The Story Behind
A Championship Equestrian Legacy Offered for the First Time
There are properties that impress, and then there are properties that endure — those rare estates conceived with such singular purpose and executed with such uncompromising craft that they transcend the ordinary category of real estate entirely. The Exclusive Elma Equestrian Estate belongs firmly to the latter. Offered publicly for the first time, this is a place built not merely to be lived in, but to define a way of life.
The primary residence was designed and constructed by Krekow Jennings, a firm whose reputation in Pacific Northwest custom timber-frame architecture is without equal. From the moment one passes through the stone-pillared gated entrance and follows the manicured circular drive to the arched wooden entry door — framed by a substantial timber-frame porch resting on stone pedestals — the intention of the architecture is unmistakable. This is a home conceived in the tradition of the great American lodge, where raw natural materials are elevated through extraordinary craftsmanship into something both monumental and deeply livable.
Inside, the Great Room announces itself with forty-three-foot vaulted ceilings, where exposed timber trusses of extraordinary scale rise above a massive stone-clad chimney breast flanked by tall windows that draw the surrounding forest into the room. The ceiling structure itself — a radial timber beam composition converging at a central wooden pendant — is a work of architectural art, best appreciated by simply looking upward in quiet admiration. Warm wood flooring runs throughout, grounding the grandeur in organic warmth.
The kitchen is a study in the marriage of professional performance and bespoke beauty. Clive Christian cabinetry — imported from England and regarded among the finest in the world — lines the space with a quiet authority, while a French Lacanche range anchors the cooking area beneath a striking metallic hood and a decorative lemon-tile backsplash that brings an unexpected warmth and wit to the room. A generous wood-block island invites both serious cooking and casual gathering.
The primary suite offers vaulted beam ceilings and a stone fireplace surround, creating a room that feels both intimate and expansive. Its spa bathroom is finished with patterned stone flooring, dual vanities, a soaking tub framed by large windows overlooking the trees, and flanking glass-enclosed showers — a composition that is as serene as it is refined. A private elevator, a custom wine cellar with extensive light-wood racking, and a multi-bay garage complete the picture of a home designed for every dimension of gracious living.
Beyond the main residence, a 3,900-square-foot four-bedroom second home and a separate two-bedroom caretaker apartment ensure that estate operations run with seamless efficiency. The equestrian facilities — nine barns, a circular indoor riding arena, and 70 stalls across 37,693 square feet of covered space — represent a professional-grade infrastructure that has supported championship-level Arabian horse breeding and competition for decades. Fenced level pastures on three separate tax parcels complete a 53-acre canvas that is, in every meaningful sense, without peer in the Pacific Northwest.
To understand the significance of this estate's setting, one must first appreciate the particular character of Grays Harbor County and the quiet, forested corridor through which US Highway 12 travels in western Washington. Elma is a small city — population approximately 3,400 — situated in the Chehalis River valley, roughly 30 miles east of the Pacific Coast and equidistant between Olympia and Aberdeen. It is a community shaped by the rhythms of the natural world: timber, agriculture, and the wide, unhurried landscape of the western Olympic Peninsula foothills.
The region enjoys a mild, temperate Pacific maritime climate — cool, moist winters and pleasantly warm summers — that produces the kind of lush, perpetually green landscape visible in every aerial view of this property. The dense stands of Douglas fir, western red cedar, and big-leaf maple that frame the estate's boundaries are not ornamental; they are the native forest of the Pacific Northwest in its most authentic expression, providing both extraordinary privacy and a sense of being genuinely removed from the pressures of contemporary life.
For equestrian enthusiasts, the practical geography of this location is as compelling as its natural beauty. The flat, fertile pastureland of the Chehalis River valley is among the most suitable terrain in western Washington for horse properties of this scale. The mild climate reduces the extreme temperature stress on animals common in other parts of the country, while the region's agricultural heritage means that quality hay, feed, and veterinary services are readily accessible.
The city of Olympia, Washington's state capital, lies approximately 35 miles to the east along Highway 12 and Interstate 5 — a straightforward drive that places residents within reach of the full breadth of services, dining, cultural institutions, and the Washington State Capitol Campus. The Port of Olympia and the South Sound region offer additional amenities, including Olympia Regional Airport for private aviation access. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is approximately 90 miles northeast, accessible via Interstate 5.
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, the principal commercial centers of Grays Harbor County, lie roughly 20 miles to the west, offering everyday conveniences, medical facilities, and the working harbor culture that has defined this corner of Washington since the late nineteenth century. The Pacific coastline — including the communities of Ocean Shores, Westport, and the broader stretch of Washington's wild Pacific beaches — is within 45 minutes, offering one of the most dramatically beautiful and uncrowded coastlines in the continental United States.
For those whose lives are organized around horses, land, and privacy, there is a particular freedom that comes with a property of this scale and remove. Here, 53 acres of one's own forest edge and open pasture, the nearest neighbor at a comfortable distance, and the sounds of the natural world replacing the ambient noise of the city — this is not a lifestyle compromise. It is, for the right buyer, the very definition of arrival. The Exclusive Elma Equestrian Estate does not ask you to imagine a different life. It simply offers you one.
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