THE RETREAT AT OAKCREST FARMS

Hello! We would like to introduce ourselves and share a little about our history.

I am Leslie Gicewicz and my husband is Dick Polk. We are the owners of The
Retreat at Oakcrest Farms. We moved to Texas from Phoenix, Arizona, in September
2001 when Dick retired after thirty-five years with the FAA while I continued working
in Houston for the FAA.

Relatives living on the property next door to us were breeding and racing Arabian
horses. Within three months, we had a business plan and partnered with our family on
some of the young horses next door. By 2003, we were brave enough to branch out and
buy a brood mare and lease another. When I retired from the FAA, we were, quite
literally, off to the races. The learning curve was huge.

Previously, in Phoenix we lived close to downtown. We remodeled, gardened and trained our dog. It was not quite the same as building fencing,
stalls, breeding, foaling out and then training baby horses. Not to mention how to compete in the racing industry – and lots of books.
We were very fortunate to have mentors, a great selection of  breeding stallions and amazing good fortune.

Since 2003, we have had the friendship of 27 Arabian horses, 15 that we bred, all of them full of personality and love for their human caregivers.
The horse industry has given us years of joy, work, some sadness, new lifelong friends, travel opportunities and the thrill of racing. It allowed me
to photograph races on the tracks of Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Longchamp in Paris, France, for the Arabian Jockey Club.

Now, we have entered a new adventure, taking this beautiful land that we have nurtured and creating a venue to share with others. We are
committed to providing the same care we have given to our other endeavors: to each wedding family, each guest of the cottage, every business
and each reunion group looking for something just a little less confined; a place for celebration, for peace, the ability to regroup, recharge
and create new memories.

Create an intimate, elegant and serene celebration
at our unique location
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