Since 1987, the Wasatch Pony Club in Weber County, Utah, has been a staple in the Utah eventing community — not only for the local young riders and their families, but for Area IX’s eventing community as a whole. The Wasatch Pony Club has been hosting the Golden Spike Horse Trials annually at the county-owned Golden Spike Event Center for the last 38 years, along with two other unrecognized eventing competitions that run each year. As one of only two venues in the state that hosts a USEA recognized event, the facility has been a vital piece of the Intermountain eventing scene since before many of the current local trainers were even born.
On Monday, August 25, bulldozers contracted by Weber County entered the Golden Spike Event Center venue and, without warning, began dismantling jumps and demolishing the ground of the racetrack infield, where a majority of the current cross country course is housed, in order to build a motocross track. A majority of the jumps, owned in their entirety by the Club itself, had been completely rebuilt this spring after a fundraising effort by WPC, with over $20,000 spent in total for their refurbishing project. Regardless of the fact that the Wasatch Pony Club has a 50-year lease with the county, with 12 years still remaining before its renewal date, the County approved this demolition without warning to the Club or its constituents. Fortunately, only a few obstacles, including ditches, fences, and permanent complexes, were destroyed or rendered unusable.
The racetrack infield at the Golden Spike Event Center, once housing the state’s only grass-based trackless cross country course, is now forever damaged. Photo provided by Wasatch Pony Club.
On August 29th, the Wasatch Pony Club released the following statement on their Facebook page:
“On Monday, we were shocked to discover that a large part of our cross country course had been bulldozed overnight, just weeks before our Pumpkin Schooling Event. Like many of you, we were heartbroken. Since 1987, our course has hosted horse trials, schooling events, clinics, bike races, dog walkers, community events, even Yellowstone shot scenes here and bands like Alice In Chains and Tool used our bank as a stage for Lollapalooza. It’s a place full of history, stories, learning, and shared joy.
The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, and we are deeply grateful. At the same time, we want to be careful. We need the county as a partner, not an adversary. They’ve already expressed a desire to improve communication with us, and we want to build on that. Please continue to voice your support, but in ways that show unity, optimism, and respect. Online frustration can easily tip into division, and our goal is to work with the county, not against them and we’re hopeful we can rebuild and adapt together. Many of our jumps were spared, and we have amazing ideas to rebuild. The course has evolved many times over the years, and it will again.
The very best way you can support us is by showing up:
• Enter our shows: Numbers are the best way to show the county that we do matter here
• Volunteer: We couldn’t do this without our amazing jump judges and helpers
• Donate or sponsor us: As a non-profit, every dollar stretches far
• Spectate and cheer: Grab food at concessions, support the new beer garden, etc.
• School the course: It’s open and free for those who love and respect it
Most importantly — our Pumpkin Schooling Event is ON with all 3 phases on September 27th! We are working hard to make it a great experience, even with the changes so please bear with us.
Thank you for standing by us these past 38 years. With your help, we’ll make sure this course continues for the next generation to love it as much as we do.
-Wasatch Pony Club”
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Jumps that were destroyed or dismantled. Photo provided by Wasatch Pony Club.
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The cross country course is now to be maintained as an OTV motocross track. Photo provided by Wasatch Pony Club.
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Several permanent obstacles were damaged in the bulldozing. Photo provided by Wasatch Pony Club.
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Photo provided by Wasatch Pony Club.
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Photo provided by Wasatch Pony Club.
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Photo provided by Wasatch Pony Club.
For Area IX eventers, this is a devastating loss. The Wasatch Pony Club and their hosted events have remained a volunteer-operated organization since their inception, from course maintenance and construction to operation and event management, and have worked tirelessly to maintain Utah’s only free-to-school cross country course. Several of the older jumps and complexes were destroyed and the only open-field trackless course in the state was reduced to hills of dirt.
“This was done without our knowledge or consent,” said Wasatch Pony Club representative Morgan Heiner on Tuesday, August 26th. “We just learned about it last night… We are still planning to run the [WPC Fall Pumpkin Combined Event, scheduled for September 27th] — we have to remap the XC courses where we can.”
While the county maintains in a public press release that they “remain committed to supporting a thriving equine community” by investing in enhancing equine event facilities, this mostly refers to their indoor and stadium arenas for western events, as well as the active racetrack that houses the affected infield. “This decision reflects the declining participation and revenue from jumping events compared to the growing popularity and financial success of other equine events and other activities, such as motorsports,” said the County’s fairgrounds management.
As one can expect of our relentlessly passionate eventing community, once the news broke of the demolition, the “local moms” came out in full force. Emails and phone calls between pony club moms, Area IX members, and local riders began to barrage the county and state representatives, demanding action and requesting that they consider working with the Wasatch Pony Club to remedy the situation. The Area IX Chair and committee also drafted a letter to the county management and representatives pleading that they reconsider the value this venue has brought to their community for over 40 years:
“Golden Spike serves as an invaluable addition to the competition calendar for our local and regional riders, as well as those who travel to Odgen from further abroad. The event (and by extension, the nationally certified cross-country course) allow riders to obtain their minimum eligibility requirements (MERs), which are necessary to progress to more difficult levels of competition. MERs are also critical as riders and horses aim to compete in international, or FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale), competitions. While we have no FEI level events in Utah, we do have a number of competitors who use Golden Spike as both a competition and a training venue. Over the past 25 years, the event at Golden Spike has also been a major steppingstone to no fewer than ten regional riders who have been on selection lists for Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan-American Games. Many of these riders have remained in the area and continue to not only compete themselves, but also coach and introduce a new generation of riders to the sport of Eventing.
The cross-country course at Golden Spike is not only used to host nationally recognized competitions but is also the site of several important unrecognized competitions. These encourage a wonderful entry into the sport of Eventing, and often are very much a family affair, with mom and older kids competing at the higher levels, and then tiny tots having their very first taste of horse showing while being led over tiny obstacles while EVERYONE cheers. Over the years, Golden Spike has been the site of the US Pony Club Western Championships, hosting hundreds of horses in multiple different disciplines. There have been multiple clinics with world-renowned clinicians, including David O’Connor, Lucinda Green, Amy Tryon, Tamie Smith, Mike Huber, and many other former Olympic and World Championship medalists. You don’t even need to jump to enjoy the course — locals trail ride around the cross-county area and enjoy the small fences as trail obstacles.
… In addition, the cross-country course attracts horses, riders, trainers, parents, and friends to the Ogden area. These visitors contribute to the local economy through renting hotel rooms, visiting area restaurants, fast food places, and grocery stores. Also, competitors are likely to buy many gallons of fuel in the Ogden area to operate their trucks and pull their trailers.
We truly hope that you will see the value in preserving the cross-country course, both as a competition and training venue. It is an integral part of not only our Eventing community here in Utah and the Intermountain West, but a very important part of the Utah equestrian community as a whole, as well as being a valuable addition to the Ogden area. From young children to Olympic hopefuls, Golden Spike continues to be a beloved and important venue for so many residents of both Weber County and Utah, and we want to see it preserved for many years to come.”
Eventers of all levels have utilized Wasatch Pony Club and Golden Spike Horse Trial’s course for decades, from first-ever events to preparation for out-of-state USEA and FEI competitions. Photo by Evelyn Johnson.
Hannah Seagle, Director of Competitions at the US Eventing Association, also wrote to the county officials regarding the demolition, respectfully urging the management to assist the Wasatch Pony Club in their restoration efforts. “This swift action will not only preserve a legacy event but also demonstrate your commitment to supporting a diverse range of recreational and sporting activities in your community,” the USEA’s letter stated.
As far as the legality of the county’s actions, the Club stated that they hopes their experiences can serve to educate current and future events throughout the country, as an initial meeting with the county and the event center’s management team has enabled WPC to enter into negotiations. “The original contract between Ogden [City] and Weber [County] was from 1987,” she explained, “from before they approached the original [Wasatch Pony Club] about making a course out of telephone poles. It was very vague, it was literally written on a typewriter, and left a lot of things up to interpretation.” The parties involved in 1987 obviously had no way to consider what could potentially happen 38 years later.
As the original contract only referenced a portion of the land that has historically held the Club’s cross country course as being granted for Weber County’s use — the land that ended up bulldozed — they were free to utilize this land for any purpose that could be defined as “a multi-use recreational complex”.
The 38-year-old contract had previously stated that Weber County must “maintain an equestrian jumping course pursuant to published national standards, thus enabling the course to be utilized for national equestrian competition.” However, sometime between Monday, when the bulldozing equipment entered the infield and began work, and Thursday, when the meeting was arranged between all parties, the county amended the contract from its original state. “It now says that they just have to ‘maintain an equestrian facility’, which they of course do for the rodeos and the track,” Morgan relayed. “Thankfully, the county has said they still have every intention to be the last man standing when it comes to holding equestrian events, and has expressed desire to renew the lease in 2037. We still hold hope that they live up to these words.”
According to the legal assistance the Club has sought, the county unfortunately had every right to amend the agreement. “It was only between Ogden City and Weber County,” she explained. “WPC wasn’t even referenced in the original contract.”
The land at the Golden Spike Event center used for the WPC’s events and cross country course. The portion referenced in the contract between county and city is outlined in blue; the portions in green are still managed by the city and available for use by WPC.
This is not the first time the Wasatch Pony Club has faced off with their event’s contracted venue. In 2023, the county informed WPC that, due to the heavy industrialization that had recently been erected in the properties surrounding the Event Center’s land, they had intentions to turn the outfield portion of the land housing the cross-country course into an expansive parking lot for the neighboring warehouses. While the infield houses a majority of the course’s obstacles on its grassy terrain — a luxury rarely found in the West, where a majority of track-based venues reign — the “outfield”, accessed by competitors crossing the racetrack at appointed gates, houses the course’s only remaining water complex.
Following this notice, the Club engaged its local community and area riders for emergency support. A town hall was ordered, taking place in the venue’s indoor stadium used for their rodeo events and attended by members from the community in opposition to their sanction. The county also released a public survey regarding public opinion of use for the equestrian grounds within and surrounding the racetrack, which was shared by WPC, other local events, and Area IX groups to a great response of submissions.
Following this town hall and survey, the Club remained consistently and frustratingly kept in the dark regarding the County’s decisions and actions. Their many requests for approvals to make improvements to the course’s previous second water complex were met with silence, and due to the steep cost to refurbish the larger pond (which would have required large construction equipment otherwise unavailable to the group), it fell into ruins and became inoperable. Heavy neighboring industrialization has since caused the original water complex to become abandoned due to excess water runoff filling the hollow of land.
Not long after this, WPC received their first overnight surprise courtesy of Weber County — an installation of cemented-in cow paneling (i.e. hollow six-pipe paneled fences) surrounding their previously open jumping ring in the infield. The arena had previously been unfenced and open to the cross country course due to its smaller size, but the new paneling cut off the front quarter of the arena, reducing it in size and preventing them from providing a proper and safe jump course of size. This also eliminated their ability to use the arena as a cross-country warmup ring; where the event had previously placed jumps along the edge of the ring on its transition from sand to grass would now be impossible, forcing them to move their cross-country warm up to the small section of grass on the near end of the infield.
Development over the last several decades has seen Utah’s oldest town become a center of industrialization. The event center and its property as shown is owned by Weber County and managed by their Parks and Recreation department. Photo from Golden Spike Event Center.
One silver lining to be found so far in this recent destruction is that the county has now agreed to remove said paneling from the arena as part of their negotiations. The county has also promised that, if desired, they will renew their contract with WPC in 2037 when the original term is completed. Cooperation was promised with the Club’s efforts to still utilize the land if desired — using the aforementioned large, expensive equipment that was previously unavailable to them — but the county stood firm on their position to allow the field to continue to maintain the motocross track when not in use for eventing competition preparations and activity.
As any serious eventer knows, these uses aren’t exactly complementary, and the WPC will still face many hurdles ahead of them if they hope to repurpose the infield into one of a system likened to that of Galway Downs in Temecula, California — where rather than a field of grass, an expansive plot of maintained dirt footing would house the obstacles in question. The option also remains to model after other Western US track-based course systems, similar to Utah’s singular other venue, Skyline Eventing Park.
The Club is cautiously optimistic that the outfield will remain of good use to them for their course. “We have so much land, at least 30 acres,” Morgan stated. “There are tons of secrets hidden away, even a hidden bank complex back there from the 90’s that we didn’t know about.”
Whiskey Throttle, the contracted OHV group intended to use the new motocross track occupying the infield, has thankfully been very willing to cooperate with the Club and assist them in their restoration. “Their crew had contract issues too [with their previous venue], and had to move locations super fast and last minute,” she explained. “They offered us their crew to bulldoze and work on new paths and fields for us, which would also really benefit the outfield. Our goal is to actually use [the outfield] for more lower-level jumps too, since it’s always just been Prelim and Training that go back there.” With the swampy runoff taking over a healthy percentage of the outfield, it also currently houses what some have referred to as a “jump graveyard”, questions that have long since been abandoned or forgotten due to the ever-thinning numbers of upper-level competitors in the area.
The Wasatch Pony Club holds to their stance that this was, unfortunately, an unavoidable outcome. “We are looking at it as it being the only way to save the course,” Morgan stated. “This is prime acreage that could make way more money being a warehouse or housing.” Hopefully, with continued cooperation and negotiation, this land will be restored and used once again in the Wasatch Pony Club’s efforts to keep their event alive.
“What happened wasn’t ideal, but we truly don’t believe there are any villains here,” WPC wrote in their most recent statement, “just people pursuing their passions, others doing their jobs, and a system where money often speaks the loudest.
“That doesn’t mean the sadness isn’t real. Many of us have cried over this, and those feelings are valid. Be sad. Be angry. But then — use the space. That’s how we save it. Enter events, school on the course, volunteer, or simply come spectate. These events are a labor of love, and the more people who participate, the stronger our community becomes.
“One thing is certain: we are not giving up. Worst case, in the next few years we find a new home. Our newer jumps were built to be portable, and we are committed — no matter what — to supporting the equine and eventing communities.”
The ditch and coffin complexes were the obstacles destroyed in the demolition. Photo courtesy of Johanna Horting.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
WPC invites any willing parties to write letters of support for Wasatch Pony Club’s course and eventing in Utah. These can be sent to [email protected], in case further evidence of community support needs to be provided.
Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Wasatch Pony Club to enable their efforts in restoring, or potentially relocating, their event. You can donate via PayPal at wasatchponyclub.com.
