Equestrian events at State Fairgrounds canceled

Due to poor conditions of the dirt surface in the horse arena at the State Fairgrounds, 4-H equestrian events scheduled for Tuesday were canceled and participants who traveled from all over the state packed their bags to go home.

FFA gaming events scheduled for Thursday have also been canceled because of the condition of the footing, said MG Devereux, deputy director of Oregon State Parks.

Built in 1919, the arena is one of the oldest at the grounds and the footing has become increasingly difficult to manage, he said.

It had to be in specific condition to allow for gaming events, which require horses to quickly stop and start.

"We were trying to get it to a place suitable for today's activities and we were unable to do that," Devereux said.

Employees worked through the night Monday but the condition of the dirt did not meet national standards and was deemed unsafe. As a result, 4-H participants who traveled from all over Oregon to compete in the gaming competitions went home.

The fair had similar trouble last year. Fair officials thought they had a solution this year, but after efforts to improve it, it still was not tight enough, Devereus said.

He said that other horse show events typically held during the fair have not been canceled.

"We're pretty disappointed we weren't able to get the facility up and running," he said.

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Crystal Ross, a Polk County 4-H leader, said that participants have been at the fairgrounds since Saturday getting ready to compete. For them, the cancellation was a major letdown.

"The kids were asked to clean their stalls and basically go home," Ross said. "It's a big expense."

Mia Caudillo, 17, of Spring Valley Riders in Polk County 4-H, has been in 4-H for eight years and qualified for the state fair for her first time this year. Because she just graduated high school, this was her only chance to compete.

"They canceled and they never brought anything up about rescheduling," Caudillo said.

She got to the grounds Monday night and said there was no indication until Tuesday morning that the footing would be an issue.

It was a good call to cancel the events in order to be safe, she said.

"They could have at least tried to find somewhere else to go," she said. "This was my first year making it and my last year. It was really frustrating, I think, more than anything."

Cassidy DeVries, 14, is in her third year in 4-H. She is involved in Los Caballeros in Polk County 4-H.

"It's my third year in 4-H and I've been trying extremely hard to make it to state and so to achieve that this year I was beyond excited — only to be let down," DeVries said.

She said that she had been at the fairgrounds since late last week. The footing was noticeably in poor condition, Devries said.

"I felt like they should have made the call sooner."

Ross thinks more should be done to ensure the quality of the footing. The fair should have equipment readily available so they can till the dirt after every event, she said.

"It sounds like they aren't putting a whole lot of effort into it," she said.

The fair has already been contacted by a specialist in arena work, Devereux said. He estimated that full replacement of the footing would cost between $50,000 and $100,000.

jdewitt@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6714 or follow on Twitter.com @Joce_DeWitt