Plans for the Ranch at the O.C. fairgrounds advance, as equestrians file lawsuit

Orange County fairground operators Thursday unveiled plans for the Ranch — a makeover of the site’s Equestrian Center that includes after-school programs, exhibits, private boarding and equine therapy — to the delight of board members wishing for a more public-facing facility.

But the road to fulfilling that happy vision may be a bumpy one, as two groups that board horses at the Costa Mesa site have filed a lawsuit over what they describe as “unconscionable” rental agreements, threats of eviction and illegal actions by OC Fair & Event Center officials.

OCFEC Chief Executive Michele Richards shared plans and concept designs for what the reimagined 7.5-acre site might look and feel like during a regular board meeting Thursday.

Orange County fairground operators Thursday unveiled plans for the Ranch, a renovation of the site’s 7.5 acre Equestrian Center into a more public-facing facility.

(Courtesy of the OC Fair & Event Center)

She said the new space would help further the mission of the center, operating as California’s 32nd District Agricultural Assn., of providing equitable access to agriculture along with entertainment, cultural and educational experiences.

“The Ranch is a place open to all in the community with programs that create a positive impact, highlighting equine, ranching and nature, promoting learning, wellness, health and joy through a variety of experiences,” Richards told board members.

After-school programs will put kids in touch with horses, exhibits centered on ranching and agriculture, while Discovery Days will offer public tours with hands-on experiences. Officials are already in talks with youth programs like 4-H, Future Farmers of America and scouting groups.

Equine therapy will be offered on site in accordance with standards outlined by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Assn. (EAGALA), which also accredits therapists.

O.C. fairground operators plan to renovate the site’s Equestrian Center into an area with more public exhibits and programs under a new name, the Ranch.

(Courtesy of the OC Fair & Event Center)

“We will only be partnering with organizations who have EAGALA-trained associates who use licensed therapists in order to ensure industry-best practices,” Richards said.

Future programming may include offerings for veterans and partnerships with area law enforcement agencies’ mounted units. The Ranch will also make room for private individuals and businesses wishing to board horses and offer lessons and activities on site.

While 25 tenants have signed new contracts to board 32 horses at the fairgrounds, nearly a dozen previous occupants, who board a combined 17 horses, have refused to accept the rent hikes and revised agreement.

Two among that camp — equine therapy nonprofit Changing Strides, co-owned by Lisa Sabo, and OC Equestrian Vaulting, founded by Gibran Stout — are plaintiffs in an Aug. 30 lawsuit filed against the OC Fair & Event Center.

Gibran Stout and horse Finn participate in a demonstration at Costa Mesa City Hall in April in protest of increased horse boarding fees at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

(Eric Licas)

They allege their longstanding harmonious relationship with the center abruptly ended in 2023, when OCFEC assumed operation of the Equestrian Center from a third-party entity and entered into a $1.8-million contract with a Laguna Hills street-sweeping business for stall cleaning, feeding and maintenance that caused a budgetary shortfall and, consequently, a rent hike for boarders.

When some equestrians refused to re-up under the new terms, suggesting the center instead seek a more affordable vendor, they were eventually given 30 days to comply or leave. Richards refused to accept edited agreements and also rejected checks in the amount of the previous, cheaper rent.

Padlocks installed Aug. 1 on an arena at the O.C. fairgrounds’ Equestrian Center aim to block admittance to tenants who refuse to sign new contract terms at the 7.5-acre site.

(Courtesy of Brian Lochrie)

“This ‘take it or leave it’ approach deprives tenants of the ability to negotiate crucial terms of the lease and is unconscionable,” the document states.

Horses belonging to the holdout tenants, as of Aug. 1, were being denied use of arenas and other needed exercise areas, which plaintiffs claimed was harmful to the animals’ physical health. OCFEC spokeswoman Terry Moore clarified padlocks blocking access were removed Sept. 1 after officials received a restraining order, in conjunction with the Aug. 30 lawsuit.

Plaintiffs say Richards must seek a court order if evictions are to follow. They further allege OCFEC board members violated the state’s Bagley Keene Act — a state law requiring open meetings and guiding their operation — by limiting public comments and failing to properly inform the public of agendized discussions.

The lawsuit also questions the integrity of the board’s bidding process and past votes on equestrian contracts. It further contends some members are out of compliance with state laws regarding training and attestations required for directors to retain their seats.

“Therefore, these board members’ terms have expired, and the board was not authorized to terminate tenants’ contracts or engage in the other actions regarding their tenancies,” concludes the document, prepared by attorneys from Los Angeles-based law firm Sheppard Mullin.

Anna McLean, an attorney representing the equestrians, submitted a letter to OCFEC outlining the alleged violations and concerns that plans for the Ranch were advanced without proper description and therefore preventing the public from participating in the discussion.

A rendering of an indoor classroom space at the Ranch, an overhaul of the Orange County fairground’s Equestrian Center at the center of a legal dispute.

(Courtesy of the OC Fair & Event Center)

“It also appears, based on marketing materials already erected on site and as presented at this meeting, that the board has already determined it would approve the Ranch concept,” McLean said Thursday. “It shows the board did not engage in the proper deliberation in a public forum.”

Board members disagreed, saying they’d already approved main elements of programming at the Ranch in January, and then changed Thursday’s discussion from an action item to an informational one.

Directors uniformly lauded the projects and partnerships described by Richards.

“I am sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside to see that presentation and how our staff takes our outward thoughts … and brings that vision to life,” said Director Barbara Bagneris. “I’m totally impressed, I’m totally thrilled — I can hardly contain myself.”

Development of the Ranch is already underway. After-school programs will begin next month and new equine-assisted therapy offerings slated for November, along with budgeting for the facility and programming changes and developing exhibits, according to Richard’s timeline.

But even as the legal proceedings march forward, with a case management conference scheduled for May 12, 2025, equestrians are expressing hope that the two parties may collaborate on future programming at the fairgrounds

“I know there’s been a lot of tension going on,” Stout said in public comment Thursday. “But, regardless, we want you to know we’re here and we share your excitement to expand programming, to really build on what’s being presented.”