Dear Members, 

On April 25, 2024, US Equestrian was notified that the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park (Riding Park) was indefinitely closed to equestrian activities by the Orange County Coastkeeper (Coastkeeper). This closure was due to The Ridland Group’s (TRG) failure to comply with certain requirements and commitments made under a 2018 Consent Decree.

Following efforts to verify when the Riding Park would be permitted to resume equestrian operations, US Equestrian had no alternative but to remove all competitions from the calendar that were scheduled at the Riding Park, except for two that were relocated to another venue. Simultaneously, USEF began the process of seeking alternative competitive opportunities for competitors affected by the indefinite closure.

To ensure our members have access to US Equestrian competitions on the dates in question, US Equestrian opened a competition application process. Competition organizers were notified about the application period and US Equestrian communicated that all organizers meeting US Equestrian standards, and the license criteria were welcome to apply through the duration of the application period. US Equestrian received 21 competition applications during this period, including those submitted by TRG.

On May 20, 2024, TRG announced that they had reached an agreement with the Coastkeeper and the City of San Juan Capistrano, which would allow horse shows to resume operation at the Riding Park. This Court approved agreement includes improvements to the Riding Park and corresponding deadlines for completion.  Failure to timely satisfy the requirements will result in substantial financial penalties against TRG. 

USEF appreciates the feedback received from participants concerning the situation with the Riding Park. Member feedback, the recent Court Order, and the findings from a recent inspection of the Riding Park by USEF, have all been considered in determining the allocation of competitions for 2024.

Included below is a list of the competitions and locations approved for the remainder of 2024. This calendar provides the Riding Park time to complete the required improvements included in the Court Order and USEF’s recent inspection. This calendar also provides competitors with a choice of venues, should they seek an alternative to the Riding Park, or if the Riding Park is unable to operate. Providing sufficient competitive opportunities to members is a priority for USEF.

USEF recognizes the disruption caused by the closure of the Riding Park and thanks everyone who contributed to resolving this situation. 

*Gladstone Cup pending USHJA approval 
**The location of USEF Talent Search Finals-West will be announced in the coming weeks. 

For further inquiries and questions, please contact Katlynn Wilbers, Director of Competition Operations, at [email protected].