California Riding Magazine • March, 2009

Larry Langer Honored
Veteran show manager and sport advocate
gets ultimate CPHA recognition.

The California Professional Horseman’s Association honored Larry Langer with its Lifetime Achievement Award during its annual banquet in January. Larry was recognized for a successful lifetime spent in the horse show industry.

The honoree is best known as the president and CEO of Langer Equestrian Group, one of the top horse show management companies in the country. Among the many shows produced by LEG, Larry created the Los Angeles National, which is one of the most prestigious shows in the country and culminates the West Coast’s “A” circuit with championships, medal finals and the LA National Grand Prix (CSI-W).

He developed the Colorado Summer Circuit at the Colorado Horse Park, a four-show series that attracts horses and riders from more than 25 states, Mexico and Canada. He and his management team have also served as the competition management for the North American Junior Young Rider Championships three times, most recently in 2008, at the Colorado venue.

Career highlights include serving as the Show Jumping Competition Manager for the Olympic Games (1996 Atlanta, GA), and also managing the 1992 Show Jumping World Cup Finals in Del Mar.
Larry’s success in show management is predicated on a lifetime spent riding, training and teaching. Growing up in New York, he developed a solid foundation that he took to California when he attended college. He started riding, teaching and training while pursuing his mechanical engineering degree, and after working in the aerospace industry while teaching a small group of clients, he decided to dedicate his life to the horse show world.

Larry Langer.
Photo: LEG Up News

For 10 years he owned and operated the Pacific Horse Center in Northern California’s Elk Grove and, in addition to a stable full of top show horses, he operated the Horsemastership program, three college accredited courses where a number of today’s successful professionals got their start. During this time he obtained his second college degree in business administration.

Larry holds judging and steward licenses for both the USEF and the FEI. Throughout his career, he has been involved in governance, serving as either president or chairman of every major organization in California. He also served on the USEF Board of Directors, and was president of the National Hunter Jumper Council, the precursor to the USHJA, on whose board he serves. He is the co-chairman of the USEF Jumper Committee, Competition Management Committee and the Legislative Committee.

He was honored by the award from the CPHA and his peers. It came as a complete surprise. “This is a great honor. Thank you,” he said, experiencing an unusual loss for words when he accepted the award. Unbeknown to him, many of his closest friends, peers, and family were in attendance to help celebrate and honor him. They included Katie Young, George Chatigny, Glenda McElroy, Sandra McKeon, Benjamin Martinez, Brenda Outwater, Charlotte Skinner, Joan & Walt Malkiewicz, Linda McRae, Robin Serfass, Michael Roy Curtis, Chris Collman, Kristen Schweiger and Ian Elliott.

Press release provided by LEG Up Equestrian News.