The Horse Arena at Rohr Park Must be Preserved

The horse arena at Rohr Park is an important part of the history of the Bonita/Sunnyside Valley. We all must be united in keeping the City of Chula Vista from turning the horse arena into a soccer field.

My family has been horse owners in the Bonita Valley for over 60 years. We had a few corrals and the old red barn on Bonita Road, where the La Quinta Inn and Circle K are now. My sisters and I would ride our horses to Thompson’s pond, where the Plaza Bonita Center is now. We would ride bareback into the pond and hold the tails of our horses as we swam with them. We would also ride our horses to the old Bonita Store on Bonita Road. Mr. DiRienzo would give each of us a raw hot dog as a snack. Mrs. DiRienzo would give each of us a carrot for our horses.

In 1965, my dad (Dave Phair) and I then built the Sunnyside Stock Farm (now Sunnyside

Stables). I was 13 years old. I dug, by hand, over 100 post-holes for the corrals and arena.

Dad was good friends with Corky McMillin. When Corky was planning the Bonita Highlands subdivision, Dad convinced Corky to include riding/hiking trails throughout the subdivision. When SR-125 was in the planning stages, I worked with George Kost, Muriel Watson, Richard Pena, and Mehl Lawson behind the scenes. Mehl’s first horse-training job was at our Sunnyside Stock Farm. We made sure that the design of the freeway did not cut off riders/hikers from the hills to the east. We also convinced the toll road developer not to put a freeway exit at San Miguel Road, as was originally planned.

I built the Ames Ranch Estates homes between Central Avenue and San Miguel Road in 2004. Several members of the horse community came to me. They told me that there was a great need for a trail across my Ames Ranch land. Horse riders were having to ride on San Miguel Road west to the intersection of Central Avenue and Bonita Road, Then, they would cross over to the south side of Central Avenue, to back-track up Central Avenue to the east, in order to access the riding/hiking trails that Corky and my Dad created in the Bonita Highlands. I donated an acre of my land for the trail next to the Ames Ranch Estates homes, which now connects San Miguel Road to Central Avenue. As a result, I lost four lots in the subdivision at a value of $1 million.

My sisters, my sons, and my nieces all rode their horses in numerous shows at the arena. Their favorite event was Halloween. They would wear costumes and make costumes for their horses. I hope that soon my little granddaughters will also be riding horses there, and will continue the Phair family traditions. The arena is a part of Bonita’s small-town feel of Norman Rockwell’s “Americana”.

My family is probably one of Bonita/Sunnyside’s longest-tenured horse owners. My goal is to make sure that the arena is preserved and open to all horse lovers, now and in the future, for my granddaughters and for following generations. Chula Vista’s mayor, John McCann, is a long-time friend. If I can be of any assistance in any discussions with the city about preserving the arena, please let me know.

Jeff Phair