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California Riding Magazine • August, 2009 The Gallop: by Kim F. Miller |
The R.J. Brandes/Robert Ridland team hosted a July 18 groundbreaking ceremony for the Silverlakes Equestrian and Sports Park, their ambitious partnership with the City Of Norco in Riverside County. The 122-acre property, located near the Santa Ana River on the north side of “Horsetown USA,” doesn’t look like much at the moment, but knowing the way these West Coast equestrian sport leaders have brought their Blenheim EquiSports dreams to fruition, it’s just a matter of time before their vision for this multi-purpose site comes to fruition. Working under the banner of Belstarr Equestrian, Brandes, Ridland and marketing maven Melissa Brandes announced that construction was set to begin before the end of the year. Next September is the target date for the venue’s first competition. As the Silverlakes Equestrian and Sports Park’s name implies, the plan is for the space to be split between equestrian usage and field sports activities, including soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, etc. Introduced by Norco Mayor Kathy Azevedo as a “guy who’s got to be grand” in everything he does and “the new face of Norco” during the ceremonies, Brandes explained that the Norco venture began as a plan to replace the beautiful San Juan Capistrano venue with which Blenheim EquiSports’ success is synonymous. The company cut its teeth staging a portion of the 2000 Olympic Trials there and since then has built it into a tradition of excellent competition for local, national and international equestrians. The lease on that land, the Oaks Blenheim Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, had been set to expire at the end of 2008, and the equestrian community was thrilled when an extension was granted for 2009. But even Ridland and Brandes were happily taken by surprise when the City of San Juan Capistrano recently expressed its desire and intent to preserve that land for equestrian use. “We didn’t initiate that,” comments Ridland. “It was like Christmas for us because it showed that the city realized the benefits of what we’ve been doing, not just the equestrians.” Arrangements that will allow BE to continue its great work in San Juan Capistrano are still to be determined, but the long term outlook there seems very positive.
Blenheim EquiSports CEO R.J. Brandes and Norco Mayor Kathy Azevedo A Legacy Project By the time the San Juan Capistrano news changed for the better, the Belstarr Sports Management effort in Norco was well underway. It’s been about two years since Belstarr’s proposal for Silverlakes was accepted by the Norco City Council. Brandes likened the progress since then to that of a successful soccer squad. “It takes 11 people to move the ball down the field, and this has truly been a team effort.” It’s been no easy task, he said of myriad issues that include the site’s location in a 100-year flood plain, but he credited Norco officials with being super cooperative throughout. “It’s a private/public venture,” he asserted, describing it as a venue that would benefit hundreds of thousands of people, especially kids, and for many, many years. Litigation with his former partner and fellow Orange County philanthropist Joan Irvine Smith and the expected loss of the San Juan Capistrano venue made the past few years unusually challenging for Brandes. He described the realization of the Norco vision as a gratifying counterbalance to that. Silverlakes differs from San Juan Capistrano and San Diego’s Del Mar Horsepark, where BE also holds hunter/jumper competition, in that it will host shows in numerous disciplines and at all levels. When they thought they would lose San Juan Capistrano, building a site to host their World Cup show jumping qualifiers was a priority, but that is less critical now, Ridland said. It’s too early to talk about show dates, he added. The eventual schedule of hunter/jumper shows will be meant to complement the well-established series at San Juan Capistrano and San Diego, not to compete with them. The USEF’s mileage rule prevents shows of the same rating and within a 250-mile radius of each other to be held on the same dates, he explained. “We won’t be robbing Peter to pay Paul,” he noted. Instead the Norco complex enables them to expand the BE Enterprise and build a bigger market for their offerings. According to the plans on display during the groundbreaking, Silverlakes will be more than capable of hosting World Cup classes and Olympic and World Championship trials. A 135,000 square foot clear-span building is intended to hold an indoor ring with seating for 12,000 to 14,000 spectators. Show rings and jumping fields abound. Olympic show jumping gold medalist Will Simpson was on hand at the groundbreaking ceremony, with his family of fellow riders: wife Nicki, daughter Sophie and son Ty. The charismatic rider emphasized the value of having a world-class training facility on the West Coast as a critical part of the preparation for international horses and riders. Blenheim EquiSports’ experience with precedent setting international selection trials and five World Cup Finals in Las Vegas makes the company a perfect fit for the new endeavor, said Simpson. “I can’t wait to compete here with my family. And my son might even be playing on these soccer fields, too.” Former international soccer player Don Ebert will serve as the Park’s manager. He currently coaches for the Irvine Strikers youth league, with whom both of Ridland’s children have or are playing. To see the Park design and details, visit www.silverlakespark.com.
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