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California Riding Magazine • May, 2009 San Pasqual Valley Ranch
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The inland San Diego facility now known as San Pasqual Valley Ranch has long been associated with the western disciplines. Today, one of Southern California’s first families of ranch-work and rodeo events, Lynn and Delia Devenport, carry on the ranch’s legacy. In March of 2008, english riders got a foothold at this extensively rehabbed boarding and training facility when Jenny O’Curran set out her shingle for San Pasqual Hunter/Jumpers. A familiar face on the San Diego hunter/jumper circuit, Jenny has worked as an assistant to many of the area’s top horsemen. San Pasqual is her first solo endeavor and she is passionate about her purpose of making it a place where riders of normal economic means can enjoy horses and advance their horsemanship knowledge and skills. Jenny found a kindred spirit in Gregg Sindici, who bought what had been Cloverdale Stables in 2005 and has since invested considerable time and money into making it a safe, functional and pleasant place to keep, train and enjoy horses. Sindici is a businessman who shares Jenny’s soft spot for facilitating the positive connection between people and horses. “Some of where I’m coming from is trying to preserve the ability for today’s kids to have horses available to them,” Sindici says. He accepts that riders with national show ambitions may migrate to more expensive training facilities eventually but takes pride in providing an entry point for beginners or a long-term base for those content to excel at the regional level or as recreational riders.
Jenny with her “kids.” San Pasqual’s boarding rates are highly competitive. Its location, off Highway 15 and near the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is convenient to many San Diego suburbs in an area that has traditionally been underserved by english riding programs. “There’s a real niche for this in San Diego’s inland North County,” Sindici asserts. Sindici was thrilled to find O’Curran available when he completed new construction of the 22-stall barn and a large jumping ring. These english facilities are set on five acres of unused land at the 28-acre San Pasqual Valley Ranch and separated from the western activities. Sindici is an active amateur roper and team penner himself and the two first crossed paths many years ago when O’Curran, responding to ribbing that english riders were too uptight, ventured into the cattle arena. San Pasqual Hunter/Jumpers At the moment, most of O’Curran’s students are kids, but she welcomes riders of all ages and experience levels. Many students don’t have their own horses. Instead, they ride horses O’Curran owns and sometimes those moving through the trainer’s sales program. The result is that students get the great education of riding different mounts. A lot of O’Curran’s horses are retired A circuit campaigners, but others are green or have some quirks. “It’s easy to ride one horse well, but it’s a bit better, I think, to learn how to ride and handle different horses,” she says. “I think it makes the rider step up.” Lessons include lots of flat work and exercises her students will be likely to find in Equitation classes and work-offs.
Kaylynn O’Curran getting her first blue ribbon in wak/trot equitation. “The main thing I wanted to do is provide great quality instruction and a good level of care, but in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere,” says O’Curran of her modus operandi. San Pasqual Hunter/Jumpers does not have grooms. “Everybody cleans their own tack and does everything for the horses.” That includes learning to body clip, choose and prepare appropriate supplements and everything else involved in proper horse care. Visiting clinicians are part of the San Pasqual Hunter/Jumpers program. O’Curran counts hunter/jumper judge Cathy Simm and eventing star Tamra Smith as friends and both are slated to work with her riders in coming months. O’Curran’s crew competes an average of twice a month on the Greater San Diego Hunter Jumper Assn. circuit. The trainer also organizes schooling shows at home to help newbies conquer their nerves. Although O’Curran’s business operates on its own five-acre parcel, there’s no avoiding the cows that live on the property for the ranch’s many cattle-working activities and events. O’Curran considers that a plus. One of her many mentors is Allen Clarke, father of young Grand Prix jumping contender Lane Clarke. “He taught me that putting an english horse on cattle helps them learn collection, speed and how to rate their stride relative to a jump and to not be afraid of a moving or scary object like a cow.” Additionally, it’s simply good for a horse to be versatile so they never get bored with their job, even if they don’t wind up being very good at it. O’Curran occasionally rides her own young jumper in a western saddle and sometimes puts him on cattle. “It’s good for him to do something else,” she notes.
Louisa Schandera with Pretty Woman. Devenports Advance Western Traditions Trainers Lynn and Delia Devenport came to San Pasqual Valley Ranch about a year before Sindici bought the business. The ranch property was managed for many years by team penning legend Pete Loftin, and the Devenports’ successes in roping, barrel racing and all-around rodeo events takes the ranch’s heritage in new directions. Their own accomplishments and those of their students, including their three high school rodeo champion daughters, have kept San Pasqual Valley Ranch at the forefront of the competitive western equestrian lifestyle in Southern California. Boarding options in the separate english barn include 24’ x 24’ box stalls and 12’ x 24’ covered and enclosed stalls in a mare motel set-up. A lighted 85’ x 155’ sand arena, a 60’ round pen, wash racks and tack boxes are a few of the amenities on the english side.
Jenny O’Curran and her husband on their “cow horses.” The 88 stalls on the western side range from 24 x 24 box stalls to 12’ x 36’ in-and-outs. These facilities include one lighted 140’ x 260’ rodeo arena, one lighted 70’ x 110’ arena with cattle access, one lighted 120’ x 220’ sand arena, one lighted sorting arena, one bull pen, three 60’ round pens, including one that is lighted and one with cattle access, four wash racks, a shoer’s stand, ample trailer parking and plenty of room to park and turn around. All stabling arrangements include an automatic fly spray system, twice daily feeding and daily stall mucking. Best of all, the ranch sits in a gorgeous setting with lots of room for trail riding, exploration and general fun with horses, which is, after all, what it’s all about.
For more information on San Pasqual Valley Ranch visit www.callspvr.com or call 760-743-2377. For more information on San Pasqual Hunter/Jumpers, call Jenny O’Curran at 760-270-1108.
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