Day of Horsing Around Pays Off for Symphony

Men in blue blazers and ties sweated in the shade in a dry Conejo Valley on Sunday as, in the dusty ring before them, young riders tried to coax horses over ever-higher barriers.

Nearly 300 people crowded into the Foxfield Riding Club for “A Day at Ascot,” a fund-raiser for the New West Symphony. For $55 each, they lunched on beef and quiche, browsed vendors’ booths filled with jewelry and equestrian paintings and watched drill teams from two riding academies show off their skill on horseback.

The event, now in its third year, is designed to reflect the area’s equestrian tradition. It also gives symphony patrons a good excuse to spend a day hobnobbing outside, said event co-chairwoman Helene Ross.

“It’s a day in lovely surroundings, relaxing under these oaks our community’s named after,” said Ross, who is a member of the symphony’s board of directors.

As patrons hid in the shade of trees or very large straw hats, the all-women teams from Foxfield and Barronsgate riding schools maneuvered horses around obstacles, performed handstands on the backs of horses and demonstrated flying dismounts that would not seem out of place in an Olympic-level gymnastics tournament--or a three-ring circus.

“It’s not a sissy sport,” said Bill Postel, one of Foxfield’s owners. “These girls are tough.”

The afternoon culminated in the “Calcutta Classic” jumping competition. Riders urged their horses over a fence that was raised 3 inches for each successive round. Eventually, horses either clipped the top post or refused to jump.

Sara Graves and her horse, Zodiak, cleared 5 feet, 9 inches--the highest of any horse and rider Sunday. The trick, Sara said, is to build up enough trust between horse and rider that the animal won’t balk when it sees a high obstacle.

“It depends on the horse,” said Sara, a 17-year-old high school junior from Pacific Palisades who commutes 45 minutes to Foxfield to ride Zodiak. “He trusted me enough to jump.”