“Within a matter of hours, we build a little city.”
This year the Portuguese Bend National Horse Show will be celebrating 55 years of tradition, marking more than half a century of bringing the community together on a fall weekend in September. Although the event hasn’t always been in the same place, this year will mark a milestone and a new footing for the program.
Ernie Howlett Park Equestrian Center, where the event has taken place since the early ‘90s, has received a makeover courtesy of Rolling Hills Estates park development funds. Fences have been rebuilt and the turf has been redesigned and covered with a state-of-the-art Olympic footing made of recycled pieces of canvas from old tennis shoes.
“The new arenas make it a better, safer environment,” said Horse Show Chairman Vall Light.
The nationally ranked event is expected to attract competitors from across the country and up to 5,000 competitors and will raise money for the Peninsula Committee Children’s Hospital. Proceeds from the horse show benefit the Associates Endowment to Advance Developmental Neuroscience at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which helps with early diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopment disorders in children. Since 1957, the group has raised more than $11 million.
What Light enjoys most about the event is the community atmosphere.
“My children grew up with this group, entire families volunteer for the weekend,” said Committee President Anne Clark. “My kids picked up the stones from the arena, cleaned the rings, moved park benches, and worked the food booth – just for fun – even though they aren’t competitors. They lived for horse show weekend.”
For Light and Clark, the event begins Tuesday night, long before the competitors have brushed their horses and hitched-up their horse trailers.
“Within a matter of hours, we build a little city,” said Light.
Community volunteers head to the park around 4 p.m. on Tuesday when the tents arrive. When they are done setting up, Light said that the park is unrecognizable.
“After months of preparation, on Tuesday we do the work-night with the many volunteers preparing for the weekend show, and my favorite part is coming through the gate at oh dark thirty in the morning for a 6 a.m. shift and you see all these blue and white-checkered shirts out there and everybody is so happy. They’re just willing, happy volunteers,” said Clark.
According to Light, the three days go by quickly. “People just pitch in. If there’s a void in one area and you just ask. people say, ‘Yes, I’d love to help.’”
Volunteers wearing blue-checkered shirts do everything from picking up trash and selling potted flowers, to flipping burgers and making breakfast burritos. “And the coffee place is the happiest place on earth in the morning,” said Light.
About 100 families from around the Peninsula and the Hill volunteer at the event. Although every year brings different events and a different amount of attendees, Clark said she feels like every year has a welcoming feeling.
“It’s just a good, hometown feel,” said Clark. “Even if you aren’t involved in the horse community, it’s great to see friends and watch the competition.”
This year, the children’s area will feature a moon bounce, games, face and hair painting, and crafts as well as a petting zoo with a llama. The “Stick Horse Classic” will be featured at noon on Sunday.
“We give little kids these stick horses and they go running around,” said Light. “It’s so funny.”
On Saturday after the first round of the PCHA Horsemanship Medal Finals, the Lomita Sheriff’s Mounted Color Guard will be making an appearance, and after round two on Sunday, the Long Beach Mounted Police will put on a show. A particularly special moment for Light is the singing of the National Anthem on Sunday afternoon.
Two new horse events this year will be the Victor Hugo-Vidal Adult Horsemanship Finals that was previously hosted in Las Vegas, and the Barby Hartwig Hereford $6,000 Jr. A/O Jumper Classic.
“We hear from the riders that they really like our show and we hope that they’ll always come back,” said Light. “We want them to feel special. We’re having a good time and we hope that when they leave at the end of the day that they’re smiling and they enjoyed their day, too.”
The Portuguese Bend National Horse Show will take place Sept. 7 through 9 at Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates. Visit www.pcch.net for more information. PEN
