Originally published in the Santa Ynez Valley Guest, Winter 2003 by Janet Valentine
Some horse ranches breed great Thoroughbreds, others classic Arabians or Andalusians that exemplify their breed. But Cielo Celeste Farm is a horse of a different color (so to speak). At this charming ranch, set deep in the Santa Ynez Valley, horses are bred not only for quality and grace, but also for excellent pedigree and exotic, highly unique colors, especially American Quarter Horses with the dun factor and black and white Paint horses.
Cielo Celeste Farm's Bold Win, a black tobiano
stallion, poses with farm owner Cici Huston.


"My farm ranks very high on the list of top breeding farms in California," says owner Celeste ("Cici") Huston. "We have gathered the finest bloodlines of the most magnificent stallions one could choose to breed to their mares. I've been breeding paints for the last fourteen years, and I ain't dun coloring yet," she quipped.

"The mares here range in all the spectrum of exotic color pattern, from dun to palomino and buckskin to grulla, which makes our foaling season very exciting!"

Cici, a dedicated horsewoman herself, is one of the most spirited members of the Valley's equestrian crowd. As a girl, she was a student at the Montecito School for Girls, a lovely facility which has since been converted to an upscale retirement home, Casa Dorinda. But when Cici was a student there, the girls were permitted to keep their own horses on the premises.

"I had been horse-crazy for years," she says, recalling how she was enchanted by the many bridle trails winding through the woodsy grounds. Her interest in horses grew, and after leaving the school, she trained and rode in horse shows for years, working first with Saddlebreds and then spending twenty years showing Arabians.

Her association with horses has been a unifying theme in her sometimes tumultuous life. Her skill and talent with horses has given a special impetus to her relationships. In the 1980's, she bred a Top-Ten Arabian mare in partnership with Ronnie Burns, son of George Burns. Through her friendship with Bo Derek, she became interested in Andalusians.

Her "rainbow of magnificent horses" ranges from a rare silver grullla to striking black and white Paints. She searched nationwide for the American Quarter Horse stallion TM Cody B Smokin, her rare silver grulla, finally finding him in Michigan.

Cody clearly demonstrates the dun factor, a pattern that can include a dark stripe along the middle of the back, a dark mask, striped legs, and web like patterns on the chest. The total effect is to make the horse resemble and equine eland-truly a horse of a different color.

Cielo Celeste Farm also stands a striking black tobiano stallion, Bold Win, who carries the bloodlines of Moon Deck, Top Deck, Pee Wee King and Skipper W. He has sired over 64 registered American Paint Horse Association foals, including a 2002 National Barrel Race Champion. At age 24, he's still going strong and is in great demand.

Cici's third stallion is a cutting-bred stud named Colonels Gotaspot, a black overo*, minimal white grandson of the great Colonel Freckles, who crosses back five times to King breeding. His presence is reminiscent of his five-time crosses to King 234, with classic foundation Quarter Horse appeal. "I found Gotaspot in Texas, "Cici recalled, "and I got lucky with Bold Win, as I found him not far from where I was living at that time."

With Cielo Celeste Farm, Cici's girlhood dream has come true. She made it happen-from high fashion model to high power horsewoman. Now that she's living her dream, she is committed to breed and promote cutting, working cow and ranch horses of high quality with great temperament and wonderful color. "We start all our young ones with a super foundation of basic training, so when they go on to the pros, they are ready to mold," Cici informed us. "In fact, we have one leaving next week for reining training with Phillip Ralls (son of world class reiner, Ron Ralls)."

Cici and her staff welcome all inquires about any of their stallions, and would love to give guests an opportunity to view not only the stallions, but also to see all of the awesome horses for sale at this lovely five star facility. There are palominos in an amazing array of beige and tans, with creamy blond tails, and Paints who trot up to you and seem to smile, they are so friendly. You won't want to leave the rainbow horses of Cielo Celeste Farm. *"Overo" and "Tobiano" are two of many highly abstruse terms used to describe the various color patterns of Paint horses.



Contact Information
Cielo Celeste Farm
Santa Ynez, CA 93460
(805 688-8020 Barn
(805) 693-8410 FAX
Send mail to cchuston@hotmail.com

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