Local News in Brief : S&L; to Run Horse Center

Gibraltar Savings of Beverly Hills took over operation of the debt-plagued Los Angeles Equestrian Center Friday, ousting its director, J. Albert Garcia.

Gibraltar, which has lent $18 million to the Griffith Park facility since 1982 and is its largest creditor, will run the 70-acre center for an indefinite period until a new operator can be found, a spokesman said, adding that services will not be curtailed.

The termination of Garcia’s reign follows a turbulent month for the center during which horse boarders and city officials opposed Garcia’s proposals to save the facility from collapse.

His most recent proposals included turning rented horse stalls into $30,000 horse condominiums and the building of a medieval theme restaurant where diners could watch jousting matches.

Garcia’s company, Burbank-based Equestrian Centers of America Inc., has run the center since 1982. The facility, located on property owned by the City of Los Angeles, has amassed $27 million in debts in that time.