COSTA MESA : Horses Get to Stay in Fairground Stalls
About 135 horses living at the Orange County Fairgrounds will not be kicked out of their stalls--at least for now.
After listening to protests from horse owners, the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center Board of Directors postponed action on a proposal to close the fairground stable to permanent boarders.
“The board felt they really needed to spend more time studying this,” said Jill Lloyd, spokeswoman for the fair. “Funds for the equestrian center are already in our next-year budget so there is no immediate need to make a decision.”
The board had been asked to consider closing the stable, which has been losing money, and using the stalls and arena only during horse shows.
About 30 boarders and trainers spoke against the proposal during a board meeting Thursday, saying the stable is one of the few remaining links to Orange County’s agricultural past. Many also believe the stable could be profitable if managers were more aggressive about filling the stalls.
The equestrian center includes 275 stalls, of which 135 are being rented at a cost of $350 a month.
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