14-1118_BLENHEIM FACILITY MANAGEMENT_CC_D14_correspondence_21Maria Morris 11/18/2014
To: Sam AI[evato As
Subject: RE: Letter In Support of SJC Riding Park
From: Debe Baileys
Date: November 16, 2014 at 4:45:22 PM PST
To: <salIevato(ccsan'uanca istrano.oi )>, <1kramer cvsan'uancapistra��o.org>
<rbynies�ulsa uanca istrano.org>, <dreeve(&sanjuancapistrano.or >, <jL- rL&sailivanca istrano.or�>
Subject: Letter In Support of SJC Riding Park
To Members of the San Juan City Council,
I am a 25 year resident of San Juan Capistrano and a former team advisor for The St,
Margaret's Equestrian Team, I am asking that you please extend renew the
management contract with Bleinheim Equisports for the Rancho Viejo Riding Park.
have traveled across the country and Europe to many horseshows with my daughter,
who learned to ride in San Juan Capistrano at Tar Farms 18 years ago. I can confirm
that the Bleinheim Equisports shows are first class events, attracting riders from all over
the world. Since I attended the very first show at the riding center, the improvements
made by RJ Brandes over the years have been phenomenal. The facility has hosted
Olympic qualifying events as well as local and county shows. The Orange County IEL
high school competitions are held there, attracting high school equestrian teams from
throughout Southern California.
The riders, trainers, and personnel that come to San Juan for these events, sometimes
for weeks at a time, spend a lot of money in our town. They use our local merchants
from restaurants, tack stores and nurseries, to hardware stores, dry cleaners and gas
stations. If we had a hotel, these people would stay in our hotel. Our merchants would
be adversely affected if there was no riding park. In addition, Bleinheim has reached out
to the non -equestrian community by offering carnival type family events and
entertainment during many of the horse shows. I have seen many local families attend
these events, some of which were experiencing their first horse show and having a
great time. The fields are also opened up for soccer and lacrosse games.
San Juan Capistrano has always been an equestrian community. To maintain our
historical character and rural atmosphere we need to preserve our equestrian heritage.
Bleinheim Equisports has created a premiere riding facility whose events are attended
by equestrians from around the world. The local equestrian community is very proud of
the Rancho Viejo Riding Park and the city should be as well. Please renew the
management contract with Bleinheim for the Rancho Viejo Riding Park.
Sincerely,
Deborah Baileys
San Juan Capistrano