The sunset stables Room

V6 Dude Ranch California Parkfield Lodge Sunset Stables Room

The Sunset Stables Room

The Sunset Room is a tribute to Zee (Smith) Varian's family legacy. Her father, mother and five siblings were at the heart of the equine world in Los Angeles, operating numerous riding stables and producing Wild West Shows and Rodeos around the area. The family was involved in the 1950's heyday of Hollywood Westerns. The Smith Family is still heavily involved in the horse world operating the Sunset Stable below the Hollywood sign and Zee's work here at the V6 Ranch. Sunset Stable Room has two queen beds.

Features:

  • TWO queen sized beds

  • Loft

  • Bar seating

  • porch seating

Art & Materials

History

In 1929, Jute Smith, father of V6 Ranch matriarch Zee Varian, bought a few acres of land in Culver City, right off of Slauson Avenue, and started the original Sunset Ranch. The Ranch was home to rodeo shows, a Quarter Horse race track, wild west shows, hay rides, barn dances and more. At these stables city kids became cowboys and cowgirls, including Pro-Rodeo Hall of Famer Cotton Rosser, Cowgirl Hall of Famer Audrey Griffin and many more. Here Zee Smith Varian and her six siblings grew up performing in wild west shows, taking out trail rides and hay rides, and living a truly western life in what is now deeply urban Los Angeles.

In 1954 developers pushed Jute out of his Culver City location but he soon found a piece of land already horse occupied in a little canyon at the top of Beachwood Drive, under the famous Hollywood Sign. The stable was originally intended for the wealthy inhabitants of the Hollywoodland subdivision however when the depression hit the stable was quiet for many years. Jute took over the stable from Bertha Mann in 1952, leased it out for two years and began running it in 1954. In 1970, his son, Steve Smith took over the ranch to turn it into a thriving business. In 1995 Stephen Smith Jr. took over for his father and owns the stable to this day. Today the stable still thrives, taking out trail rides under the Hollywood Sign and featuring in many movies and shows.

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