The 91st Annual Flintridge Horse Show: Riding High

Back in the early 1920s, the war to end all wars was over, and Babe Ruth held the home run record. You could buy a house for $7,000 and a loaf of bread for 36 cents.  Some things last longer than others. Among the decade’s more enduring legacies, we still have the Winter Olympics, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the internal combustion engine, and the Flintridge Horse Show.

To kick off its 91^st year, the Flintridge Horse Show – once called the Children’s Horse Show  – grew up, as it were, adding new events and, in some cases, higher jumps.  In addition to the children’s and junior competitions, this year’s shows on April 26-29, featured adult hunter jumper classes, including, most notably, the $25,000 Land Rover Pasadena Grand Prix.

Three hundred horses and their riders, and owners and fans, gathered for the four-day competition, arriving from as far afield as Calgary and Colorado. Sixty-five of the equine athletes were La Canada Flintridge residents.

To prepare for the move to the big leagues, Flintridge Horse Show made some significant improvements. The footing is now a mix of felt, fiber, and sand, and, for the Grand Prix event, jumps were raised to new heights -- 4 feet 6 inches.

And there was more to enjoy than equine loveliness and expert riding. As had been the case for the past 10 years, a wine tasting was held Friday night, and to launch the new Grand Prix in style, ringside dining was on offer for Saturday night

Since 1977, the Flintridge Horse Show has been organized by the Flintridge La Canada Guild of Huntington Hospital, and it’s their primary fundraiser. Recent success stories include funding an entire treatment room in the hospital's new Regional Trauma Center.

Now that hundreds of temporary equine guests are on their way home, things at Flintridge Riding Club can return to normal,

I asked a Riding Club member what it’s like when the show comes to town. “Essentially, when the show moves in, we move aside. They basically consume everything.” Then she smiled.  “But it’s worth it. Around here, we love our traditions.”

Note:  The winner of Saturday’s Grand Prix was McLord’s First John, ridden by Lane Clarke, and owned by Mickey Hayden of Laguna Niguel.