Temecula Valley National Horse Show focuses on youth

The upcoming Temecula Valley National Horse Show series in California will offer free entries for Thoroughbreds and young horses and will partner with Oakmont Ranch to offer classes for off-the-track Thoroughbreds at the shows.

“For many years there was a Thoroughbred on the podium in just about every Olympic Games, and I know they are still out there, and they can be had for nothing,” said international equestrian Ali Nilforushan, co-founder of Nilforushan Equisport Events, which runs the Temecula Valley series. Nilforushan, who has dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship, competed at the 2000 Olympics as the first equestrian athlete from Iran.

“My goal is to provide a show atmosphere for the kids who are not from a financial background where they can buy whatever horse they want,” Nilforushan said. “I hope that we can cultivate this new way of thinking of going to get a Thoroughbred, training it and bringing it through the ranks. This gives the horses a second career and gives our kids who can’t keep up with some of the rest a chance to show and compete.”

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The Temecula Valley series is a three-week circuit held at Galway Downs in Temecula, Calif., on April 18-22, May 23-27, and May 30-June 3.

Oakmont, a Thoroughbred training and rehabilitation center in Southern California, will sponsor Thoroughbred and young horse divisions at Temecula Valley, offering competitive opportunities at a reduced cost. Oakmont owner Gary Broad, who has campaigned runners such as multiple graded stakes winner Buzzards Bay, has been vocal in the past about his commitment to Thoroughbred aftercare. Oakmont has developed an in-house retraining program for retired racehorses, and several of its graduates have gone on to show on the Southern California “A” circuit.

“[Our program is] geared toward amateur riders, and immediately recognized the opportunity that the Nilforushans’ show series brought to these horses and their riders,” Broad said. “We feel it is so important to foster the Thoroughbred industry and hope that by reducing show fees more of these young horses will have a chance to get in the ring.”