Some riders dispute the notion that the fair needs to keep expanding, though, and think that paving over one of the area’s last bastions of quiet, country culture would run contrary to the fair’s mission of exposing an increasingly urban community to its livestock and farming roots.
“It’s OK not to be able to take more land for a parking lot. It’s OK to wait to raise the money to build a parking structure. It’s not a problem: They’re making it a problem,” said Sharon Gerstenzang, who rides at the center about three times a week.
But the fair is only growing to meet the demand brought about by the increase in the county population, according to Chief Executive Steve Beazley, and the country-style character of the fair may need to change to meet the desires of a larger and more diverse audience.
“As long as the county is growing, there are more constituents and people that we can invite to the fair,” Beazley said.
Lauren Spear lives in Yorba Linda, and she comes to Costa Mesa, where her horse is kept, four or five times a week to practice riding and jumping. Before she started going to the equestrian center, Spear had to load her horse in a trailer and drive it from Yorba Linda each time she wanted to train.
“Yorba Linda has closed many of their facilities, and this is the best place for the training I want to do,” Spear said.
As Orange County has developed at a rapid pace, more and more riding and stabling areas have disappeared. The nearest ones to Costa Mesa of comparable size are on the northern end of Huntington Beach and in South County, and riders say they prefer the atmosphere at the fairgrounds.
