COSTA MESA : O.C. Fair May Bar Boarding of Horses

Marie Trejo, 20, owns horses that are older than she is. The enterprising Fountain Valley resident makes “a reasonable living,” she says, as a horse trainer for people who board their animals at the Orange County Equestrian Center at the county fairgrounds.

But her fledgling business may fold if directors of the Orange County Fair follow through on a proposal to close the stables to boarders and trainers. Most other big stables in the county are so far from home, Trejo said, that driving time would be prohibitive.

Fair officials say that the equestrian center’s boarding facilities are losing money, and they are strapped for cash and cannot afford to subsidize it.

Under one plan being considered, the arenas and barns would be available only during horse shows, which are held at the grounds 26 times a year.

“To close this place would be nothing less than tragic,” said Dale Harvey, owner of Maple Leaf Farms, which boards 35 horses at the center.

He and others say they are alarmed that the county would even consider shutting down the stables, which they see as one of the last vestiges of the area’s heritage.

“The fairgrounds are supposed to promote our agricultural roots, and now they are thinking they might want to change that,” he said. “That is a little scary.”

But fewer dollars available to fair boards from the state and and shrinking returns from the fair’s weekly swap meet have caused a cash crunch, Becky Bailey-Findley, general manager of the fairgrounds, said Wednesday at a meeting with horse owners who board their animals at the fairgrounds.

Many of the horse owners argued that they think the stables operation could be turned around. Though there are 275 stalls, only 135 horses are permanently boarded at the equestrian center at a cost of $350 a month each, they said.

Some trainers said they had been trying to bring more horses to the center but have been turned away.

“A client of mine tried to move here 16 months ago and was told there was no room,” Harvey said, questioning whether the stables could operate profitably if they were full.

Others said they would gladly pay more to board their horses in Costa Mesa, rather than moving them to other facilities.

“It would be impossible for me to drive to San Juan Capistrano a couple times a day,” said Sabrina DiSano of Newport Beach, who said her young horse needs several hours of training daily. “As far as there being a community need for this place, there is no doubt in my mind.”

The fair board will consider its options again at its meeting Thursday.

Information: (714) 708-1543.