Effie May Crossing, Cathedral Trailhead: The County Parks cleared nearly all trash and you can ride over the riverbed on horseback. There are buried tires and other hazards so stick to the narrow trail. Within a few yards off-path, there is deep underlying mud too soft to ride on. Cathedral Trail is in massive nasturtium blossom.
April 12, 2008: TRVEA cleared Cathedral Trail into a passable horse path. Footing is good, but there are still brush-overhang and trash due to the winter’s riverflow. Protective tack and clothing are recommended. The nasturtiums will be awesome in a couple of weeks.
April 10, 2008, Tijuana River Crossing at Dairy Mart Rd: The SDC sanctioned trail across the Tijuana River below the Dairy Mart Road is passable again. However, at the north side entry into the river botttom, the river soil looks solid, but it is sediment, very soft, and deep. My horse sunk to knee depth within two steps of walking on solid footing and into the same-looking sediment. It is best if the Border Patrol packs this crossing with their trucks and ATVs before horses cross here.
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April 2, 2008, San Diego Union Tribune: MCAS Miramar announced the closure of the base’s historical equestrian facility, citing (not credible) problems with operational expenses. The facility was cut in half several years ago for a storage parking lot, but this time base military administrators announced a permanent closure. TRVEA strongly opposes this action and has written to our political leaders in support of keeping the facility open. Read our letter here … Letter of Support MCAS Facility
Sugar and Paula, March 1, 2: Saturday, we rode the trail crossing the river at the corner of 19th and park rd. Its still pretty muddy on both the front at the road and over further thru the trees just before you come out at the mitigation trail. The mitigation trail has dried out and the downed tree has been removed so that trail is usable again. The puddles on the road to the picnic area at border field has also dried out and you can again see the road, except for the big one down by the beach parking. Yesterday I tried the pipeline trail again. It has NOT dried out and the only way around it takes you to monument road which is not somewhere I care to ride. I did not get in far enough to see if the tree that was down had been removed. So Sugar and I went out the Estuary loop trail. That is passable again as the downed tree has been removed, but because the gate fence is down, because of the alien plant removal program, there were motorcycles and atvs playing around in there. They also were riding around on the trail behind the duck ponds.
February 23, 2008: Don Brubaker and his crew from the US Fish & Wildlife Service cut a new trail around the soggy bog at Three Corners. The new wide trail starts at the Three Corners crossing, and veers through forest to reconnect back onto the Beach Trail. Awesome link! Thank you Don Brubaker!
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Gymkhanas & Playdays are held at Wigginton Ranch. Public welcome!
2191 Hollister St, San Diego, CA 92154. Google Map: Wigginton Ranch.
Get a head start on the sign up: print and fill in the Liability Release.
List of: 2008 Open Gymkhana Events; 2008 Gymkhana Playday Events; Junior Gymkhana Playday Fees 6-Classes
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April 19, Wigginton Ranch: The competition at the Junior Gymkhana was always interesting; and a new “crew” from Lakeside will be serious challengers, soon enough!
(click to enlarge–use the Back Arrow to return; photos by Rodel Reyes April 2008)
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GYMKHANA PLAYDAY APRIL 19, 2008 - Juniors
Fun day! Bring your friends. 6 fun classes to ride with your horse! Sign up at 10AM, starts at 11:00. Here are your challenges. Good luck. Note: Mrs. Hugill is the final judge on all gymkhana playday issues. (Junior Gymkhana Playday is for juniors through the age of 13.)
(click to enlarge–use the Back Arrow to return)
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2007 Gymkhana High Point Winners
December 8, 2007; County Ranger Station, Monument Road: The Junior and Open Gymkhana Playday high points were awarded during TRVEA’s Christmas Party and General Meeting. Coco Hohrein donated the highpoint silver buckle for the Junior High Point winner; and Manuel Campos and Lori Riis donated the highpoint buckle for the Open Gymkhana. The totals for the gymkhanas are as follows:
Best possible point total for the Open Gymkhanas: 240 points. Smokey and Bill Hugill scored 172 points in 4 gymkhanas.
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Best possible point total for the Junior Gymnkhanas: 72 points. Delilah and Kami Cantu scored 58 points in 2 gymkhanas.
(click on photo to enlarge)
Congratulations to Bill and Kami–and a huge thanks to Coco, Lori, and Manuel for their winner’s buckle contributions!
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TRVEA & Wigginton Ranch Release of Liability Form: Liability Release
March 9, April 6, and May 25; Hollister St.: Rancho Los Amigos invites everyone to show how good their horse can perform with trail obstacles. There are five divisions with spectacular buckle awards for each division. See the attached bulletin or contact RLA (linked on this site). RLA Trail Challenge 2008
Saturday, February 23, Bobby Neal Roping Arena: Join Barry Adams at 3664 Hwy 67, Romona, CA, for a clinic on how to safely load your horse. Contact Briana at 619-933-4806 or Barry at 760-553-7240. Hands on owner participation or clinic audit. Prepare your horse for the next fire. Trailer Loading Clinic Flyer
January 16, South Canopy Trails: Of the east-west canopy trails on the south side of the Tijuana River Channel, Cathedral Trail has deep mud and trash blocking several sections of the path; but Mitigation Trail (center section inside the fence) and Bridal Path trail (westernmost end) have terrific footing and only surface mud in a few sections. There are medium size (2 - 4 inch diameter) tree debris throughout the trails that horses have traversed.
North Canopy Trails: The PERL Road Trail from Four Corners to the intersection of the Diagonal Trail is clear with good footing. From the intersection proceeding east onto the Lower Wycliff Trail is an adventure for only the best of trail horses and riders. Up to 12-inch diameter wood trunks and branches are strewn through large sections, fallen tree bramble narrows the trail and reduces the height, and some trunks lay across the path. Footing is generally solid, but at least 30% of the trail distance has slick or fetlock deep mud. The mud is of the consistency where most well-shod horses might not lose shoes, but within a few more days of drying the mud will become stickier, still be fetlock deep, and probably suck off shoes. Although we rode the entire length of Lower Wycliff Trail, I had to reverse and leave the original (east section) Upper Wycliff Trail because of very deep mud. After crossing south on Saturn Blvd Trail (fetlock deep in sections) over to mid Cathedral, we rode east up to the Cathedral trailhead and crossing. I rode a calm, unshod horse who often was forced to make small, challenging detours to get around unpassable sections.
In three or four weeks with dry weather, the muddiest trails should be fine again. Effie May Crossing probably will not be passable due to water and trash until summer. END.