Paso Robles, California, is famously known for its majestic vineyards and small town charm. What is lesser known about this gem of a town is that it is also home to the Paso Robles Horse Park, a beautiful equestrian horse show facility that hosts numerous rated and un-rated Hunter/Jumper competitions each year since its inception in 2015. While horse show husbands, wine-loving pony moms, and non-horsey friends and family might be drawn to this “destination” horse show due to the offerings of the surrounding area, the Paso Robles Horse Park has just as much, if not more, to offer to the competitive equestrian, making it a can’t-miss addition to your show schedule.
Photograph by GrandPix Photography
What makes this horse park so special?
First and foremost, footing. Quality footing is a high priority, if not the number one, on most equestrians’ checklist when it comes to planning their show schedule. Paso Robles Horse Park prides itself on offering the highest quality GGT Synthetic Footing in all five of their competition arenas and five warm-up arenas, the one exception being their incredible grass field. The Paso Park’s top notch footing is maintained by an on-site footing expert that manages the pre-show arena prep, post-show maintenance, and numerous waters and drags during each horse show to ensure pristine surfaces for riding and competition.
Besides the pristine synthetic footing, the Paso Robles Horse Park boasts a beautiful large grass field for the Hunter and Equitation horses to compete on, honoring the tradition of the sport which dates back to riding on vast grass fields. Its Polypropylene base ensures that no matter the condition of the grass, riders and horses are competing on a good surface. Like all of the rings at the Paso Park, the grass field is maintained year-round by its very own Turf Specialist.
“It is a wonderful experience to come to the Paso Robles Horse Show and ride in their grass arena. I love the feel of riding on grass, and my horse loves it too. The Paso grass arena offers a unique Northern California opportunity to ride on grass and provides great Derby training. To add to the fun, the jumps are beautiful — offering a lot of variety with logs, bushes and roll tops!” —Kyro Eno, Junior Rider at Sterling View Farm
Quality footing is not the only note-worthy feature of the Paso Robles Horse Park arenas. Each arena is adorned with beautiful homemade jumps that are regularly updated throughout the season to keep the horses and riders on their A game!
To top it all off, horses love the Paso Robles Horse Park’s thoughtful stabling! Whether in the permanent or temporary stalls, horses enjoy 12 x 12 boxes in spacious barn aisles that keep them cozy in the cooler months while allowing for good circulation as temperatures rise. The Park offers 224 permanent stalls and can accommodate up to an additional 500 temporary stalls; however, they like to be very particular to keep their count at a manageable number to allow their show exhibitors to take in the unique destination and all that the central coast has to offer.
Photograph by Essence Captured
Clearly the Paso Robles Horse Park has designed their facility and shows to benefit the horse, but the rider experience is nothing short of spectacular either! With a variety of vendors and sponsors onsite, riders can pick up any supplies they might need and discover new products they are sure to love. The food offerings include a permanent food court structure that is home to a local caterer during every horse show, while also rotating a variety of food trucks to provide exhibitors with plenty of options while at the show. Paso Robles is famous for their wine, and the Paso Park made sure not to leave it out! The on-site Pony Pub offers local wines alongside the beer vendor at all of the Classic Shows and B Shows.
The fun doesn’t stop there! The Paso Robles Horse Park offers an extravagant VIP tent with delicious food provided by an upscale local caterer that has a reputation for creating unique farm to table meals. Plus, all exhibitors are invited to kick off the show week at a local winery during the Classic Shows, providing drinks and bites for all and a time for connecting with others at the show before the week gets going.
Of course, none of the wonderful experiences offered by the Paso Robles Horse Park would be possible without their dedicated management team. They are closely involved with the perspective of those that are competing in the shows, particularly with the amateurs, and the unique opportunities to dedicate focus on both horse and competitor heath and wellness.
