Saddle Up for 50-Acre Ranch in Denton County
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Hold your horses and take the reins.
A world‑class equestrian estate sprawled across more than 50 acres in Denton County is ready for its next owner. There’s plenty of room for people, of course, but this place at 121 Harbor Lane in the town of Hickory Creek is built for those who live and breathe the horse life.
You may recognize Hickory Creek as the birthplace of Champ D’Or, the 48,000-square-foot mansion once called the “biggest little teardown in Texas.” The Parisian chateau was built at a reported cost of $52 million by CellStar Corp. founder Alan H. Goldfield and his wife, Shirley, who famously told our publisher that God instructed her to paint doves on the rotunda foyer ceiling. Champ D’Or, which is now called The Olana, featured a conservatory inspired by Tavern of the Green; a primary bath steam room inspired by The Rat Pack, a two-story “his” closet, and a two-story Chanel-style “hers” closet, among its amenities. The grand estate helped set the tone for Hickory Creek’s outsized luxury spreads like this property on Harbor Lane.
The grounds here are like a Disneyland for the horse set. Check it out — the property includes a main horse barn, a storage barn with two separate caretakers’ apartments and both an outdoor arena plus a covered, lighted area. Add to that a mare barn, a jumping station, workshop, chicken coop and fishing ponds.
People Places, Too
The property may be built for an equestrian life, where barns, paddocks, and riding trails take center stage, but the main house certainly is no afterthought. Where the humans reside, there’s a style to exceed what the horses get.
Designer touches are found throughout the house that was built in 2002. From bedrooms wrapped in fabulous wallpaper to dramatic color-drenched living spaces the humans are surrounded by luxury. The interiors include high ceilings, wood‑plank flooring and a great room anchored by a striking double‑sided fireplace. The custom kitchen with its expansive island, breakfast‑room and adjoining dining area creates a space for everyday living and special entertaining.
On the home’s first floor is the primary bedroom, along with two more bedrooms located there, too. Then on second floor another large, ensuite bedroom is found, long with a game room, media room with theater seating. Down back stairs are two more guest suites.
Unbridled Fun
Now the outdoors isn’t reserved just for horses. The ranch’s outdoor spaces of covered and open porches are made for relaxing after a day in the saddle. An outdoor kitchen and bar make entertaining easy, while the firepit and custom pool with multi‑level water features make it easy to find fun even without the horses.
From time to time, the owners might choose transportation by motorized vehicles instead of on the back of horse. For the cars, there are two separate garages — one for two cars and the other for three.
Those cars might be pulled out to drive about 45 minutes to either Dallas or Fort Worth from this Denton County location. Found along the eastern edge of Lake Lewisville, Hickory Creek offers wide open spaces not too far away from the big-city fun and the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The 50-acre ranch here is a great place for unbridled living.
Hickory Creek, you may recall, is the birthplace of one of North Texas’s most iconic properties: Champ D’Or. The estate was once called the most expensive home in Texas, and the owner who built it told our publisher, Candy Evans, that God told her to have the white doves on the dome ceiling of the grand foyer painted. The Champs had… But I digress. There are now a fair supply of elegant estate patterned after the Champ dotting Hickory Creek nd this is one of them.
