The fate of several horses and their owners in Orange County remains unclear as a dispute between equestrian trainers and the OC Fairgrounds remains heated.
Two horse trainers are suing the OC Fair & Event Center, accusing its board members of refusing to negotiate rental deals after recent hikes. A lawsuit filed last month also accuses the fairgrounds of restricting trainers’ access to the horses by limiting training and riding.
The OC Fair & Event Center board sent out notices last week to about a dozen horse owners who have yet to sign new leases. The notice said tenants had just over two weeks to move their horses to another property or risk losing them.
In a statement, the fairgrounds said that the restricted access should not have come as a surprise to trainers who have not signed their rental agreements.
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"The equestrians have had months of warnings to pay or vacate and they are now faced with a Sept. 16 deadline to comply. The horses have been, and will continue to be, well cared for at the facility,” OC Fair & Event Center Board Chair Nick Kovacevich said in the statement.
