10 SIDELINES JULY 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Continued on page 12
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By Sophie St. Clair
I
n 1979, a young Canadian rider named Dale Harvey moved
west to California. He’d only seen California in the movies
and thought it seemed glamorous. Eventually, he settled in
Southern California where he opened Maple Leaf Farms, a hunter/
jumper training facility.
In 1992, Dale made his international show jumping debut when
he represented Canada in the World Cup Finals in Del Mar,
California. He represented Canada again in 1993 at the World
Cup Finals in Gothenburg, Sweden. As a trainer, he brought three
of his students to World Cup competition in 2000.
However, in 1997 Dale’s career took an abrupt turn away from
professional riding and training. After watching his favorite show,
the Del Mar National, decline after several years of disorganization,
the self-professed complainer confronted the horse show
management about his concerns. It was then that Robin Parsky
from the board of directors of the Del Mar Fairgrounds said, “Well,
you want to do it yourself?” Dale welcomed the opportunity to
enter horse show management. With that decision he also quit
riding. “It was a very big, emotional decision to make that change,
but once I did it I never looked back,” he said.
Among his accomplishments as a horse show organizer,
Dale has managed the United States Equestrian Team (USET)
Olympic Trials in 2000 and the first three USET World Equestrian
Games Selection Trials in 2002. Today, he runs the successful
West Palms Events, a horse show management company with
multiple shows in both Northern and Southern California. The five
branches of his horse show program are held in Flintridge, Del
Mar, Huntington Beach, Sacramento and — new this year —West
Palms Events will partner with the team from Belgium EEM led by
Christophe Ammeuw to run the sport element of the LA Masters.
Dale draws on his many years as a professional rider and
trainer to inform the choices he makes when considering how
to plan his shows. He prioritizes elements of his shows from the
point of view of the riders and exhibitors. “I’ve spent more time on
that side of the desk than I have on this one,” he said. “So I can
definitely relate to the issues we have as trainers. I know what
those challenges are all about because I’ve done it a lot.”
As a horse show organizer Dale said he was unprepared for
how much time he’d spend in front of the computer. This was a big
change for him. But during a horse show week, Dale is always on
the move. A typical day has him arriving at the show grounds by 5
a.m. He oversees every aspect of the show including monitoring
the rings, the footing, the catering, the parking, the office, the back
gates, ring maintenance, safety and press releases.
To keep his shows fresh, Dale makes a point of traveling
internationally to see what horse shows around the world are
presenting. His exposure to some of the best shows in the
sport is one reason he has developed such high standards and
expectations for his own shows. He describes Aachen as “the
center of the universe for the sport of show jumping” and a must-
see for any horse show organizer.
Dale also says that both Paris Gucci Masters and Hong Kong
Masters, sister shows to the LA Masters, are some of the best
shows in the world. Recently, Dale was able to attend the Masters
shows in Paris and Hong Kong as an insider. This behind-the-
scenes access allowed him to really understand the nuts and bolts
of their magnificent operation.
When asked what was special about showing on the West
Coast, Dale points to the incredible weather and beautiful venues
available to exhibitors year round in California. “Del Mar is a half
mile from the beach, Flintridge is in this beautiful setting near
Pasadena, the Oaks is again a beautiful open space a mile from
the beach,” he said. “I think that’s really what stands out.”
The Dynamic Dale Harvey
Dale with the Buie Family and the “Sir Henry” Perpetual Trophy for Pacific Coast Horse Shows
Association Child Adult Jumper Championship.
Photo by Captured Moment Photography
