Running Creek Ranch becomes Pollyrich Farms

The 'for sale' sign on Running Creek Ranch was a scary sight for many residents of Santa Ynez Valley's Solvang. The 34-acre breeding and training facility has developed a strong reputation in the breeding business and is particularly well known for its success with embryo transfers. Happily, the property's buyers are lifelong horse people, Buffy and Rick Oas, who moved Pollyrich Farms LLC from Orange Country's Coto de Caza to the Solvang site in June 2004.

Buffy Oas reports that the Running family who owned Running Creek Ranch turned away a few buyers who intended to put tract homes on the property. The Oases don't plan to alter the wonderful program and staff that breeding manager Joe Perez has had in place for close to 20 years. Instead, the intent is to continue operating the ranch as a full-fledged breeding and training facility. "Other than a few upgrades to the property and facility, we are not going to change a thing."

Now to be known as Pollyrich Farms, the Solvang facility is home to a large and fluctuating band of horses. Most are client-owned mares, either pregnant, planning to become so, or preparing to have an embryo collected or transferred, plus a mix of weanlings and retirees.

Embryo Transfer Pioneer

A pioneer in the embryo transfer field, Perez supervised the successful arrival of 42 ET babies last season, and foaled 50 youngsters at Pollyrich Farms. The advantages of the ET process have made it increasingly popular. Leasing or purchasing a recipient mare through pregnancy is a relatively inexpensive way to produce a foal and one that enables the donor mare to go back to her normal work rather than spend 16 months away from the show ring.

All phases of the process are handled on site at Pollyrich. First the donor mare is bred to the selected stallion. Seven days later, the embryo is flushed, then immediately transplanted into the recipient mare. The process requires the synchronization of both mares' reproductive cycles.

Depending on the preferences of the foal's owners, the recipient mare can remain in Pollyrich pastures throughout her pregnancy and delivery or she may be purchased at 30 days pregnant and sent to the foal owner's facility of choice. The foal's owner can return the surrogate mare to Pollyrich.

Pollyrich Farms also handles all aspects of the stallion's side of the breeding equation. Collections are standard procedure and thanks to the miracle of frozen semen "we have access to the world's best stallions and the ability to store the purchased semen for our clients" says Buffy. Anne Dursinski's famous Seoul Olympic mount Starman 25 is no longer being collected but lives happily at the ranch as senior sire and is still available for breeding via frozen semen.

Thanks to year-round great weather and many clients who aren't concerned with the timing of their foal's arrival, the breeding season at Pollyrich is long, typically from February through August.

Pollyrich Farms has every training and riding amenity, including a half-mile track. In addition to giving the breeding lab and clinic a facelift, the Oases put new footing in the arena and in the free jumping chute, and installed a covered Eurociser free walker. All of these amenities enable Pollyrich to provide first-rate care and maintenance for mares and stallions, which can include regular riding as requested. Hanoverian approvals will be held at Pollyrich next year, and Buffy says Holsteiner and Selle Francais approvals are likely too.

German dressage trainer Eicke von Veltheim flies in every 10 weeks to work with the Oases, who like to have the equivalent of a Third Level dressage base on all their horses. For jumping instruction, they work with Francie Steinwedell Carvin, who comes to the ranch regularly and connects with the couple at shows.

Pollyrich Farms usually brings a supply of sale horses to shows to be seen and ridden by prospective buyers. During the off months of the breeding season, the farm also offers pasture time to show horses, or any horse in need of some rest and relaxation, in the farm's peaceful and beautiful environment.

A Family Affair

Rich and Buffy Oas carry on a tradition begun by Rich's parents, Polly and Dick Oas who started Pollyrich Farms. In addition to supporting Rich's juniour career, the senior Oases owned Maybe, a two-time World Cup Final contender who was ridden by Joe Fargis, Conrad Homfeld and Hap Hansen over the years. Both Polly and Dick are thrilled about the farm's move to Solvang and remain active supporters of Rick and Buffy's equestrian endeavors.

The Oases currently have three mares in foal, but otherwise don't intend to go hugely into breeding more horses themselves. Two mares are expecting babies from El Campeon's Holsteiner stallion, Landstreicher, and another is in foal to the Selle Francais stallion Chapultepec.

Both Oases are busy competitors on the hunter/jumper circuit. After a summer's break to accommodate the move and their first ever non-horsy vacation to Hawaii, Rick and Buffy plan to return to the circuit at Indio. Rick usually rides in the Open Jumper division and Buffy competes in the Amateur Owner hunters and jumpers. Their children, Natalie, 11, and Nicholaus, 9, are happy new members of the Santa Ynez Valley Pony Club. Natalie recently completed in her first horse trials, which were held at the Club's home base, Shepard Ranch, in Santa Ynez.

This article was published in the December 2004 issue of California Riding Magazine.

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