All equestrian operations have been suspended at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park after its operators did not complete a project to address water quality issues by a settlement’s deadline.
In 2017, the nonprofit Orange County Coastkeeper sued San Juan Capistrano and the Ridland Group, which operates the riding park, alleging Clean Water Act violations from horse-washing water discharge that contained feces, soap and urine.
As part of a settlement agreement, the city took on nearly $8 million in necessary improvements to prevent contaminated water from running off into nearby San Juan Creek. But the Ridland Group, which runs equestrian events and operations at the riding park, did not put in a storm drain before the settlement’s April 15 deadline, according to San Juan Capistrano officials.
The San Juan Creek, located right next to the riding park along its western border, runs directly into Doheny State Beach. The creek is an “important waterway for aquatic habitat,” said Coastkeeper spokesperson Matt Sylvester.
The 40-acre riding park has hosted many nationally recognized tournaments and events, including the longtime Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo and Olympic equestrian team trials and other team events. With a large, manicured grass field, the riding park is conducive for equestrian competitions and jumping contests.
While not a stabling facility, the riding park does house some horses during events.
The settlement agreement required three water quality projects to be completed, said City Manager Ben Siegel: the removal of a pedestrian bridge over the San Juan Creek, restoration of the San Juan Creek bank and the completion of a water quality improvement system that would prevent stormwater runoff from entering the creek.
San Juan Capistrano removed the bridge and completed the restoration of the creek bank, Siegel said, and a 2023 lease agreement between the city and the Ridland Group stipulated that the water quality improvement project was solely in the hands of the Ridland Group, he said. The lease also allows for an up to six-month rent abatement period during the construction of the improvements.
Since 2017, Coastkeeper has agreed to two extensions for the riding park’s operators to complete the storm drain, according to a recent press release. But Coastkeeper not this time when the April 15 deadline came and went — meaning equestrian events came to a halt and the park cannot house more than 25 horses.
“We have demonstrated a willingness to work with and support both parties to address the riding park’s water quality issues,” Coastkeeper President Garry Brown said. “However, we are six years and two extensions out, and full compliance is not even near. The current circumstance is unacceptable and a threat to our waters.”
“The San Juan Creek is currently listed by the state of California as ‘impaired’ due to high levels of bacteria, phosphorus and nitrogen — the same pollutants associated with the riding park,” Sylvester said.
The Ridland Group is in the process of advancing plans for the water quality project, Siegel said. Those plans would need to be approved by the city and Coastkeeper and receive regulatory approval from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, the water district and environmental clearance before construction of a storm drain could begin, he said.
Robert Ridland, who, through his group, has operated the riding park since 1998, did not respond to requests for comment.
Ridland has been the U.S. Olympic show jumping coach since 2013 and was inducted into the U.S. Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 2018. After re-upping the lease for the riding park in 2021, Ridland said that he wants to be a part of preserving San Juan Capistrano’s well-known horse history.
“Yes, this could be a field with no horses on it,” Ridland said in 2021. “And yes, it wouldn’t require the infrastructure that we’re putting in, but San Juan Capistrano would be missing part of its soul.”
According to Siegel, San Juan Capistrano’s primary focus is to be “compliant with the consent decree.”
“We are hopeful that the Ridland Group and Orange County Coastkeeper reach agreement on a path forward that allows for the resumption of equestrian events while meeting all applicable water quality regulations,” Siegel said.
The annual San Juan Capistrano International tournament and the Blenheim Surf and Turf Classic were moved to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center because of the suspension.
There are events still listed as being held at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, according to its website, including the Blenheim June Regional and Blenheim June Classic Series, but according to Blenheim spokesperson Retha Sternberg, plans for these events are still undecided.
