Malibu’s equestrian community treats horseback riding as more than just a pastime; equines represent a tranquil lifestyle choice.
The horses of Malibu, “the original backyard riding place,” as one local said, preserve a rural Malibu lifestyle. Riders realize their camaraderie with their horse is what’s important.
“[The equestrian community] helps represent the rural aspect of living in Malibu, just the same way that the beaches and the hiking trails do … The equestrian community is one of the things that makes Malibu a special place,” said local equestrian facility owner Drew Leonard.
“We are the foundation of the Malibu lifestyle,”
(TRR) President Shari Bernath-Latta. “There are only a few sports you can do your entire life. You can swim, you can play golf, you can play tennis and [you can] ride horses.” added Trancas Riders & Ropers
For residents today, it’s hard to imagine a time they could only rely on horses to get from point A to point B.
But horses have been an integral part of Malibu dating back to the time the area was called Humaliwo by the Chumash Indians.
“[Back then, you] could pretty much ride a horse anywhere…[There were] true ropers, people who were cowboys,” said Rod Bergen, TRR president from 2004 to 2009.
“Horses were here long before the majority of people,” said Gina McCloskey, owner of local barn Rancho Sea Air.
Dating back to the early 1900s, horses were the backbone in transporting people from the East Coast out to the West Coast. And in the 1950s, cowboys and ropers flocked to TRR, one of the oldest clubs in Malibu.
Founded in 1952 by the Decker family and located on Merritt Drive (around the corner from Malibu High School), TRR continues to be a watering hole for horse-lovers. Riders come from throughout Southern California to use the TRR facilities, especially for trail riding.
“[We get] riders from all over, from Palmdale to Agoura to Ojai,” said Bernath-Latta.
She notes that throughout the years, TRR has held many different roles in the neighborhood. In the 1970s, there were many large groups going on trail rides. In the 1990s, TRR supported the U.S. Pony Club and gave lessons at the facility. Today, they are “open to anything,” from local Arab shows to Olympian training to Western Dressage clinics. The TRR arena has been host to renowned equestrians such as Buck Brannaman and David Wightman.
While serving as president, Bergen used his state certification as a police instructor to lead clinics on “Horse Human Bomb-proofing,” where he taught students how to handle and settle down their horses.
Up until this year, TRR conducted about 14 horse shows. However, Bernath-Latta does not have enough volunteers to help her maintain that number, so this year’s number is down to eight. Upcoming events include a jumper show on July 13 and a hunter show later in July.
McCloskey, whose Rancho Sea Air barn uses TRR, devotes her time to the equestrian lifestyle because she “enjoy[s] seeing the kids ride, and for the enjoyment of riding [and] being out in nature.” She prefers her riders, usually aged three to 14, to enjoy the spirit of equines and “to not go to the show just to win a ribbon.”
“We try to encourage supporting each other and the kids not being so competitive, and who has the most expensive horse… We have fun at the local [Trancas] Shrimp Shows, and the kids dress the horses up.” McCloskey said.
McCloskey has kept the tradition of riding in her family since her father, German equestrian legend Egon Merz, sold his wristwatch to put a down payment on the property of Rancho Sea Air in the 1940s. Merz went on to teach Elizabeth Taylor for “National Velvet,” stabled The Pie, trained Ronald Reagan and three of his horses, and held fox hunts at their facility. Of her current 40 riders, she trains children from Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley.
Drew Leonard and his wife, local Realtor Janice Leonard, own a Malibu equestrian facility with about 20 stalls, and have used their facility for everything from equine therapy to children’s lessons to breeding. Drew said Malibu equestrians never hesitate to come together in times of need.
“Throughout the last 20 years that [Janice and I] have been in Malibu, we have been through a lot of natural disasters. Everyone in the equestrian community chips in to help each other,” Leonard said.
He added that during the 1996 fire, he helped evacuate 60 horses from neighboring facilities.
To learn more about Malibu’s equestrian community and Trancas Riders & Ropers, visit http://trancasridersandropers.org
