Rancor has permeated the Malibu Equestrian Park since the relationship between an equestrian club and sheepherding instructors has deteriorated.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
The Malibu Parks and Recreation Commission proposed at a meeting last Thursday that equestrian club Trancas Riders & Ropers and Drummond Ranch, which conducts sheepherding classes, share the Malibu Equestrian Park, if it is possible.
Drummond Ranch, which is based in Vincent Hill, had originally been invited by TR&R to conduct sheepherding classes in one of the equestrian park’s two horse-riding arenas. As part of a deal, Drummond Ranch students would either become members of TR&R or pay an arena-usage fee. But the relationship between the two groups has descended into strong discord, with TR&R accusing Drummond Ranch of not sharing its financial information and claiming the sheepdogs involved in the classes were dangerous to the horses, who could be frightened and possibly injure a rider in the process.
The issue was debated at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting and the commissioners unanimously decided Drummond Ranch could not co-exist with TR&R. However, it requested that city staff look into the possibility of a section of the park not including the two arenas be fenced off to make a temporary dog park and place for sheepherding lessons until a permanent one can eventually be found.
The equestrian park property is owned by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and leased by the city for TR&R to use. TR&R has an informal agreement with the city in which it pays no fee to use the property but does upkeep for the area. Any proposal to build a temporary dog park or sheepherding class area would require approval by the SMMUSD.
TR&R President Rod Bergen said the commission’s proposal was not a bad one because it would pacify the conflict, but he said it had its drawbacks too.
“Horses would still have to walk by the dogs to get to the arena,” Bergen said. “Dogs are predator animals and horses are prey animals. You still have the possibility of a kid on a pony and the pony gets spooked by the dogs, and the kid falls off.”
Drummond Ranch officials could not be reached for comment. Until the situation is resolved, there are no more sheepherding classes scheduled in Malibu, interim-Parks and Recreation Director Amy Crittendon said in an interview this week.
Although there is an informal agreement between Malibu and TR&R that stretches back to before cityhood, there has never been a formal agreement with guidelines between the city and the equestrian club. Crittendon said she is currently working on the first draft of an agreement, which she said should be completed this week and sent to the TR&R Board of Directors for review. It will then come before City Attorney Christi Hogin for further review before being presented to the City Council for a vote.