It’s been a long time coming, but it’s still sad. So many memories and rich history there.
BREAKING NEWS FROM THE CARMEL PINE CONE
March 4, 2024, 10:11 a.m.
PEBBLE BEACH CO. SAYS IT WILL CLOSE EQUESTRIAN CENTER
THE PEBBLE Beach Company announced today that it has decided to permanently close the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center — a facility that has been a well-loved and busy place near the Lodge during much of it 100-year history, but is no longer financially feasible to operate, the company said.
“Closing the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center is a very difficult decision. While the equestrian center has a storied history, it is no longer economically viable,” said company CEO David Stivers. “It needs more than $15 million in renovations and has been operating at a substantial loss for many years. Given the overall downward trends in the equestrian industry and the continuing decrease in business at our center, this is the right decision for the company."
Boarding services will continue to be offered at the center through June 30, giving boarders four months to make alternative arrangements, the company said, and equestrian center employees will be offered “a new role within the company following the transition period.”
After the closure, “equestrians who enjoy riding in Del Monte Forest will continue to have access to 27 miles of forested and ocean-front trails maintained by the P.B. Co. for public recreational use and enjoyment,” according to a company announcement.
Opened in 1924 by P.B. Co. founder Sam Morse, the Pebble Beach equestrian center offered a place for early residents of Del Monte Forest to board their horses, but was soon expanded to offer a multitude of uses.
“Situated in the heart of the Monterey Peninsula’s incomparable beauty are the Pebble Beach stables,” a June 30, 1933, article in The Pine Cone noted. “Here can be found horses to suit the abilities of everyone — from willing but gentle horses, to spirited jumpers, polo ponies, and horses with all gaits. Here, too, are broad fields, an excellent assortment of jumps and a large circular track for racing, or where the beginner can practice and rest at ease.”
By the 1950s, Pebble Beach had become an important part of the equestrian world, according to a company website. In 1960, trials for the U.S. Olympic team were held at the center. In more recent years, it has been a place for boarders to exercise their horses, and the starting point for locals and visitors to enjoy forest and beach trail rides. Forty horses are currently kept there, the P.B. Co. said.
In 1997, the company considered moving the equestrian center to a site near Highway 68 and the S.F.B. Morse gate. An environmental impact report at the time said the existing facility was not historic “and could not qualify for the state’s list of historic places.”
Two groups, Save Our Stables and Concerned Residents of Pebble Beach, opposed the move, among other causes. The move never happened, and no EIR or government approval is required to close the equestrian center now.
From the Carmel Pine Cone
