Santa Barbara County

By Jennifer Walker

          Santa Barbara County is quintessential California, and a county full of contrast. There are miles of coastline on one side and coastal mountains on the other, and many of the areas have a small-town feel with big city convenience, art and culture. There is even contrast in the politics, with the county being nearly divided in two between conservatives and liberals. While there is plenty of modern civilization in the county, you will also find horses there.

Steeped in History
          Santa Barbara is of the oldest counties in California, being one of the original 26 counties when the state was formed. However, the history of the area goes back much further. In 1960, remains of a man determined to be 13,000 years old were discovered on Santa Rosa Island, off the Santa Barbara coast. Dubbed the “Arlington Springs Man,” the remains prove that the Paleoindians, who inhabited the area at the time, had sturdy watercraft capable of crossing the channel. This supports the theory that California and the Americas were peopled via coastal migration.
          Santa Barbara was named by a Spanish explorer by the name of Sebastian Vizcaino in 1602. He chose the name because the day he entered the channel, December fourth, was Santa Barbara’s feast day. However, Vizcaino was not the first to explore the area. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was there in 1542, when he made contact with the Chumash Indians, a hunter-gatherer tribe who had inhabited the area for thousands of years. Although the visiting Europeans introduced diseases that nearly wiped out the Chumash, the tribe survived and there are still members in the area today.

Beautiful Country
          According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Santa Barbara County takes up a total area of 3,789 square miles, 1,052 square miles of which is water. The land is not all contiguous—there are four islands, which are part of the Channel Islands National Park, that are considered part of the county: San Miguel Island, Anacapa Island, Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island. These islands are largely undeveloped, providing a home to over 2,000 species of plants and animals. Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the four, also boasts the highest offshore peak in California, Devil’s Peak at 2,450 feet.
          Santa Barbara is perhaps best known for its coastline—109 miles in all, the most of any California county. The coastal plain area is bordered by the coast to the west, the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south, and the San Rafael Mountains and Sierra Madre Mountains in the interior and northeast portions of the county. A portion of the Los Padres National Forest covers much of the mountainous area, along with the San Rafael and Dick Smith Wilderness areas.
          Many areas of Santa Barbara County are highly fertile. You will find acres of vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley and flower gardens as far as the eye can see in Lompoc.

Living with Horses
          While the horse population is declining in the county, there is still an active horse community. There are some large, beautiful and luxurious horse properties in Santa Barbara, as well as elsewhere in the county, most of which are worth in excess of a million dollars. Hope Ranch is an excellent place for horse owners, with miles of trails— some of which are on the beach—that are only open to residents and their guests. Properties range in size, some with an ocean view, but only about 10% of the residents actually own horses.
          “There are no other places in Santa Barbara that have as much charm as Hope Ranch,” says resident Vanessa Thomas. She adds, “Riding on Hope Ranch beach is the best in the winter months; you get down to the sand and not a single person will be down there.”

Horse Businesses
          Santa Ynez Valley Trailers (www.americawesttrailers.com) has a reputation for providing the best service and a great selection on highquality new and pre-owned trailers. They have been at the same location at 2201-H Hwy 101in Buellton for 20 years and have had the same service crew for 25. They carry such brands as Sundowner Trailers, Cm Trailers, Royal T Trailers, Silverlite Trailers and have an Express Advantage and Jamco in stock.
          Kathy Copus of Copus Performance Horses has been breeding Quarter Horses for 10 years. This year, she is standing her World Champion Select Reining stallion, Gunball Machine to the public. Copus likes Santa Barbara for its beautiful scenery and weather. “It’s heaven!” she says. “It’s gorgeous all year round. We have fog maybe 15 days of the year.” Her ranch, only about half a mile from the 101, is on a hill overlooking the ocean and Santa Barbara islands.

Horse Shows
          The Santa Barbara County Riding Club puts on five horse shows throughout the year, from March through October. Riders from in and out of the county enjoy the shows for the great prizes, fun classes and beautiful weather.
          Thomas explains, “The SBCRC shows are a great way to prepare for larger shows. The SBCRC has brought in impressive judges such as Dale Peterson and course designers such as Rob Gage. As a young child and teen, the SBCRC horse shows were what prepared me to be a very competitive and successful rider on the ‘A’ circuit.”
          The Earl Warren Showgrounds, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is home to many horse shows, such as hunter/jumper and breed shows. The Santa Barbara National Horse Show is also held here and is not only one of the oldest shows in the west at 80 years running, but one of the most prestigious in the country. There are four days of a multi-breed show and five for hunter/jumpers.
          Western riding fans should not miss the annual Santa Barbara National Open Western Horse Show in November, which offers classes in Trail, Reining, Pleasure and Horsemanship Divisions for professionals, amateurs and youth. There are also Medal and Futurity events in Trail and Pleasure.
          For English riders, The Santa Barbara National Amateur Horse Show, or the “Turkey Show” is held over Thanksgiving week and is considered and important training show for future Olympians. Exhibitors enjoy entertainment, dancing and an awards ceremony in addition to the show.
          Santa Barbara County also has an active polo club, holding polo matches from April to October.

Trail Riding
          Sadly, horseback riding trails are disappearing from Santa Barbara County. There are private places to ride, such as in Hope Ranch and on large, private boarding ranches, guest ranches and resorts.
          Public equestrian trails can be found at Cachuna Lake Recreation Area and in the Los Padres National Forest. Most of the trails in the national forest are only a few miles, ranging in difficulty and elevation change. They are located in either the Santa Barbara Front Country, which is in the foothills outside of Santa Barbara, or in the Lower Santa Ynez Recreation Area.

Things to Do
          There is a lot to do and see in Santa Barbara. Just driving around and taking in the scenery or enjoying the beach is an enjoyable way to spend the day, but there some sites worth checking out.
          The Dunes Center in Guadalupe promotes the conservation and restoration of the Guadalupe-Nipomo dunes ecosystem. Their visitor center has a variety of exhibits showing the flora and fauna of the dunes as well as history of Guadalupe.
          The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum is a fun place for kids to learn about all kinds of things, like the barn exhibit where they can play on a John Deere tractor or learn the parts of a saddle, or the “Tar Pits”, where children learn about the La Brea Tar Pits via an interactive game.
          The Santa Barbara Zoo has 500 animals on 30 acres to give any animal lover their fill. Feed the lorikeets and giraffes or take a load off and travel the perimeter of the zoo on the train. Young children might especially enjoy the carousel.
          From the rolling waves of the ocean to the forest-covered mountains to the active horse community, there are many reasons to love Santa Barbara County.