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Photos by Cynthia Lee UCLA Today Librarian Donna Gulnac grooms Frankie, the horse she leases at Mill Creek.

UCLA RECREATION PROGRAM

Bruin riders saddle up at Mill Creek

by WENDY SODERBURG
ucla today staff

Tucked away on Old Topanga Canyon Road in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains is a 28-acre, oak-shaded paradise called the Mill Creek Equestrian Center. Horse lovers from all over California make their way to this renowned boarding and training facility, where the teaching staff consists of top professionals who specialize in English-style riding.

You don’t have to be European royalty to take lessons at Mill Creek — in fact, you don’t even have to know what “dressage” means (the guiding of a horse through a series of complex maneuvers by slight movements of the rider’s hands, legs and weight).

But if you’re a UCLA student or a UCLA Recreation staff or faculty member, you can learn all about the art of horseback riding by enrolling in one of Mill Creek’s seven-week courses. At $180, the courses — beginning, advanced beginning, intermediate and advanced — are a bargain compared to the regular price of $210 for seven group lessons.

“The UCLA Recreation program has been just marvelous for us,” said Mill Creek owner Cory Walkey, who estimates that UCLA has sent more than 2,000 eager equestrians her way over the years. “We’ve picked up some wonderful people who have not only become friends but wonderful clients of Mill Creek, and who have gone on to purchase horses and become a large part of the whole program here.”

Taking Comanche through his paces is Traci Considine, manager of the Chancellor's Residence.

One staff member who has taken advantage of the UCLA Recreation offering is Traci Considine, manager of the Chancellor’s Residence. After completing her first series of seven lessons to get over a fear of horses, Considine enrolled in another series. Soon she’d increased her riding time from one to four times a week.

“I’m hooked!” said Considine, who’s now considering sharing a lease on a horse at the center. “I love this barn because it teaches you a lot about horsemanship, not just about riding. Here you learn how to tack and groom the horses. It’s a place where you really learn a lot about safety and where you develop a major appreciation for horses.”

Some UCLA students and alumni who spend time at Mill Creek are experienced riders, including Emma MacLaren, a UCLA M.B.A. who was national champion senior novice rider in 2000 for “three-day eventing” (dressage, endurance/cross-country jumping and show jumping). Zoe Pearson is a fourth-year UCLA student who teaches part-time at Mill Creek and who also competes. “Riding gives me a completely different world to escape to and forget about the rest of my life and schoolwork,” Pearson said.

Donna Gulnac, a librarian at the Law Library who rides at the center three times a week, heartily recommends the sport to her fellow UCLA employees. “Mill Creek is a fabulous place to ride in every sense. The instructors are top-notch, the school horses are the best in town, and the location makes you feel like you went away on vacation, even though it’s only a 30-minute drive from campus.

“It’s also a great social environment and a great place to make friends,” she added. “Riding keeps me healthy, both physically and mentally.”

For information about enrolling in riding classes, go to www.recreation.ucla.edu. To learn more about Mill Creek Equestrian Center, visit www.millcreekequestriancenter.com.