Robert’s 2021 Start Of Season Update
Dear Friends,
It’s been quite a while since my last newsletter, and it’s exciting to be just days away from welcoming the first horses back to the Riding Park in 2021! It was exactly a year ago this weekend that the USEF was forced by COVID-19 to shut the sport down across the country, just hours before the first horses were scheduled to arrive on site in San Juan Capistrano…To put it in perspective, the last time horses jumped on the grass during our spring shows was 706 days ago!
What is equally exciting for us are our efforts to roll out the red carpet for our exhibitors this year. While the state of California still prohibits the general public from spectating at our events, we have been authorized to welcome back owners, albeit in a limited fashion. To allow for socially distant viewing, we have created new seating areas including ringside cabanas and exhibitor suites on the berm. In addition, there has been substantial enhancement to the footing both in the grass and sand rings, as well as a complete makeover in the stable area. Combined with substantive changes to the class offerings in the prize list including the addition of the Interactive Mortgage “Ticket to Ride” Jumper Series, we are looking forward to our best year ever! And finally, we look forward to ending the year with a bang at the USHJA National Championships and the CSI4*-W World Cup Qualifier in Las Vegas!
On a couple “housekeeping” notes, we must not forget that our most pressing priority is the safety of the horses and exhibitors during these stressful times. While we’re seeing improved COVID numbers here in Orange County, we’re still not out of the woods yet! Our health protocols have been modified since last year, but it is vitally important that everybody does their best to follow them as we hopefully see our way through the waning stages of the pandemic. Equally important are the EHV-1 protocols that must be adhered to as we strive to protect the health of our horses. Remember that the current EHV-1 virus is extremely contagious and has virtually shut down the entire sport in Europe and the rest of the world; we need to do our best to ensure that the virus doesn’t reach our horse shows here in California and wreak havoc like it did back in 2015.
Bottom line…The weather here in San Juan Capistrano is predicted to be sunny and in the low 70’s for the foreseeable future! We are thrilled to welcome everybody back and once again see the horses out on the field of play doing what they do best!
–Robert
Robert Ridland
President, Blenheim EquiSport
President, Blenheim EquiSport
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Photo: McCool Photography
Blenheim EquiSports, an equestrian event management company based in San Juan Capistrano, CA, produces events in San Juan Capistrano, CA and Las Vegas, NV. The events include 19 USEF “Premier” rated hunter-jumper shows including a Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League event, the Markel Insurance 1.45m Jumper Series & Final, Interactive Mortgage High Performance Jumper Series, USHJA International & National Hunter Derbies, Pony Derby Finals, the Whitethorne Equitation Challenge Medal Finals and more.