This short story ran with a photo essay in the print edition:
One week every summer, the wide open expanse of the Menlo Circus Club’s polo field becomes a mini-equine metropolis of temporary stalls, as hundreds of horses and riders assemble in Atherton for the Menlo Charity Horse Show. On a warm August day, the musk of horseflesh, the sweet, dusty smell of hay and the underlying odor of manure permeate the air, creating an irresistible olfactory lure for horse lovers.
This year’s show, which ran August 8 through 13, drew 650 horses and riders, and had a waiting list of more than 300 competitors who didn’t manage to sign up fast enough.
Inside the country club’s grounds, fancifully designed jumps in three separate show rings are only part of the charity horse show’s allure — at times the event seems more like a reunion for the horsey set than a serious competition with a $40,000 prize purse for the Grand Prix event.
Amid the saddles, jodhpurs and gleaming tack, some of the show’s beneficiaries could be found getting a hands-on understanding of the equestrian world. Proceeds from the show are donated to the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Palo Alto. Last year, the six-day event raised more than $400,000 for the organization. Atherton resident Betsy Glikbarg, the show’s chair, says the finally tally isn’t in yet, but it promised to exceed last year’s total.
The elite competitors of the show hunter and jumper world rubbed elbows with novice riders there to participate in their first lead-line show. Grooms worked diligently to care for their four-legged charges and spectators shopped for belt buckles and other equestrian goodies in between events.
Riding togs gave way to formal wear for the traditional Friday night dinner dance, and then it was back to boots and blazers as the competition reached its peak over the weekend. And then when it was over, like pampered movie stars, the horses retreated into their trailers and disappeared until next year.
Story by Andrea Gemmet
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