A SoCal Jewel
Trail riding and the undeveloped hills of San Juan Capistrano provide a peaceful retreat.
Swallows… and horsepeople migrate to San Juan Capistrano by audrey pavia for the horsetrader S
AN JUAN CAPISTRANO—Most peo- ple know San Juan Capistrano for its swallows, tenacious little songbirds
that return to the picturesque Southern California town every spring. But San Juan Capistrano is more than just a place for migrating birds. The city is also home to a vast number of people and their horses. The history of horses in San Juan
Capistrano goes back to the city’s begin- nings in the 1700s, when Father Junipero Serra fi rst founded the mission. By placing the fl ag of Spain on a plot of land just fi ve miles from the ocean, halfway between what would become the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Father Serra laid down the roots of a town that would come to be known for its historic architecture and equestrian lifestyle.
Mission Town Before Father Serra discovered the beau-
tiful San Juan Capistrano Valley, native Californians lived in the area for genera- tions. Living off both the chaparral biome and nearby beaches, the Acjachemen Indians dwelled in a virtual paradise. When the missionary party arrived, the priests and soldliers were greeted warmly by this peace- ful tribe. The Spanish eventually renamed these people the Juanenos, aſt er the mis- sion.
On Nov. 1, 1776, Father Serra offi cially
founded Mission San Juan Capistrano, which he named aſt er St. John of Capistrano, Italy. The Juanenos were baptized and persuaded to build the fi rst building, a small church still in existence today. Called Serra Chapel, it is the oldest California church still in existence. During the next several decades, the
Horsetown Highlights:
San Juan Capistrano
• Population: 35,000 • County: Orange • Avg. High Temp: 74.75° F • Avg. Low Temp: 51.5° F • Avg. Annual Rainfall: 12 inches • Elevation: 104 feet
• Median Home Price (in February 2015): Horse property: $1.5M Non-horse property: $880K
• Popular Horse Activities in Town: Almost 60 miles of multi-use trails with four equestrian staging areas;
Regular schooling shows at local boarding stables; Grand Prix show jumping and CDI-3* dressage at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park; Swallows Day parade; organized trail rides
• Compelling Horsetown Features: Six large boarding
stables; adjacency to trails in San Juan Creek area and neighboring hills; Las Vaqueras and Los Tortugas riding clubs; San Juan Equestrian Coalition; J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center; Blenheim EquiSports facility.
remainder of the mission was built in classic Spanish style. The beautiful architecture, lush gardens and picturesque courtyards earned it the moniker “The Jewel of the Missions.”
The land held by the mission was fertile,
and hundreds of acres of fruit trees and other crops accented the church buildings. Livestock were also part of the mission hold- ings, and were tended by the Juanenos. At its peak, the mission grazed 1,000 horses, 11,500 cat le and 17,000 sheep on its land. Aſt er all the California Missions were sec-
ularized in the 1830s, the Juanenos became the fi rst residents of the new pueblo of San Juan. They lived in an area now known as the Los Rios District, a historic neigh- borhood consisting of the oldest standing homes in California. European immigrants built homes around these adobes in the
Continued on page 20 Continued on page 14
Photo courtesy SJCEC
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