We look forward to welcoming everyone next week for the beginning of Desert Circuit 2021. Hopefully you are as excited as we are about the schedule and special events during the eight-week circuit. We wanted to share a few thoughts and updates as we await your arrival. 

COVID-19

It’s certainly disappointing to still be facing the pandemic now, a year after we saw the first signs of it at the end of Desert Circuit 2020. We are all ready for it to end. Unfortunately, the pandemic is going out with a fury and we face an even more challenging situation this circuit than we did this past fall. We have had strong support from everyone – exhibitors, trainers, vendors, sponsors, our team, and all of the relevant oversight organizations watching us. We continue to update our protocols to ensure we can create a safe environment for everyone. WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need everyone to adhere to the critical protocols – wear a mask unless you are on a horse, stay six feet apart (even from your best friends), and take advantage of all of the disinfectant stations around the property to wash your hands frequently. We are going to be very strict in enforcement. Remember as we do this, we’re all on the same side and want the same result, everyone stays safe and we continue to operate. 

In addition to the extra precaution when you’re on the property, we will also have extra rules when entering the property. On a periodic basis, we’ll be spot-checking for valid credentials by asking for your phone number. While this may add some time at the entrance gate, we think it is important to make sure we limit access to the people who can legitimately be at the horse park. 

TEAM

We have made a number of changes to our team to continue to improve our ability to run a first-class competition and provide a great experience.

The most prominent change is the addition of Pat Boyle to our competition team. Pat will serve as Technical Coordinator – Hunters/Equitation along-side Skyler Brittner, who will serve as Technical Coordinator – Jumpers. Both will be assisting Phil DeVita, the Competition Manager. With 13 rings running during most of Desert Circuit, we wanted to make sure we had the depth needed. Pat obviously brings a wealth of experience, as well as a passion for great hunter rings. 

Another change, a bit less visible, but quite important, is a new Chef for our VIP kitchen.  We welcome Wes Brittner to the team. Wes is the Chef at the VIP restaurant at Thunderbird. We’re excited about tasting his food here in the desert, as well as having an expanded baking program on site with home-baked pastries and bread each day. Be on the look-out for an expanded catering menu soon as well.

IMPROVEMENTS

We still have a long way to go to improve the facility. But every chance we get, we invest to make DIHP the place we all want it to be. The break between circuits was just four weeks this year, but we did have time to complete a number of additional projects. We have replaced the lights in the Grand Prix arena and warm-up area to the latest in stadium lighting technology. We are excited about having our first competitions under the new lights this circuit. In addition, we are finalizing the installation of a new, large video wall in the Grand Prix ring. Both of these improvements will add to the Grand Prix experience for riders.

We have replaced the footing in Jumper 4 warm-up. The initial feedback has been quite positive. Should the footing perform well over this circuit, we’ll continue to use this new footing for additional rings. 

Steve

#seeyouinthedesert

Steve

#seeyouinthedesert

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” After a two-hour long walk around the property last week with several of my partners, I shared our progress and what didn’t get done. The response was this quote. We have now owned the Horse Park and competition for just over 15 months. With all that we have gotten done, there is still so much more to do.

OUR GOALS

Our aspirations for the Horse Park are clear. We want the West Coast to have one of the few amazing national destination equestrian facilities. A place to spend the winter season, or just a few weeks. A place with great competition for riders and horses of all abilities. A place that top riders from around the country are excited to come and compete at and where our local riders, whether professionals or emerging athletes, can compete at a high level, as well. A place that doesn’t compromise on the quality of the footing or the aesthetics. Simply, a place that we are all proud of and a place that helps to build the sport. Our vision will take years of work to achieve, so once again, we ask for your patience.

We think we have made solid progress on the facility, on the competition, and on our desire to create a fun, great experience for everyone. Please share with us what you like, what you want more of, what needs to be fixed next, and what you don’t like about what we are doing.

THE PHYSICAL PROPERTY

No doubt, the first thing you’ll notice when you drive in the stable gate is the addition of three new schooling rings. We added 252,000 square feet of schooling rings so that riders can work their horses away from the warm-up areas for the competition rings. Each new ring measures roughly 280 by 300 feet. The rings are all sand, without synthetic material, to give horses a different surface to ride on a feature fencing by RAMM Horse Fencing. We think you’ll enjoy riding in these new areas and if some of the non-competition schooling shifts to these rings, we think the warm-up areas will be significantly less congested.  We’ll also designate portions of these rings each morning for lunging. In addition, we have added footing sand to the retention pond that many used for lunging as well. So, we think you’ll find that area safer for horses now. Since we have added so much space for schooling and riding, we have taken away the small lunging area by the office and returned it to much-needed parking.

We have made two major changes to stabling for this year. First, we have again reduced the number of stalls in the pole tents. Last year we went from 96 to 84 stalls per tent, and we have reduced the number further to 72. We think this should provide the needed extra space for proper physical distancing during the era of COVID-19. All of this added space will increase the width of the aisle ways. We think folks stabling in the pole tent folks will be excited by the extra space and to find they are just 20 feet from the entrance to the new sand rings!! Second, we have added two new clear span tents with a total of 125 stalls for FEI stabling this year to address the issues from last year. In addition, for both the FEI tents and the pole tents, we have rebuilt the base under each tent with fresh sand to add height if it ever floods again (please no!) and to provide greater comfort for horses.

When you get to the show rings you’ll find lots of changes. We want folks to love walking into our rings for competition. This year you’ll see the beginning (yes, there is lots more to do) of making our rings “beautiful!”. On the hunter side, we lengthened rings 2 to 7 to add an extra stride down the line (and along the way added drainage in the back). And we have started down a path to create the feel of individual rings with hedges and desert grass surrounding each ring. We seem to have gone crazy with desert grass but we think you’ll love it – and for sure it beats worn green carpet! We had planned on completing a new wall along the property at Hunter 7 but our permit was delayed. We hope to complete it during our break before Desert Circuit. On the jumper side, we think you’ll see the beginning of a new grand prix ring starting to take shape. We have moved the entrance to the corner near the new shade structure and closed the old entrance. We also added a new water and drag entrance on the back side. Once again, you’ll see new landscaping and when it grows in, we think the one thing you won’t see any more is the airport! One of the many things that didn’t quite get done yet is the new video board for the grand prix arena. It is scheduled to arrive on November 7 so we’ll put it up before Desert Holiday. The new video board is 28’ wide and 17’ high, so plan for a few “movie nights” in the grand prix ring in your golf cart! We closed the old water and drag entrance in jumper one and we think you’ll be surprised as well at the difference it made. We are also experimenting with using the schooling areas for Jumper 2 and 3 this year for competition.

And of course, there is the issue of footing. We spent considerable time this summer reflecting on the progress we made on footing and researching what others were doing. There is no doubt in our minds that the program undertaken at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and Tryon International Equestrian Center seemed far ahead of what others were doing.  And we heard constant praise from folks who traveled to Traverse City.  So, we have made a change and embarked on a very data-driven approach to our footing program. We feel comfortable making a change at this point because the majority of the feedback from last year was that we made significant changes for the better and we were thus operating from a solid base. On the ground, our footing team will be headed by Kyle Gould of Four G Surface. He has led the footing program at Traverse City for the last four years.  He’ll be on the grounds full time. We are more than thrilled to have him lead our efforts. Importantly, we have hired Bill Hawe from iEquiTek to lead the analytic efforts on our program. Bill is deeply involved in the programs at Tryon and Wellington and well, the results speak for themselves. We are also bringing in Travis Gould from JTWG.  The partnership between iEquiTek and JTWG is what created the amazing WEF Hi-Pro™ Ultra Competition arenas in Wellington and Tryon.  We hope to capitalize on the inflection point in the industry that work has created.  We’ll update everyone along the way as our plans solidify.

Finally, on the ring side, we have started work on two big grass fields. You’ll notice the old grass derby field is under construction and the ground from the retention pond to the RV park has been cleared. You probably won’t notice the new water pump and thousands of feet of new irrigation system we put in but it was a critical first step to building great grass fields. It turns out the holes in the ground in the derby field came from a lack of water pressure. So, we have built a new irrigation system and we’ll be planting new grass on improved ground, first where the old derby field was, and then in the larger area behind the retention pond. By next year, we’ll have two very good purpose-built grass fields ready for competition. We’ll use these for special events.

OUR COMPETITION

Speaking of special events, we have obviously begun to change the competition schedule significantly. We want to hold the best competitions – for jumpers, hunters, and equitation – on the West Coast at the Horse Park.   

We have obviously expanded the number of weeks of competition and expanded beyond hunter/jumper shows. In addition to National Sunshine Series and Desert Circuit, we have added our December circuit, Desert Holiday. We’ve gotten great response and beyond great competition, December happens to be the best weather in the desert!

As part of a collaboration with West Palms Events, we increased the prize money for Week II of Desert Holiday to create a $100,000 Grand Prix and added a $50,000 rider bonus as part of a Fall jumper circuit. We believe collaboration with our fellow show managers is critical to building the sport on the West Coast. We have also collaborated with LEG Shows & Events to add the National Sunshine Preview to begin to address the issue of affordability in the sport. We hope to build on this program in the future.

We have five FEI weeks as part of Desert Circuit, including four 3* events, and one 4* event during Week VIII. Week VIII will also include our second $250,000 Grand Prix of the season. Finally, on the jumper side, we are thrilled to be part of the planned Major League Show Jumping League, as both a host and a team sponsor. If the League works as planned, we’ll be hosting two 5* events in the desert next December, and you’ll see the DIHP team riding to success in the season finale.

We remain committed to the best hunter program in the country with eleven derbies this year, including two $50,000 and one $30,000 International Derbies in the Grand Prix ring. We applied for two WCHR weeks and only received one (Week VIII DC), but we’ll keep pressing for next season!

We’re proud to host two World Cup qualifiers for dressage this year and expect this to continue beyond this year. We are hosting our first reining show as well this year.

We worked hard to create a great schedule with meaningful, differentiated competition for everyone. We listened to everyone’s input on the schedule and attempted to hopefully address everyone’s wishes and wants!

As we described in our FAQ’s issued about the upcoming season, we’re going food happy this year! We are not allowed to open our restaurant, but you’ll see food trucks galore in our recently upgraded hospitality area around the Parlanti bar. We think it will be “the place to be” this year! And we’re incredibly proud of the permanent restaurant we have built in the VIP building, which will become a staple of food and fun in the future.

Lastly, we have made great strides in cleaning up the property and making it a better place for our team to work. We have invested significantly in new equipment for the team and to create work areas that are professional and safe for our employees. I think you’ll find an incredibly proud and committed team that is ready to help ensure you have a great experience here at the Horse Park.

We are committed to a transparent approach to running the Horse Park. We hope this information is helpful and we’re here to listen.

Have a great season and let’s stay safe!!

Steve

#desertproud

For Immediate Release:

THERMAL, Calif. – Sep. 10, 2020 – Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) in Thermal, California, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its dressage program with the addition of another week in November to create a two-week circuit. 

Desert Dressage was originally slated to run as a stand alone show from Nov. 19 – 22, but the expansion has now created Desert Dressage I (Nov. 12 – 15) and Desert Dressage II (Nov. 19 – 22). Both weeks will feature an FEI Dressage World Cup™ Qualifier combined with a CDI3*/CDI1*/CDIAm/CDIU25/CDIY/CDIJ/CDICh/CDIP/CDIYH and a national show.

“We are so excited to expand our Desert Dressage competition to a total of two weeks and further develop opportunities for Dressage riders to compete on the West Coast,” shared Steve Hankin, President and CEO of DIHP. “The addition of the first week will take advantage of our existing team in place headed by Thomas Baur and Monica Fitzgerald. I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to Barbara Biernat for her assistance in this expansion.”

Baur is the current Sports Director of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. “To start our inaugural Dressage season at the Desert International Horse Park with now two CDIs and two national shows is an instrumental win for the West Coast dressage community,” shared Baur. “The facility offers excellent conditions for hosting a safe show for two consecutive weeks.”

Biernat originally pioneered Pacific Coast CDI after seeing the decline of dressage circuits on the West Coast over the past few years. Pacific Coast CDI consisted of two dates: Mar. 3 – 8 and Nov. 12 – 15.

“I got two dates on the calendar for Pacific Coast CDI and I’m happy to have Desert Dressage take over the Nov. 12 – 15 date,” shared Biernat. “Having two weeks of dressage shows in one venue makes Desert Dressage a very easy destination for the riders and horses because there is no extra packing or travel.”

Since the acquisition in August of 2019, the new partners have made significant investments in the horse park to improve the experience for riders, exhibitors, and fans. With these improvements, DIHP is seeing interest in the expansion of its calendar across equestrian disciplines, including these two weeks of Desert Dressage.

The Prize List will be available on Desert International Horse Park’s website in the coming weeks. To learn more about the horse park, go to www.deserthorsepark.com, and receive updates on social media @deserthorsepark. 

About Desert International Horse Park (DIHP)

With nearly 1.3 million square feet of competition and riding space, the Desert International Horse Park is one of the largest equestrian facilities in North America. Offering 17 weeks of world-class competition from October through March, the facility is a destination location for thousands of equestrians, their horses, family and friends for several months annually. 

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)

The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) is a service organization committed to providing its members and the greater equestrian community with solid leadership and good governance at all levels – from grassroots to the very top – whilst encouraging best practice and good horsemanship at all times and all over the world. We are proactive and positive in our outlook and we fully stand by our mission to celebrate the unique bond between horse and human (#TwoHearts) and to develop equestrian sport globally in a modern, sustainable and structured manner with guaranteed athlete welfare, equal opportunity and ethical partnership with the horse.

For Immediate Release: 

Photo © ESI Photography

THERMAL, Calif.-January 20, 2020- Ali Ramsay (Victoria, BC) and Lutz flew to the top of the leaderboard in the $100,000 Horseflight Grand Prix at The Desert International Horse Park, halting the jump-off timers at 36.649 seconds. Keri Potter (Del Mar, CA) and Jiminy Cricket, owned by Melanie Brooks, took second place for their performance of 37.353 seconds, while Rich Fellers (Oregon City, OR) and his own Lux Lady, claimed third-place honors with a time of 37.507 seconds.

First to go in the jump-off, Keri Potter set a difficult Aon Time to Beat. Ramsay, who was second to last in the jump-off, had a plan, “ I just knew I had to go for it and I knew he was with me so I could take a bit of a risk and it paid off.”

Photo © ESI Photography

Lutz has been a part of Ramsay’s string of horses since last April. “We’ve actually had a really solid partnership together since then and we have just been building on it,” Ramsay also shared that Lutz does have a personality of his own, “He is quite sassy and he’s got a lot of attitude, especially at the beginning of the tour here [Desert International Horse Park]. He’s nice and fresh and is letting me know it.”

Ramsay shared she plans to stay for the duration of the circuit and is enjoying the improvements around the facility, “It’s really exciting to see the new horse park, it feels different, and it’s really nice to be here.“

This Grand Prix win will put Lutz at the top of the Great American Insurance Group Leading Jumper Rider Board and in standings to qualify for the Week VIII Grand Prix Invitational that Ramsay aspires to qualify for, “That’s the goal!”

Week I Jumper Champion Spotlight

$10,000 Open Classic 1.35m Open Classic, sponsored by Stal Hendrix

Emily Esau Williams & Dandy

$2,500 JR/A-O/AM Jumper Classic, sponsored by Vitaflex

Hannah Loly & Ayma de la Demi Lune

$1,000 JR/AMA-O Jumper Classic, sponsored by Desert Flight

Masissa Maas & Lord Loriend

1.30m Jumper Division, sponsored by ALU Jumps

Kyle King & Gavanta

1.10m Jumper Division, sponsored by Equestrian Connect

Stephany Powers & Chicago 

Week I Hunter Champion Spotlight

$1,000 Junior Hunter Classic, sponsored by Parlanti

Juliette Joseph & Philadelphia Story

$500 NAL Adult Hunter Classic, sponsored by Outdoor Outfitters

Cathy Morris-Schmitt & Andover

A-O Hunter 3’6” Division, sponsored by Aleron Training Stables

Didi Mackenzie & MTM Do Right

Green Hunter 3’3”, sponsored by Equithrive

John Bragg & Macarthur

Adult Amateur Hunter 36-50, sponsored by Run Amok Horse Transportation

Katie Cook & Doheny 

About the Desert International Horse Park
With about 1.3 million square feet of competition and riding space, the Desert International Horse Park is one of the largest equestrian facilities in North America. Offering 10 weeks of world-class competition, eight during the Desert Circuit from January – March and two during the Sunshine Series in November, the facility is a destination location for thousands of equestrians, their horses, family and friends for several months annually. Competitors from all over the world travel to Thermal, CA to not only compete but to enjoy everything the desert has to offer.

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The new Marshall & Sterling Insurance Derby Program welcomed the first of five USHJA National Derbies during Desert Circuit. Karli Postel and Highseas walked away victorious in the Professional Division, while Peyten Seltzer and Que Creme were crowned Champion in the Junior/Amatuer Division in their first National Derby. The Desert International Horse Park will host the first of three International Derbies of Desert Circuit during Week II.

Karli Postel and Highseas Claim Champion Title in USHJA National Hunter Derby – Pro

Photo © ESI Photography

Karli Postel (Thousand Oaks, CA) and Highseas emerged victorious in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Pro Division sponsored by Balmoral Farm claiming the title of Champion with a combined score of 187. Nick Haness (Temecula, CA) aboard Saphir, owned by West Coast Equine Partners LLC, were crowned Reserve Champion with their final score of 182 after the handy. 

The class welcomed 22 pairs to challenge the course. Postel and Highseas, owned by Laura Wasserman, were unbeatable claiming the highest scores in both rounds of competition. 

The West Coast rider, who works for Archibald Cox at Brookway Stables, shared that she enjoyed the courses set for the Derby and that the course still offered some challenges in the handy round: “They were really fun [courses] today. The first round rode really nice and I thought the Handy kicked it up a notch, with some harder turns and jumps on tricky angles so that was nice to have.”

Peyten Seltzer and Que Creme Claim Champion Title in her First USHJA National Hunter Derby – JR/AM

Photo © ESI Photography

Making her debut in her first USHJA National Hunter Derby, Peyten Seltzer (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) and her own Que Creme finished on top in the USHJA National Hunter Derby – JR/AM, sponsored by Balmoral Farm, with a combined score of 168.5 after the Handy. “This was actually my first National Derby, so I was very excited,” Peyten shared. Carlee McCutcheon (Aubrey, TX) and MTM Farm’s Halo received Reserve Champion honors earning a final score of 166.

About the Desert International Horse Park
With about 1.3 million square feet of competition and riding space, the Desert International Horse Park is one of the largest equestrian facilities in North America. Offering 10 weeks of world-class competition, eight during the Desert Circuit from January – March and two during the Sunshine Series in November, the facility is a destination location for thousands of equestrians, their horses, family and friends for several months annually. Competitors from all over the world travel to Thermal, CA to not only compete but to enjoy everything the desert has to offer.

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Kenneth Vinther and Long-time Partner Colicchio Claim Victory in $30,000 Grand Prix, Sponsored by UlcerGard

Photo © ESI Photography

Kenneth Vinther (Newbury Park, CA) and his own Colicchio raced to a swift time of 42.597 seconds, and were the only pair to finish clear in the jump-off. Katelyn Denby Edwards (Santa Monica, CA) and Kalina, owned by Mountain View West Farm LLC, had a quick time of 38.53 seconds but an unfortunate rail landed her in second place while Tracy Epp (Richmond, BC) and her own Camvel finished in third. 

The course, designed by Michael Vaillancourt (Aiken, SC), tested 39 pairs with only three returning for the jump-off. “I don’t remember if I have ridden Michael’s courses before but I really liked them,” Vinther commented. “Today it was funny because during the course walk, it walked very straightforward, nothing crazy, and then you saw the first riders go in and there was one rail after another and you had to wonder what is going on?” Vinther continued, “It is the sign of a good course designer that they can throw in these little, I don’t want to call it tricks, but they can play with the mind of the rider in that way.”

Vinther has owned Colicchio since he was a foal and even started him in his first season jumping as a seven-year-old. Colicchio, now a twelve-year-old stallion, and Vinther have formed a special bond. “He means a lot to me,” Vinther shared. “I got some very tempting offers for him [Colicchio] but I don’t think I could ever sell him. He has given me a lot, things you cannot buy, so I have a feeling he is going to stay forever.”

Zume Gallaher Cleans-Up in $1,000 U25 Jumper Classic, Sponsored by Harcour

Photo © ESI Photography

Zume Gallaher (Windsor, CA) had a successful day in the $1,000 U25 Jumper Classic claiming not only the blue ribbon on Blue Gate Stables, LLC’s Edita but also taking second aboard Certain VD Begijnakker. Gallaher is excited moving forward with Edita, who she has only had for under a year. Edita is Gallaher’s partner as she begins to move into the bigger classes. “I originally did Hunters, Equation, and Medals when I lived in Northern California, but then started doing jumpers when I moved to Southern California for college,” Gallaher shared. “My jumping career is really only just beginning, I am super excited for Sunday when I will be competing in my first 1.50m Grand Prix.” Gallaher concluded.

About the Desert International Horse Park
With about 1.3 million square feet of competition and riding space, the Desert International Horse Park is one of the largest equestrian facilities in North America. Offering 10 weeks of world-class competition, eight during the Desert Circuit from January – March and two during the Sunshine Series in November, the facility is a destination location for thousands of equestrians, their horses, family and friends for several months annually. Competitors from all over the world travel to Thermal, CA to not only compete but to enjoy everything the desert has to offer.

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For Immediate Release:

THERMAL, Calif. –January 13, 2020- The Desert International Horse Park is proud to announce the expansion of its Equitation program. In preparation for the upcoming Winter Circuit, the Desert International Horse Park redesigned the Jumper 3 Ring to be an Equitation specific stage. The ring will include landscape islands, new jumps, and a holding area in front of the ring. The horse park also created a dedicated Equitation spectator area, which will include food, beverages, and a 10×100 foot tent. The horse park adjusted its show schedule so all major equitation classes will be held in this new Equitation Ring Friday through Sunday during every week of Desert Circuit.

In addition, on Saturday February 15, between Weeks IV and V, the Desert International Horse Park is thrilled to announce “Equitation Saturday,” a one-day Equitation show that will host a variety of Medals. The classes to be included are: USHJA Jumping Seat Medal, Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal, NHS 3’3” Medal, ASPCA Horsemanship Medal, CPHA Hunter Seat Junior Medal, CPHA Hunter Seat Amateur Medal, CPHA Foundation Equitation Medal, THIS National Children’s Medal, and THIS National Adult Medal. These classes will be held in the Grand Prix Ring.

This new program is a result of collaboration of leading Equitation trainers including Jim Hagman and Georgy Maskrey-Segesman, and is sponsored by Acres West, Aleron Training Stables, Bridgeport Farms, Brookway Stables, Citrus Hill Farms, Elvenstar, Harley Brown Equestrian, Ingenium Farm, Oz Inc., Sonoma Valley Stables, and Whitethorne. This collaboration is a model for how Desert International Horse Park is working with trainers to best create innovative programs that enhance the experience for all riders at the horse park.

The Desert International Horse Park is thrilled to present this opportunity for Equitation riders to showcase their skills on the West Coast.

About the Desert International Horse Park
With about 1.3 million square feet of competition and riding space, the Desert International Horse Park is one of the largest equestrian facilities in North America. Offering 10 weeks of world-class competition, eight during the Desert Circuit from January – March and two during the Sunshine Series in November, the facility is a destination location for thousands of equestrians, their horses, family and friends for several months annually. Competitors from all over the world travel to Thermal, CA to not only compete but to enjoy everything the desert has to offer.

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