The last USEA-recognized event at the Horse Park in Woodside, Calif., was held in August 2002. In January 2003, complaints from the neighbors, including folk singer Joan Baez, about sanitation and land use caused San Mateo County officials to halt all public events at the 270-acre park until their concerns had been addressed.
The park did continue to function under temporary operating conditions, but it could no longer hold recognized horse trials or even allow schooling on the cross-country course.
In March, San Mateo County inspectors finally gave the park officials the go-ahead for a confined animal permit, one of the many that the members of the Combined Training Equestrian Team Alliance, who operate the Horse Park have been working to obtain so they can reopen to the public.
On May 19, the long-awaited restoration of the Horse Park’s cross-country course began with a ground-breaking ceremony. The course had, “literally gone to seed,” said Tracy Byars, the interim executive director and director of development. “The land is hard and requires constant tilling, and we weren’t even allowed to mow.”
All that is set to change now that Robert Kellerhouse, the organizer for the Galway Downs Horse Trials in Temecula, Calif., has agreed to serve as organizer of the USEA-recognized events at the Horse Park.
“I am highly motivated to help bring top-level eventing back to the Horse Park,” said Kellerhouse. “Our goals are to create all new intermediate- and advanced-level courses for introduction in 2005, and to offer solid lower-level competition.”
Kellerhouse will be joined by Derek di Grazia of Carmel Valley, Calif. Di Grazia, an internationally recognized course designer, will work with Kellerhouse to develop a comprehensive plan for the new cross-country course.
