About
Mary Jane Parkinson — A Life Etched in History, Horses, and Quiet Brilliance
At 99 years old, Mary Jane Parkinson still begins her days the same way she always has surrounded by books, notes, photographs, and decades of research that shaped the way the world understands the Arabian horse. Her smile remains warm and knowing, a gentle reminder of the extraordinary life she has lived.
A Home Filled With Books, Words, and the World of the Arabian Horse
Mary Jane’s office her sanctuary still carries her presence. Over a hundred books wrap around the room, lining shelves that once echoed the sounds of her typewriter keys, phone calls with breeders across the globe, and endless nights spent researching pedigrees by lamplight. Boxes of letters, photographs, and handwritten notes rest quietly now, forming a personal archive of a woman whose voice became one of the most trusted in the Arabian horse world.
Even in her late nineties, she continues to read every day her mind as sharp and curious as ever.
A Lasting Legacy — And a Final Celebration of Her Work
On May 26, 2023, Mary Jane made a rare public appearance for her final book signing at The Arabian Horse in Art Exhibition hosted by the East County Art Association https://eastcountyart.org/ in downtown El Cajon. More than fifty admirers came to meet her breeders, artists, historians, and lifelong fans. They stood in line to shake her hand, ask questions, and thank her for preserving their history.
That day, she was honored with an award for excellence a recognition she accepted with her signature quiet grace.
A Ranch Full of Memories
Today, her ranch rests in silence. The barns that once sheltered world-renowned Arabian horses stand empty, touched by sunlight and shadows. The fences curve gently through the land like lines from a story she once wrote.
Time has softened everything but not the history. Not the love.
Every corner of her property carries a whisper of what once was:
the early mornings, the gentle rustle of hay, the beauty of horses she adored, and the dedication of a woman who documented their story so the world would never forget.