Horse show faces jumpto Thennal

Rider Jeff Campf finished second recently in the Bayer Grand 'Prix in India. He will be competing in the India Desert Circuit. The India Desert
Circuit itself will be moving to Thermal next year.
Horse show faces jumpto Thennal
2007
t9, bring
WHAT
TOWATCH
larger grounds,
longerwgchedmeBy XOCHITL PENA
THE DESERT
- -- ~::~c:~~=:::;
Hu;t;;';e'Tudged;~
style over the obstacles - naturally styled
about 2,000 horses and
6,000 horsemen each
year. The six-week show already
infuses about $121 million into
the local economy, according to
an independent study by Sport
Management Research Institute
in Weston, Fla.
But after 15 years, the horse circuit has outgrown the facilities on
Avenue 52 in Indio. Come 2007,
it will move seven miles, to a facility double the size in Thennal.
tits season will be extended by another couple of weeks, too.
"I think it's great. As long as
they're not moving out of the
community," said Gayle Cady, an
east valley resident who frequently attends the horse shows.
The show has grown from using
500 stalls to its current capacity of
3,300.
"We.'ve had to turn some horses
away," said John Eickman, na..
.
ave4mm.
its-GYrreAt-iGGatioo-to.a..new
one in Thermal
for next year's show.
fences simulating obstacles they might
encounter while hunting.
sion: Jumpers are jUdged
solely on the ability to jump the fences in a
certain amount of time. Style or the way
they look jumping doesn't count The
obstacles range in height.
SUN
The Indio Desert Circuit is
moving to Thennal, where organizers hope the horse show will
become bigger, better and even
more of a moneymaker.
A hunter and jumper horse
show with purses totaling $1 million, the event attracts
INDI 0
The Indio Desert Circuit, run by HITS,
which stands for Horses In The Sun, will
Whatdoyouseeat theJodloDesert
tional marketing director for HITS (Horses
in the Sun), which runs the circuit.
The organizationplans to enter into a 30year lease with three local business leaders
for 250 acres adjacent to the Jacqueline
.
Cochran RegionalAirport.
THE DESERT SUN
WHAT THE MOVE MEANS
HITS 'also plans to spend in excess of $1 0
million-in upgrades, not only allowing more
TO SPECTATORS:
Next year you'll be catching
the show seven
horsemen to participate but creating a new- miles from its current home in Indio. A bonus is that organizers hope
er, posh venue for spectators to enjoy. Im- to extend the event by a couple of weeks next year.
provements include:
. TO INDIO:Cityofficials and event organizers don't expect the
. Pennanent buildings for vendors arld Coachella Valley's largest city to lose out on the money the six-week
.
HITS offices
. Upgraded
bathrooms
.
.
stalls with plumbing and
. A pennanent veterinarian building with
dedicated stalls
.
. Separate travel areas for horses and hu~
mans. At the current facility, horses on the
way to rings and stalls share the road with
cars.
An official announcement of the new location will take place March 3, and more
details will be released then, Eickman said.
"It will, we believe, be the nicest facility on
Please see HORSES, Bll
show generates. With little development in Thermal, it's likely visitors
will continue to book in the places they've been staying over the past
15 years.
. TOTHERMAL:This unincorporated part of Riverside County could
be getting more exposure by hosting one of the biggest horse circuits
in the country. Those leasing the land also hope to add services
around the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport more for guests
flyinginfortheevent.
.
MORE ONLINE
Rnd more news and photos of HITS(Horses In The Sun)
and The Indio Desert Circuit at www.thedesertsun.comj
horseshow
FROM B1/ FOR THE RECORD
,
,-
JOS£
OMAR ORNBLAS.
THB
DBSBRT
SUN
A horse rider engages in morning training at the HITSIndio Desert Circuit location in Indio on Thursday. After 15 years in Indio, the Indio Desert
Circuit is moving to Thermal, where organizers hope that bigger grounds, longer schedules and proximityto the Jacqueline Cochran Regional
Airportwillpayoff.
.
Horses
ABOUT THE PLAYERS
Continued from Bl
the West Coast for sure," Eickman said.
Enthusiasmhigh
property owners.
"With some parcels being sold,
we knew h: would be hard to
maintain a horse show," Eickman
.
Mike Wells, a Thermal resident and member of the community council, thinks having
an event that attracts thousands
of people may help jump-start
some interest in the quiet community.
"Perhaps overthe long run that
will encourage some movement
down in this area," he said.
The horse circuit will bring
prestige to the area, said David
Chapman, a valleydeveloperwho
built Traditions Golf Club in La
Quinta and owns several local
restaurants.
Chapman, Matt Johnson of
WilsoriJohnson Commercial Real Estate and Paul Clayton, a
founding partner of El Paseo
Wealth Management, are the
ones leasingthe land to HITS.
"The economic impact is going
to be great. No event goes this
long in this county," Chapman
said about the horse circuit.
Chapman and his partners also
are gea~g up to build a tpced-
The~$O~c;res Ip Thermal will be leased tocHI1$ undera30.yeat
Jease agreeR1eritwith anoptlop.to extend the lease.
11Ie landowners Include:
. David Chapman: The La Quinta
resident built Traditions Golf Club in
developing The Crossings at EI
Paseo, a fetall plaza~t
La Quinta, and
owns Palmer's
Restaurant in
74 and EI
Paseo in ga!Ol
Desert.
.
. Paul
LaQUinta,
Chapman
said.
Keedy's in Palm
Desert,
Clayton:
A
founding
Chapelli's in La
QUinta,and
partner of EI.
Paseo Wealth
Ciro's in Indio
and La Quinta.
Management,
with Johnson
. Matt Johnson: A partner in
Wilson Johnson Commercial Real
Estate, he helped build Boulders
West industrial park in Indio and is
base operation at the Jacqueline
CoclUan Regional Airport that
would provide various services for
private plane crews and passengers, such as hangar space, fuel
and rental cars.
While very few fly .their horses
in by plane, many competitors
frequent the airport to dash
home for quick weekends or dur-
Clayton
he
helped bui!d
Boulders West industrial park in
'Indio and Is developing The
Crossings at EI Paseo, He lives in
Palm Desert.
ing off weeks.
And located just off Highway
86, Eickman said the new location is much easier to drive to than
the current one.
Olympic aspirations
Currently, HITS owns about
45 of the 100 acres it sits on, leasing the rest from five different
.
He said officials hope to make
the facility suitable for Olympic
horse trials.
"We just think with a brand new
facility that will be so much nicer
than it is currently ... we can't
imagine that anyone will turn us
down (to host the trials)," he
said.
Indio officialssaid they are sad
to see the horse circuit leave the
city's limitsbut believebusinesses
there will keep customers.
"The economicvalue is stillgoing to spread out even though it's
down in Thermal," said Mayor
Gene Gilbert.
Because there isn't much in the
way oflodging and retail in Thermal, Eickman doesn't expect the
move to cause an immediate shift
in how money is spent.
"I think people will continue to
follow the lodging patterns
they've been following."
Xochltl Peiia covers Indio and
Coachella for The Desert Sun. She can
be reached at 360-1340 or at
Xochitl.Pena@thedesertsun.com