ARABIAN HORSES HIGHLIGHT BENEFIT.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

The sun broke through Sunday's gray clouds just in time for ladies and gentlemen at luncheon to enjoy the prancing of Arabian horses kept at David Murdock's Ventura Farms stables.

From under a big white lawn tent and straw hats, guests admired the decorated horses while sipping champagne and nibbling on fruit and pasta.

It was just what Helene Ross, organizer of the event, had envisioned for A Day at Ascot, the fourth annual fund-raiser for the New West Symphony of Ventura County.

``I thought we should have an event that fit our community,'' Ross said. ``I thought this would be appropriate for the beautiful area of Thousand Oaks and Westlake.''

The event was held at a Foxfield farm for the first three years, but was moved this year after Murdock, president of Dole Foods, volunteered his stable grounds, Ross said. The fund-raiser has slowly grown from 150 guests the first year to 400 people this year - and Ross said she had to turn away 150 others because of space limitations.

Event organizers expected to raise thousands of dollars from the $75-a-person luncheon and auctions, in which bidders could buy a week's stay at Mammoth, airline tickets, artwork and other items.

Set in front of the brick and sandstone stables at Ventura Farms' Arabian division and tucked among the Hidden Valley hills, the event gave guests the opportunity to see Poison, an all-white Arabian grabbing most of the attention, as well as such horses as A Secret Kiss, Riskie Business and Fire Danczer.

Or they could watch as yearlings and their mothers trotted around a nearby arena.

Nancy Bealer and her daughter, Kelsey, who rides a horse named Savoy, couldn't help but be impressed by the stunning Arabians and the stable grounds.

``It's quite a bit more than we expected. This is not your typical charity luncheon,'' Nancy Bealer said. ``We see one side of it at the horse shows my daughter participates in. But this is the primo.''

Even Kelsey, with a natural affection for her own horse, enjoyed getting a look at the Arabians.

``Savoy - he's beautiful,'' Kelsey, 13, said. ``These horses are really beautiful.''

About 86 Arabians are kept at the stables, including 41 of Murdock's and 45 that are being trained by Ventura Farms, said Patti Distad, on the Ventura Farms staff. The ``guest'' horses come from all over the country, she said.

The stables offer just about all services, including performance training, breeding, showing and marketing, Distad said.

Some of the horses can be bought - not Poison, however - with prices ranging from $1,000 for a yearling gelding to $50,000 and over for the top Arabians, Distad said.

``We can help you find a horse if we don't have what you need,'' Distad said.

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

Photo: (1--color in CONEJO edition only) Stephanie Hodges prepares Donkeschoen, an 8-year-old Holsteiner, for the equestrian events at a fund-raiser Sunday in Hidden Valley.

(2--color in CONEJO edition only) Barbershop quartet Double Attraction entertained participants at the A Day at Ascot fund-raiser for the New West Symphony.

(3) Horse and humans share a quiet moment in the stables before the equestrian show.

(4) The fourth annual A Day at Ascot brought many hat styles under the lawn tent.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News