Equestrian center at Orange County Fairgrounds faces possible closure
Horse lovers are hoping to save a decades-old equestrian center at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa Tuesday as officials struggle to find a new operator.
"It's a reason for getting up in the morning," rider Marcia Olsen said. "I've lost so much and coming here this year has given a new lease on life."
The Board of Directors at the Orange County Fair and Events Center is looking for a new operator to take over the space. Without one, the equestrian community fears the worst.
"They could repurpose it into a parking lot or a campground as has been proposed in most recent master site plans, which will close multiple businesses, displace horses," Gibran Stout, president of the Equestrian Coalition of Orange County, said. "The businesses have nowhere to move because all the stables left are full."
The public stables owned by the state have been a haven for riders like Antonina Stycen, who immigrated to California a few years ago.
"I started with no friends, no family and I always loved horses," she said. "OC Fairgrounds was the first place that I could just come from the street and ask around and start meeting people."
Riders and instructors who own or lease horses rent the stalls. People of all ages come to the Orange County Equestrian Center for lessons or just to pet a horse.
"I mean a lot of them are teenagers," riding instructor Angela Howe said. "They are in school. Their peers are all out partying, and they're here every day helping out. They stay for long hours."
One of the younger students Everly Moffit said she enjoys the company of the horses.
"I give it water sometimes and I like how much the people teach me," Moffit said.
Her mother Aubrey Moffit said she would be devastated to see the center shutter.
The Fair Board said that due to the outpouring of community support, they have reopened discussions surrounding the center.
"We are reacting to what they are saying and reopening a discussion to determine if we should, in fact, not continue business as usual and rather expand community access to the Equestrian Center," officials stated. "Should we be exploring bigger and better ways to allow the community to benefit from the incredible grounds? We think it's definitely worth a discussion."
The Board of Directors meets every Thursday morning at 9:30 p.m. Many instructors and riders will be there hoping their horses will still have a home and their livelihoods can continue.
