[Coreene]

Saw in the dressage topic that you used to train with Bob McDonald. I did too, about 10000000 years ago at Hillsview Saddle Club (I'll carbon date myself even more and say that Ed Marcy was his assistant then and he was still married to Sue). Question is, did his daughter Kim keep riding? I always had fun going to shows with her and wondered if she continued riding.

[Coreene]

Saw in the dressage topic that you used to train with Bob McDonald. I did too, about 10000000 years ago at Hillsview Saddle Club (I'll carbon date myself even more and say that Ed Marcy was his assistant then and he was still married to Sue). Question is, did his daughter Kim keep riding? I always had fun going to shows with her and wondered if she continued riding.

[Merry]

So... my sister and I rode at the Orange Co. Fairgrounds with Katrina (ex-Flintridger). Then Bob came from Hillsview via Mr. Harris' place in Fountain Valley. At that time, Bob was married to Sue. My sister and I moved into Bob's barn about the same time he and Debbie got together (though not married yet). Deb still rode AO because that was okay under AHSA rules then. Her horse was a very flashy bay with chrome named Ask Anyone. She usually placed above me in hunters, but I must say I beat her in eq & medals, so there, LOL! My sister and I always had several horses, plus I catch rode a lot, but our big AO horse was Baba Yaga. Cynthia Campbell sometimes sent us horses on consignment to show for her.

About the same time Bob and Deb moved to Idaho we bought our own place. It's been kind of weird to show under Bob when he judges; but needless to say, he's never given me any gifts! In fact, he's more critical! As for Ed Marcy, he was a very sweet man, I thought, and a pretty good eq. teacher. I took some lessons from him when he was down in the Back Bay near Mary Slouka about a century ago. Then I heard he went off to be a bartender at a Colorado ski resort? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Merry]

Oops! Sorry, you asked about Kimmie. Remember she showed Stride Rite? Geez, I saw Bob at Indio last year (looked exactly the same, just a tad less hair!) and he showed me all sorts of photos. I forgot to ask about Kim, but their son, Ryan, is very blond and cute, and a great hockey player. Not sure if he rides much if at all.

[dublin]

Carbon dating myself as well, I couldn't help noticing your comments about Cynthia Campbell, since we bought my best horse, Talkalot, from her way back when....

Here's a picture of us at the California State Fair in 1968:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewP...984&p=15468369

Cynthia found her for us at the Agua Caliente Race track during an apparent jockey strike - and we sold "Maggie" back to her after I went to college.

It's obviously been many many years, but do you know if Cynthia is still alive? If so, is she still buying and selling horses down in Southern California??

[Coreene]

OHMIGOSH, so many memories flooding back. Mr Harris' place was closed down only in the last few years. Well, maybe five or six.

BB ROUNDABOUT CONNECTION: the Therapeutic Riding Center of HB, which used to located at Mr Harris' place when it first started out, went to my barn, where Taryn (another BBer) and I are and where Doubleclear used to work with the TRC.

I remember Stride Rite. I remember getting to ride him several times when I wasn't even 11 and thought it was utterly cool.

Mary Soluka is still in the Back Bay, but they've made Birch into a big whizzing four lane that connects to Mesa. Now she gets traffic noise AND airplanes.

As for Ed, he sadly passed away but I can't remember when. If memory serves me, he was training in Mammoth or somewhere around there.

Gosh I'll never forget in 5th grade we had a filmmaking class and my film was about Bob and Ed.

What memories!

[Merry]

Wow, Dublin, is that a June Fallaw photo? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I believe Cynthia has passed away, although Gretchen Tank was alive and kicking just a few years ago. Amazing how Cynthia would shop around people's horses. One year our flat horse came up sore right before the Santa Rosa show, which was our favorite show. Bob McDonald made a call and suddenly there were 2 horses from Cynthia on our doorstep. My sister and I had 3 days to try them. We didn't know the name of the horse we chose, so we called him "Secret Harbor" after a rowdy bar down near the beach! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] So the two of us, without a trainer, hauled him about 400 miles to Santa Rosa. We won a lot on that horse. My sister (Beezer) even won the junior eq. championship. So, good for us, and good for Cynthia, as the horse didn't come home with us: a customer of Larry Larson's bought it at the show!

Those were the days when people I guess were more trusting and less sue-happy.

[dublin]

I loved her photos!

Gretchen Tank -- now there's a name I hadn't thought of in years!! Thanks for the info on Cynthia.

Here's another Fallaw picture of Maggie at the State Fair that I always liked:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewP...984&p=15468370

[Merry]

Isn't it amazing how we all knew how to do 'automatic releases' back then, more or less? Great photos! I'm getting a scanner soon, and I'll attempt to display myself.

[Bumpkin]

[img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]

[This message was edited by Bumpkin on Feb. 23, 2001 at 01:46 AM.]

[Merry]

Hmmm... In all my adult eq.o/fences and medals, I never consciously used an automatic release, however, when jumping a fence off an angle or perhaps a roll-back turn, an automatic release "just happens". But in hunters: definitely, no; just the habitual and incredibly popular crest release. What became fashionable and really overdone to the point of lunacy was the obvious "early release" in hunters. So you're cantering down on a long approach to a single fence, and about four strides out you shove your reins up the neck, demonstrating just how soft and consistent your horse is all the way to the point of take-off. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] Of course, it's also an incredible invitation for a horse to chip in at the last moment... or dive out to the side.

[C&C]

I almost posted on the previous thread when Merry mentioned Bob and Debbie. I did not exactly ride with either Ed or Bob and Debbie myself, but I rode in both of their lesson programs. I started at Ed Marcy's place in the late 70's I guess (I must have been 8). He had an awesome working hunter (I think) named Hoi Polloi. When he quit, the woman teaching our lessons moved over to Bob and Debbie's and I continued there until they left to Idaho. At that time Rogue was "the" horse in the barn. I remember Kimmie well. She was moving in with her Mom when Bob and Debbie left, but that's the last I ever heard of her.

I stayed on with numerous other trainers at the OC Fairgrounds until I quit riding in 88.

As for Gretchen, she is now in Arizona still riding and teaching.

[Merry]

C&C: Hoi Polloi was owned by Joy Carney, who also owned Hit Parade later on... I believe. So you remember Rogie? Who else? Debbie Call and Quiet Place? Jeanne Rodriguez?

There were some kids (a little younger than us), like the girl who had Night Flight and the one with Pappy J. Are any of those kids you guys? Wow, what a small world!

[doubleclearjumper]

When you mention Mary Solucka in the Back Bay, where is that located? I saw riders once along the top of the riverbed behind the Fletcher Jones
Mercedes dealer at Jamboree and MacArthur and called out to them where they were from, and they said they came from their own place. Where in Newport Beach along the backbay is that located? The Dunes? (I used to work at The Ritz in Fashion Island before the reading glasses and graying hairs sprouted!) Remember that stable on the beach side of PCH between Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar? Did they make them move out becauseof the Disney project proposal of timeshare condos?

[Merry]

doubleclearjumper: Mary's place is where it has always been, near Orchard Street. Many years ago, we could ride across Newport Blvd. from the Orange Co. Fairgrounds, past Mary's place, and into the Back Bay. Then they built UC Irvine. Then all the condo's, etc. Virtually all the horse-keeping will end as each piece of property back there is sold off. The places along Pacific Coast Highway are all gone... for years. Again, used to haul down there and ride in the ocean. Joan Irvine of course has her place, and Coto de Caza is still going... though not nearly as nice or populated as when Max Bonham was there. Most horse-keeping in Orange Co. is relegated to major equestrian centers now. Very sad. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img] I guess that's "progress".

[Coreene]

Some of the Back Bay places are still there. All those gorgeous ones on Mesa Drive still thrive, and a few of the houses in that neighborhood were upgraded and have small arenas, dressage courts etc. Most of the backyard stalls are still there, but the only place now to ride is along the Irvine Avenue side of the Back Bay.

A lot of people still have horses on the other side of Irvine Avenue and cross them over to go to the Back Bay as well. The stable that used to be off Irvine Avenue and Mesa (behind the old red barn next to the golf course) is gone, but part of one of the barns is still up.

The one on the beach side of PCH just south of CDM is gone, but none of the building has started yet. Any day now. Timeshares, dontcha know, which is no fun.

In Nellie Gail Ranch, Henry Samueli from Broadcom has caused all sorts of uproar by closing the trails around his place, posting security guards and having the landscapers cover the trail.

San Juan Capistrano is trying like mad to build more stables, which is nice. And Huntington Beach manages to hold on to the "undeveloped" trails behind the equestrian center, so we make do with what we've got...

[C&C]

Merry you know more than me. Like I said I was 8 to 10 back in those days and don't remember much. Debbie Call sounds really familiar. Other girls that were closer to my age that also moved from Ed's to Bob's were Maria Cardigan with Quincy and Lisa Argyros (sp?) with a junior hunter I was in love with named Good Christian. Her parents are still in Newport Beach and live down the street from my dad. I can't recall too many other names just remember the faces and horses come to mind these days.

As for the state of that area, it makes me sad. We moved to Irvine in 74. It was all open land back then. I started my first riding lessons at the place you all referred to down by the beach between Corona and Laguna. Wasn't it called Seahorse Riding Academy?? I can't remember why they got closed down, but it was their demise that moved me to the fairgrounds. Now its all development everywhere you go. Kinda sad. I hardly recognize things anymore when I go home to visit the parents.

[Coreene]

I remember Lisa. Her dad is one of our clients.

Wasn't Seahorse the one on Laguna Canyon Road? It's sad to see that lovely old barn remade into something else.

I remember when you could stand at the back of Top of the World School in Laguna Beach, or anywhere on the ridge there, and see all the way to Orange/Tustin with very little in between. Mission Viejo was three houses and Irvine wasn't born yet. Those were the days.

[Beezer]

Coreene, are you perhaps thinking of Joe Lifto's place out on Laguna Canyon Road? The one where Betsy Breen started out? That may indeed have been called Seahorse at one time, but I think the old (as in really, really OLD) Seahorse was out on PCH; at one time eons ago you could rent horses to ride out on the beach. (I think Judy Martin's place up in LA was also called Seahorse at one point too ... popular name, it would seem! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] )

There were a couple of stables out on Laguna Canyon Road ... Dixie whose-last-name-I-can-never-remember was at one of them at one time. That's where Liza Applebaum (a fairly well-known judge who maybe has a married name now) got her start.

And C&C, I remember Maria! (I'm Merry's sister, btw) I recall her having an old Appy that she showed quite a bit; not sure if his name was Quincy though (brain fade setting in). Maybe Quincy was a later horse? I saw her several years ago in a tack shop out near us; she was getting somewhat back into riding, but not really showing. She was a blast in those days. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

And isn't indeed terribly sad what's happening out here? Even where we are, the self-proclaimed Horse Capital of the U.S.A., everywhere you look there's construction. The latest idiocies are the huge houses that take up most of these (allegedly) half-acre lots clinging to hillsides that the builders are proudly billing as "horse property." Only if they come disguised as mountain goats! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

[doubleclearjumper]

Yes, I kept my TB at Dixie's on Laguna Canyon Rd. Is Sycamore Stable still in San Juan Cap? Last I heard, stables were shutting down in SJC. Did Joan Irvine ever resolve the death of South Pacific?

I used to live next to Nellie Gail in Laguna Hills, how can the Broadcom guy do that to the trails? I saw a young lady riding at the corner of Oso Pkwy one day while I was out jogging. She was riding on that main highway with a halter and said that her horse was perfectly safe! Great to have that much confidence, but I still was concerned for her. Went to a show up in Rancho Santa Margarita a couple of years ago. I talked to a really nice lady instructor there. I have to say, for advertising Coto de Caza as an upmarket area, I thought the equestrian center would be on a scale like Del Mar Horse Park with all the well-kept facilities. They did say they were planning rennovations.

[This message was edited by doubleclearjumper on Jan. 18, 2001 at 02:18 AM.]