Historic horse breeding ranch may sell to tribe
The Oaks Indian Hill Ranch on Woods Valley
Road, which for many years has raised prize-winning horses,
has been sold to the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians for
an undisclosed price.
At least, that is what the owner of the property
says. However, a spokesman for the tribe, Michael Contreras,
told The Roadrunner on Tuesday that the tribe was still in negotiations
for the parcel.
“We haven’t finalized the purchase
yet,” said Contreras. Asked what the tribe might do with
the property if it does buy it, he replied, “We don’t
have any plans except to leave it as it is.”
The Oaks Indian Hill Ranch on Woods Valley
Road was originally owned by the Woods family in the 1800s (after
whom Woods Valley Road is named) and currently is owned by Joan
Irvine Smith, great-granddaughter of James Irvine and well-known
as a philanthropist through the Joan Irvine Smith and Athalie
R. Clarke Foundation.
She co-founded the National Water Research
Institute and the Irvine Museum and is a supporter of the University
of California at Irvine, funding important medical causes, including
the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.
Smith’s love of horses led to the establishment
of three world-class horse facilities in the early 80’s
including the Oaks in Virginia, San Juan Capistrano and Valley
Center. “Having devoted much of the past thirty years
to the horse world, I feel it is now important that I focus
on writing the history of my life,” Smith told The Roadrunner.
The Oaks breeding facility in Valley Center
is under contract for sale to San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians,
according to Smith. “When a property owner and a prospective
buyer reach amicable terms, both parties reach their mutual
goals,” said Smith.
Last year Smith said she was going to sell
her 20-acre property in San Juan Capistrano and said she planned
to keep the farm in Valley Center.
She acquired both farms in 1985. The VC property
on Woods Valley Road covers 42 acres.
According to Javier Moncada, who managed the
ranch for 18 years, the ranch was an an internationally known
breeding farm for European horses. Between 100–120 horses
and 12–15 employees were there at any one time, he said.
According to horsewoman Sally Cobb, who used
to spend many hours a week on the ranch, “I will miss
the Oaks Indian Hills. There used to be three hundred
horses there including mares, foals and stallions. Mrs. Smith
used to put forty to fifty foals on the ground each year.”
When the foals were two years old, they were
started under-saddle in the stall for a few weeks, worked in
the round pen for a few weeks, and then hauled to Middleburg,
Virgina, where Cappy Smith (Mrs. Smith’s late husband)
operated the Oak’s third farm of 300 plus acres.
The horses would grow another two years out
on the open range at the Virginia farm, then as 4-year olds
they were hauled to the Oaks in San Juan Capistrano for training
to become performance horses in the hunter/jumper show rings.
Mrs. Smith's well-known stallions who are deceased
include South Pacific, Challenger, Cheer, Canaletto and Lennox.
Still alive are Luganda, Solomon, Ocean 1, Southern Showtime,
Southern Crown and Solomon's Pride.
For many years the Oaks held sport horse auctions
in August and February, at the VC ranch. The last few years
they were held at the San Juan Capostrano ranch in August. On
average the horses sold for tens of thousands of dollars.
* * *
The geographic range called Woods Valley and
the street called Woods Valley Road are named after Goolsby
Woods who came to Valley Center in 1878 as an early homesteader.
He and his wife had five children and many grandchildren—almost
all of whom are buried at VC Cemetery. The home they built (now
part of the Irvine property) still stands. The Woods family
farmed and raised cattle. Last year, more than two dozen members
of the Woods family from out of state visited the VC History
Museum where they examined a major collection of Woods family
documents and photos which the VC Historical Society maintains.
