Clark County unveils facility renovations at Horseman’s Park

Horseman’s Park hosted a grand opening of renovated areas of the park late last month.

Upgrades at the 30-plus-acre equestrian facility at 5800 E. Flamingo Road include a new front entrance sign and landscaping, new perimeter fencing around the park and added trails.

“There have been no renovations made in the past 30 years,” said Dave Padovese, supervising park maintenance worker. “The park really needed an upgrade.”

Among the changes that were made was a multiuse trail that will eventually connect the outside southwest end of the park to the wetlands. This new trail includes assorted lights and picnic tables that are available to the public.

A decorative wall also has been added along Flamingo Road and extra trees have been placed along the trail for shading in the northwest corner of the park by the Flamingo Arenas. In addition, a concrete sidewalk now connects Horseman’s Park with Dog Fancier’s Park.

According to Justin Williams, senior park planner and grant writer for the Horseman’s Park project, the renovations cost approximately $1 million and started in 2012. They were completed in less than one year with the funding from the sale of public lands by the Bureau of Land Management Act under the provisions of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.

One of the more notable features of the park is an 8-foot-6-inch custom-made sculpture added to the front entrance. The sculpture features a horse and a rider created by Gene Perry, a local artist and co-owner of P&S Metals. Perry is also notable for creating sculptures of animals featured alongside Interstate 15.

The parking lot, south of the main arena, has been repaved to successfully fulfill the American with Disabilities Act requirements. Added handicapped parking has been placed in front of the office as well as concrete walkways inside the the park to allow easy wheelchair access.

The new parking lot has also expanded to accommodate larger vehicles that transport horses and livestock.

Among other renovations is a new arena footing for horses in the Flamingo and main arenas. New footing is expected to be set in all arenas by the end of summer.

“When people found out about the new footing in the arena, there was a 20 percent increase in traffic,” said Roe DeLecce, co-owner of Equine Events, the company that manages Horseman’s Park. “So far this year has been a great year for us in terms of booking.”

DeLecce said Horseman’s Park has contributed considerable revenue to the local economy. “Many people stay with us who are from out of town and go to local places to eat or to get car repairs.”

Most recently the park was sponsored by Boyd Gaming, which has provided funding to renovate the wash rack used to cool down horses. The original wash rack is 40 years old and has never been renovated. This summer improvements at the wash rack will include privacy screening, Polylast footing used to keep horses from slipping and new faucets and plumbing.

Horseman’s Park consists of more than 20 acres of barns, arenas and picnic areas. Even with the extensive renovations completed, the park continues to seek public donations or sponsors to add a few more essential upgrades such as covers for the arenas.

“In the summer the steel bleachers become too hot to sit on, so we have to stop putting on events from June until mid-September,” said DeLecce. “Cover arenas draw more regional events and in turn make an impact on the local economy.”

Clark County Commissioner Mary Beth Scow said the recent renovations were a wonderful added bonus to the park and for the horse-riding community.

“Many things were in need of upkeep, so the renovation is absolutely fantastic,” said Sydney Knott, president of Horses 4 Heroes, an equestrian service organization that uses the park four to five times a year. “The changes have made the park more competitive and in par with other equestrian facilities of western states.”

For more information about the park and upcoming events, visit equineeventlv.com.

Contact reporter Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686.