she indulged in new tack, a new trailer, and a Jerland Arabians mare named Khalirose J (sire/dam).
“I left that show with a whole new package, and I was addicted,” Violet recalled, a detectable glint of happiness still apparent in her tone.
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Khali, a striking chestnut mare with a flaxen mane, captivated Violet with her quiet demeanor and mindful, deliberate way of going, solidifying a special bond between them. This partnership also marked the beginning of a lasting friendship with Khali’s breeder, Larry Jerome, founded not only on their shared love for Arabian horses but also on mutual interests in ocean conservation and the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the world’s first proposed tribally nominated sanctuary that preserves marine and cultural resources along 156 miles of Central California Coastline, chaired by Violet herself.
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“I would call Larry whenever she won a class. That man always called me back at 6:00 am on the dot. I thought he was calling for the horses, but later I realized that our conversations weren’t really about horses. Larry wanted to know more about my ocean conservation and the Marine Sanctuary I was leading.”
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