Our Story

The Park owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to our founders.

It began in 1981 with a vision and a cow pasture called Guernsey Field. Robert E. Smith leased 270 acres from Stanford University to create an eventing facility where The Horse Park at Woodside still exists today. One key element was offering memberships, so everyone had an affordable place to ride and train their horses. Over the years, with a lot of dedication and work on the part of vital volunteers and donors, the non-profit Park became a phenomenal training and recreation ground for equestrians of varying levels and disciplines. It is a first-class competition venue and plays host to clinics by renown instructors. Just as important, for many in the surrounding communities, the Park serves as a beautiful palette of nature, thanks to mission-driven programs to protect and preserve the land. It’s been quite a journey to get here.

In 1995, Penny Gallo took over as President, renewing the lease and pushing improvements to attract more members and a variety of events including hunter/jumper, dressage, polo and reining. Enter Steve Hales, a consultant who’d worked on the Atlanta Olympics, then became Operations Manager of the Horse Park in 1997. Steve helped increase membership and donations, as funds were low and maintenance demands high. Steve brought in electricity and created excellent cross-country footing which helped the Park’s shows gain a following.

Priorities were made to elevate and beautify the Park. In 1998, Charles Lloyd, CTETA’s Vice President, had the organization join with the National Center for Equine Assisted Therapy (NCEFT) to sponsor the Fall Horse Trials. The competition featured an advanced level cross-country course, one of only three in California. Siebel Systems sponsored the event and paid to enhance spectator amenities and improve the course and footing. Under Ginny Kinkead’s tenure as President, Capt. Mark Phillips designed a new cross-country course and the polo arena was renovated.

In 2002, Tracy Byers was hired as the Park’s first Executive Director. At this time, shows were B-rated, but the objective was to host A-rated shows and strengthen the Park’s struggling financial profile. Tracy tackled the complicated issue of county use permits and initiated a “Save the Horse Park” campaign. The contributions of dedicated donors assured the Park’s survival and Tracy’s work with the county resulted in new show opportunities with producers like Del Mar Eventing, Inc. (aka, Woodside Eventing), Langer Equestrian Group and Reining by the Bay.

Al Behr, Gerald Fisher, and Larry Gimple all took the reins as Executive Director in the following years, working with the Board of Governors to improve footing, facilities, and stabling. In 2005, CTETA was renamed The Horse Park at Woodside in order to acknowledge the broadening scope of equestrian activities.

Gayle Strickland joined the Board of Governors in 2002 and stayed for 17 years, 11 of these in the role of President. Gayle shepherded the Park through much growth, but likely her most important accomplishment was the Land Management Program initiated in 2008. This program still thrives today as a shining example of how to preserve native habitat in concert with equestrian activities. Tracy Byers partnered with Gayle in 2011 to raise significant funds for improvements. Generous donor gifts were secured, benefitting all who use the Park. Key changes included new footing, the erection of a covered arena, the installation of new boarder and show stabling, the building of improved cross-country courses, and critical infrastructure upgrades. During her last three years, Gayle served as Board Co-President with the equally adept Tom Livermore. Under their leadership, the Park formed a relationship with show producer West Palms Events and installed enhanced show stabling that both delighted exhibitors and set a path for a more secure financial future.

In 2019, Eileen Morgenthaler stepped into the role of Board President, and in 2020, former Board member Steve Roon shifted to Executive Director. Under their leadership, the Park has focused on continual improvements of common areas, arenas, cross-country and stabling. The Park earned a formal designation from the county as an Evacuation Center in times of fire or other disaster and has welcomed equids in need on multiple emergency occasions.

Through the foresight of the original founders and the efforts of many, many dedicated supporters, volunteers and donors, The Horse Park at Woodside has survived and grown into a unique Bay Area equestrian treasure. Not only is it a place of riding and competition for hundreds of equine and human athletes, but it is an idyllic place to stroll in contemplation with horse or dog, to leave the rat race behind, to watch the early morning fog roll over the hills, and to simply rejoice in the zen of nature.

Founder Bob Smith and his horse, Fiji

Brian Sabo, Bob Smith, and Janey Bennett

Willard Dan and Bob Smith

Robert (Bob) Smith knew about the Stanford pasture because he lived nearby and had jumped a few coop fences when he drag hunted there, weaving in and around the cows. He’d worked with Phoebe Hearst Cooke to establish 10-acre Somers Field as a vaulting and disabled riding venue, but lept at the chance to lease the bigger Guernsey Field to become home of the non-profit Combined Training Equestrian Team Alliance (CTETA), whose mission was equestrian education and Three-Day Eventing competition. Bob got the local community on board with the idea, and then he, as President of CTETA, and his board colleagues, Janey Bennett, Kay Hitch, Vicky Stashuk-Matisi, and Brian Sabo, set to work creating roads, replacing barb-wire fencing with post-and-rail, installing riding arenas, creating a cross-country course, bringing water in, grading areas for stabling, and planting trees. They then hosted schooling shows, horse trials, Pony Club events, Los Altos Hounds Hunter Trials, dressage shows and polo play.