RSVP / ORANGE COUNTY : Socialites Indulge in Genteel Horseplay : Style prevails on the course and under the tent for the 500 guests at Grand Prix luncheon.
As actress Jennifer O’Neill put it, you didn’t have to know one end of a horse from another to enjoy this weekend’s Oaks Classic horse show at the San Juan Capistrano ranch of Joan Irvine Smith.
For the more than 500 guests who attended the Grand Prix luncheon Sunday, the final day of the equestrian competition, it was enough just to be among the gleaming horses and old oaks at the picturesque ranch, savoring omelets with caviar and crab-stuffed tacos while watching the show. The Oaks Classic, including the $150-per-person luncheon, raised about $100,000 for the National Water Research Institute in Fountain Valley.
Riding High
While riders coaxed their horses over obstacles in the $50,000 Oaks Classic Grand Prix, guests milled about inside a huge white tent set up along the course.
“This is one of the most anticipated shows. It’s done with grace and glamour,” said Robert Drennan, a show manager for many grand national horse shows.
“Not every show has these amenities. Where else can you find grass on top of grass?” he added, looking down at the artificial turf that covered the lawn inside the tent.
The tent was filled with tables covered in brightly colored cloths and food stations where guests could load up on all kinds of fare: made-to-order omelets, tacos one could fill with chicken, beef or crab meat and sundaes with a smorgasbord of toppings.
Some spectators looked like chic cowboys in elegant boots, hats and Western shirts that were better suited for parties than riding the ranch. Mary Moore-Young sported a brown suede skirt, straw hat and vest adorned with gold braid designed for her by the late Michael Nusskern, a fashion designer from Fullerton.
“I’m mesmerized by this event,” Moore-Young said. “It’s lovely--the openness, the beauty, the way it’s all set up.”
Horsey Set
Joan Irvine Smith wore an Hermes-print blouse with her khakis. Every year Hermes has a booth at the show where guests can pick up a silk scarf with an equestrian print for $225.
“It’s a natural Hermes should be included in a great horse show,” said Francine Bardot, managing director of Hermes Beverly Hills. The fashion house started in Paris 156 years ago as a saddle and harness maker.
Many spectators were serious about horses. O’Neill is a longtime horse lover who had two horses entered in the competition and owns 28 horses at her ranch in Malibu.
“My parents always said it was a phase I would grow out of,” said the 46-year-old actress. “But I’m forever in love with horses.”
The recipient of the proceeds, the National Water Research Institute, was founded three years ago with the help of the Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation to identify and support research that will lead to improved water quality and supply.
“Joan has an honest interest in water. She comes from a family of agrarians, and she appreciates what water means to people,” said Ronald Linsky, executive director of the institute.
Other guests were: Morton (Cappy) Smith, Gilbert Agguire, Evelyn Baird, Marsha Grindberg, David and Anita Hansen, Beverly Hay, Howard House, Robert Jolicouer, Marie Mainz, Willy Nalls, Elrick Pinckney, Bruce Rittmann, Ronda Sandquist, James Swinden and Roger and Louise Williams.