Several speakers appearing before the City Council supported the city’s decision to terminate the tenancy and raised questions about Rose Bowl Riders’ management, organizational restructuring and the disposition of its assets.
The comments came one day after Rose Bowl Riders publicly announced it had received a Notice to Quit requiring it to leave the city-owned property at 4750 Oak Grove Drive by Jan. 31.
On Tuesday, Regina Colombo, who identified herself as a former member of the Rose Bowl Riders board of directors, told the council the lease termination “has been a long time coming.”
Colombo acknowledged the decision was painful for members who had invested years in the organization, but said the city had been dissatisfied with management of the facility for years.
“Given the lack of transparency from the club’s leadership about what has brought us to this point, I can understand why some members may be surprised by the city’s decision,” Colombo said.
She thanked the city for its “diligence, patience and careful consideration” and said she believed ending the tenancy was in the best interest of the facility and the broader equestrian community.
Sophia Sotomayor, who said she was representing more than 50 concerned stakeholders of the Pasadena Equestrian Center, also supported the city’s action and disputed claims that Pasadena was dismantling Rose Bowl Riders.
Sotomayor alleged that governance and operational changes made by the current Rose Bowl Riders board, which she described as affiliated with Myrtle Hill Farm, divided the membership and led to the departure of many boarders.
“We fully support the city’s decision to end the current tenancy. I also want to address the misleading campaign that’s been circulating around online, claiming that the city is dismantling Rose Bowl Riders. We strongly disagree with this characterization.”
She also alleged the board authorized a restructuring that transferred substantial assets and operations from the historically member-governed organization into a separate joint venture involving Myrtle Hill Farm.
Those allegations have not been independently verified by Pasadena Now.
Rose Bowl Riders previously said the organization met with the city in April about moving from a private membership club to a nonprofit joint venture model. President Angela Lowell-Schade said the change was included in the group’s response to the city’s request for proposals to operate the Equestrian Center and had received membership approval.
“For the past two months, our children have walked into City Hall, stood before their elected leaders and asked them to save a place they love,” Lowell-Schade said. “It is heartbreaking that after hearing directly from these children, we are now facing an order to leave. We are still asking the City Council to sit down with us and find a solution.”
Questions about the organization’s assets were also raised Tuesday.
Krista Noel told the council that Rose Bowl Riders members voted in August to authorize the transfer of substantial assets and operations from the historic member-governed organization into a newly created nonprofit that members would not govern.
“Current members still do not have clarity about whether that transfer has occurred, what assets have been transferred, or what will happen to them now that the lease is ending,” she said.
Noel said preserving a functioning equestrian facility is important so displaced boarders and the broader equestrian community have something to return to.
The city outlined a series of concerns in its Sept. 21 termination letter.
Interim City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth said in the notice public-benefit riding lessons required under the lease were not provided in 2025 or 2026, insurance requirements were not met at times and the property suffered from deferred maintenance and needed repairs. The city also said it had not received or approved a request to assign the lease.
Rose Bowl Riders has said it was the only respondent to a city request for proposals for a long-term operator of the center and expected discussions over a longer-term agreement before the city canceled the solicitation after submissions had closed. The organization said the city stated that the scope had changed. Pasadena Now previously reported that those accounts of the proposal process could not be independently confirmed from the materials reviewed.
Other speakers Tuesday urged the city to preserve the site for equestrian use regardless of who operates it.
Pasadena resident Diane Bergman similarly backed the city’s decision, saying the transition could provide an opportunity to restore the Equestrian Center as a well-managed community resource.
Bergman said equestrian centers provide recreation and education, particularly for children, while maintaining Pasadena’s connection to animals, nature and its equestrian heritage.
Rose Bowl Riders, incorporated in 1946, operates riding and horsemanship programs, boarding facilities and programs for children and community organizations. The organization has said the 12-acre facility is Pasadena’s only remaining full-service equestrian center.
Its supporters have mounted a campaign urging the city to reconsider the termination. A petition seeking talks with Rose Bowl Riders had 984 verified signatures as of Monday morning, according to the organization.
City officials have not publicly detailed what will replace the current operation after the Jan. 31 deadline.
Councilmember Tyron Hampton offered only a brief indication Tuesday that additional information is expected.
“For the equestrian folks, there will be more to come,” Hampton said. “That’s all I can say about that.”
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