Cover story for Arabian Horse Times
Brooke Landon is not your typical teenager. Brooke Landon is also not your typical Arabian
horse competitor or breeder. The opening line to this piece is the first and last time her age will
be mentioned, because her knowledge of the breed and strategy behind how she plans to leave
her mark, makes the number of laps she’s taken around the sun irrelevant. Landon is solely
dedicated to her family business, Landon Equestrian. She shows an impressive string of horses
but admits the bulk of her passion is driven by breeding English Arabians and Half-Arabians.
Landon, along with the help of her family and mentors, has created a system that she thinks will
change the Arabian breed for the better. Entering the industry at the age she did, most young kids
are only focused on learning how to be the best competitor they can. From day one, Landon has
been obsessive about lineage – using her analytical brain to learn all she could about generations
of horses.
In line with the 2024 Youth Nationals theme “The Magic in You,” Landon was asked what she
thought her personal magic was. She felt it was embracing the Arabian breed and helping the
breed become the best it can be.
“She wants to breed, not just be in the horses for the fun,” Landon’s trainer Jim Lowe said.
“Brooke is going to be around for a while. She has a true passion for raising horses.”
Lowe Show Horse Centre operates out of the Landon Equestrian facility. Lowe has a front row
seat to watch Landon interact with the horses and babies daily. He talks a lot about the bonds he
witnesses Landon grow with the horses. Although her heart lies in the breeding aspect of the
industry, she loves getting to show and compete at the highest of levels, like the upcoming Youth
National Championships.
Always a Lesson. Never a Failure
At the upcoming Youth National Championships, Landon will be showing Layla RTA in
Arabian English Pleasure Choice JTR and Arabian Park Horse JTR; Royal Nobility (Harry) in
Arabian English Pleasure JOTR 15-18 and JTR, as well as Arabian Pleasure Driving JTD; and
La Bella Vita in Arabian Country English Pleasure JTR Choice, Arabian English Pleasure JTR
15-18, and Arabian Country Pleasure Driving.
This will be Landon’s fourth time competing at the Youth Nationals, where she has already won
one national championship and seven reserve national championships in years prior. Five of her
national titles have been with Harry (pictured on the back cover). Landon is excited to show her
horses on the biggest stage of the year.
It has not been many years since Landon was a first-time competitor, but she still has wise words
to share with newer youth riders. Her advice shows that her mature wisdom applies to both her
perspective on breeding and showing.
“Remember to breathe,” she simply states. “Not making the cut, getting the gate or not reaching
the pinnacle of showing you had hoped for yourself is always a lesson and never a failure. You
will take those experiences to your next classes. It takes years to develop a rider and a show
horse.”
Landon eagerly waits for the day that she can show some of the stock she created for her
breeding program and the industry. In her own words, these horses are her financial and
intellectual investments, so she is excited to marry her two worlds and showcase these foals in
the future. She considers these horses her brand. With the mentors in her life and goals she has
for herself, this will be a meaningful feat for her and for the industry.
In the saddle, she looks up to a very familiar name: Sophie Yih. Landon talked a lot about their
friendship and adopting Yih’s practice of watching back all footage of her lessons and
performances – the “good” and the “bad.” Landon takes the same care and attention she has to
breeding lineages as she does to her own riding success. She does not cut corners in anything she
is invested in. Landon spends as much of her days possible in the barn and around the horses –
honing all the key components of being a successful rider and breeder.
Landon says that she also leans on some of the greats like Tim and Marty Shea and Ray LaCroix
for other things as well. With a breeding empire like Shea Stables and Maroon Fire Arabians, the
Sheas have become mentors to Landon when it comes to reproducing techniques, along with
some training principles. And LaCroix and Landon bond often over being “bloodline buffs.”
Breeding: No Risk, No Reward
With all her time researching and trying different crosses, Landon feels that is what the industry
needs more of: diversity of bloodlines. “Just because something has been done for years, doesn't
mean it’s the only way to do it,” she said with confidence. A real concern of the young breeder
(especially considering the decline of competition numbers), is that the breed will run out of
fresh bloodlines to create new crosses. That is why Landon has taken such thoughtful time with
the stallions she has purchased, purchasing imported breeding stallions and mares on more than
one occasion.
Rhythmic AHSA (pictured on the front cover) was imported from Australia by Landon’s
mentors and inspirations, Tim and Marty Shea. Landon purchased this young stallion and is
excited about his potential. She specifically points out how his bloodlines can help
conformational correctness (legs and feet, especially) and motion from the hind end. In her
experience thus far, she really feels this horse is bringing something special to the mares he is
bred to, producing quality babies.
Even from a young age, Landon has entered the conversations about breeding and improving the
Arabian breed. She is not afraid to give her opinion and encourages others to do the same.
“I hope people have the courage to take a risk in breeding,” Landon said.
Many of her moves so far have been “out of the box,” including importing Friesan stallion
Thomas with the intention of creating a new wave of English horses. Landon is not afraid of
taking a risk that, because she feels her risks are well-thought out and planned. No risk, no
reward, and Landon feels the rewards of her risk will be plentiful.
Landon Equestrian
The most encouraging part of Landon’s tenacity is that it is not selfish. This young breeder has a
vision for making the breed better. She is not only interested in creating great horses for her to
show, breed and sell. Her analysis has led her to a hole in the Arabian industry that she has made
her life work to fill. She is going to great lengths (like, across oceans) to do her part for the
horses she has fallen in love with.
She wants her stallions to be attainable for any level of breeder and for her farm to be a place
where people feel comfortable spending time. Landon keeps the stud fees low and drops her
stallion’s stud fees so breeders of all levels can use them. And people who pay a visit to the
central California farm can expect to be met with quality hospitality and kindness.
With some current concerns in the breed, the Arabian horse industry will be thankful that Landon
is here testing some sure-fire principles with a new twist.
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