Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes at the Horse Stables -Sunday July 26

In celebration of National Parents Day, Laguna Beach Horse Lovers is sponsoring a Behind-the-Scenes at the Stable event on Sunday, July 26, from 3-5 p.m. in San Juan Capistrano. National Parents Day was established in the United States in1994 to honor parents and to celebrate family.

“We put together a fun, free event for families and individuals to spend time appreciating each other, horses and the outdoors. Laguna Beach Horse Lovers’ goal is to make the wonderful world of horses accessible to everyone,” says founder Lori Savit. “You don’t have to be a rider to enjoy the beauty and power of the horse, the harmony of horse and rider and the excitement of horse sports.”

Attendees will be greeted at the stable by a group of equines large and small. Among the equine greeters will be Luke, a Percheron weighing over 1,800 pounds and the personable miniature horse, Mini Cooper, who is small enough to ride in the backseat of a crew cab truck (but probably not the backseat of a Mini Cooper hardtop). There will also be a performance by the young stars of the Bridges Pony Club.

A walk through the rustic atmosphere of Sycamore Trails Stable will bring the group to an insider’s view of classical horse training with Wilma Blakely, a United States Dressage Federation Gold Medalist. Laguna Beach native Zena Cooper will assist in the dressage demonstration riding her award-winning Hanoverian Damien.

The tour will conclude with a demonstration by the high flying hunter/jumper riders led by trainer John Berney at his new barn in Rio Vista Stables. Berney trains Laguna Beach’s Makenna Grierson, a student at Laguna Beach High School, who last year was awarded the Foxcroft Medal and beat out hundreds of applicants to win with a place in the Regional United States Hunter/Jumper Association Emerging Athletes Program.

To attend the tour on Sunday, July 26, 3-5 p.m., e-mail lori@lagunabeachhorselovers or call 949/497-8915 with the number in your party, number under 16, your e-mail and mobile number to make reservations. Admission and parking are free. Please call in advance, space is limited. See lagunabeachhorselovers.com for more information.