The story of Bella Vista…

Bella Vista Farm began in 2010 when Jason purchased the farm. The farm wasn't known as Bella Vista, but the entrancing views from multiple directions sealed the purchase.  Bella Vista or "beautiful view" just clicked.  The farm consists of almost 50 acres in the heart of the Middletown Valley, just west of the City of Frederick, Maryland.  Bella Vista is approximately 35 miles north of the DC Beltway and about 40 miles west of Baltimore.  

The Cleveland Bay journey began shortly after moving to Bella Vista. Jason, an avid foxchaser at the time, wanted to breed his next fieldhunter and his good friend, Marcia Brody, owned a 3/4 CB stallion, Belladonna Quasar. Jason acquired an ex-race TB mare and bred her to Quasar - resulting in Bellavista Amazing (Maisie). The process, result, and potential to help contribute to a vital breed caused Jason to begin building a herd. His first acquisition was trio of mares from a retiring breeder. Two of those mares are still part of the herd today - Carolina Rainbow (pure mare retired from breeding but a regular nanny to weanlings and granddam to many horses we’ve bred) and Venus BV (still a part of our breeding program and beloved by many in the Bella Vista “family” because she’s sired some FANTASTIC colts which will help carry the breed in the future including Bellavista Highland Park, Bellavista Knox Park, and Bellavista Ichabod Crane).

Malcolm joined Jason on the farm in 2014, and after marrying in 2018, they bought a second farm nearby, Fox Hollow Farm. The second farm would allow us to more easily manage multiple stallions, the annual weaning process, as well as grow our breeding program. In 2021, our son, Logan (means “of the hollow”) arrived and he is the future of our work here. Fox Hollow is bordered by more than a mile and a half of the Catoctin Creek and a sharp ravine on the south and a rolling terrain with ample woods, meadows, hayfields, and pasture. Fox Hollow is particularly special because of the abundance of wildlife - active eagle nests, owls, herons, otters, fox, coyote, deer, and birds galore. It seemed like a fitting home for helping take care of our little corner of the world. Cheers!