Our roots date back to the 1930’s when Palomar Riders of Escondido, sometimes referred to as the Palomar Riders of San Diego County, were active from1936 to1945 -- the first official riding club in San Diego County based in beautiful (and then rural) Harmony Grove.

Palomar Riders of Escondido was distinctly a riding club originated by the club's President, Mrs. Gracebel Harms in 1936.  Members would congregate once a week in the early morning and ride the entire day with each person packing their own gear, food and refreshments.  Some rides were over a hundred miles long and included pack animals as the salty horsemen and horsewomen would ride through the mountains and all the way to North County beaches.

The group would often have horse races, stock-horse shows, play games and ride drill in formation.  At one such outing, a show promoter happened by and suggested the drill team perform for his horse show.  The drill team proved to be such a great success that Del Mar Fair officials offered the group a contract for a full length drill demonstration and Wild Bill's Wild West style show.  Del Mar was particularly exciting during this era with Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, Desi Arnaz, Cary Grant, W.C. Fields, Rita Hayworth, Red Skelton, Mickey Rooney, Betty Grable and Gary Cooper frequenting Del Mar. 

 

Ray Solemink of San Diego was employed to write and choreograph the live performance titled “Early California Nights”. The show dramatically depicted the winning of the West, complete with a prairie schooner, "Indians" riding wild mustangs, handsomely dressed caballeros on thoroughbreds donning silver tack, gold miners with their burros and highly educated trick horses, plus a host of talented riders, singers and musicians in the cast.  The show was widely recognized as a tremendous success and a great celebration of Western history.  

 

Our founders' first performance of their equine show was in September of 1937 at the San Luis Rey Fiesta celebrating Oceanside’s 50th Anniversary.  The show entertained over 10,000 attendees.  Performances were also celebrated in Warner Springs and many other venues throughout Southern California. Palomar Riders of Escondido was a widely recognized mainstay of the Vista Days celebration each summer.
 

Our club in its current form originated on July 12, 1946 as Vista Riders, an unincorporated non-profit riding organization with about 50 members, many of whom were also members of the then famous Palomar Riders of Escondido. On May 6, 1947 our club was officially incorporated as Vista Riders, with Bill Siburg as our first president.  Then, in 1948, Palomar Riders of Escondido decided to wind down their club.  Having their property in Harmony Grove, including the old school house on Deer Spring in San Marcos to contend with, Palomar Riders of Escondido transferred their prized property to the Vista Riders on the condition that the club change its name to Vista Palomar Riders.  On June 27, 1948, the two clubs officially consolidated at a ceremony in Harmony Grove and on December 17, 1948, the club filed its new name with the California Secretary of State.  Our Harmony Grove property was eventually sold to fund the original Vista Palomar Riders grounds on Bobier and Santa Fe Avenue in Vista.

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At the time, the club had an active membership of approximately 30 riders plus an honorary membership of 40, including the famous actor and horseman Leo Carrillo, who was also the honorary mayor of Vista and official master of ceremonies at Vista’s annual Western Days in 1949.  Our members also included Johnny Wagoner of Placentia, owner of California's Most Beautiful Palomino and his jet black American bred saddle horses.  Dave Willouby, of Rancho Santa Fe was the proud owner of the famous dancing horse “Boulder Dam” and Bill Neary of Vista owned “Rex the “Wonder Horse”.
 

At the time, Vista Palomar Riders was easily recognized by the green and black riding attire worn by each member and the bright colored Mexican serape tied on the saddle.  In 1949, the Vista Press advertised a cost of admission to the Vista Horse Show being 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children.

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Would you like to participate in this historic riding club?  Please consider joining us for our free, open-to-the-public monthly potlucks or as a Vista Palomar Riders member.​