Councilmembers voted last week to authorize the City of South Pasadena to engage in new lease negotiations with San Pasqual Stables, LLC, the current operators of the city’s horse stables. If San Pasqual Stables and the City cannot come to long term lease agreement the City will engage in negotiations with Paddock Riding Club.
The list of five bidders had narrowed in the last month to two, but the recommendation of San Pasqual Stables by a subcommittee made up by citizens Ron Rosen, Kay Findley, and Robe Rose, consultant Ron Hagan and Community Services Director Sheila Pautsch swayed the Council’s favor to the incumbent lease holders.
Pautsch explained the subcommittee’s analysis to the Council, saying, “The subcommittees’ opinion is that San Pascual Stables, LLC, can build on their past successes and conduct a financially successful equestrian center that expands the equestrian opportunities to the community and improves their customer service, site security, and facility maintenance under the new terms of the city agreement.”
Located across the street from the little league baseball fields in Arroyo Seco Park, the stables have flourished in recent years under the management of Caroline and David Stercyx, the latter of whom is a former member of Belgium’s junior national team and Puissance class record holder.
Caroline just recently led South Pasadena High School students Tabitha Okitsu and Avery Kim to the National Pony Finals in Lexington, Ky, where they finished 1st and 2nd, respectively. At the time, while lease negotiations were ongoing and San Pasqual’s chances of retaining the stables were in serious jeopardy, she told The Review, “I want the City to see how happy this has made these young girls. All because they have a great place to train. I hope that everybody can see that this is what we work towards every day at San Pasqual Stables.”
Citizens responded to the threat of losing San Pasqual Stables by expressing through passionate testimonies to the Council at public meetings their love of the facility and its operators.
More to come..
