Business & Tech

Best Pet Services: Royal Ridge Equestrian Center

Royal Ridge Equestrian Center is the winner of the Poway Premium Partners poll for Best Pet Store/Animal Facility in Poway.

It’s a rare thing to succeed during a recession, and it’s even more impressive when a business can “barely handle the load.”

But that’s the case at Royal Ridge Equestrian Center, which won the Best Pet Services poll. The business, owned by Emily Richards since 2004, has grown into a large riding school with a number of instructors and trainers. On top of that, Richards opened the Serenity Equestrian Center, a facility that accommodates more than 90 horses, Richards said.

“To be totally honest I haven’t noticed any difference in our business during the recession, except maybe that I’ve noticed more people coming to us looking for jobs,” he said. “Our business has continued to grow and expand and the calls for lessons, training and boarding just keep coming.”

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Richards, a Poway native who began horseback riding lessons when she was 5 at the Poway Valley Stock Farm, has simple tips for business owners.

“Be honest, be faithful, and do what you love and God will provide the rest.”

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