Santa Anita Park, a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, will now host the 2026 Los Angeles Olympic equestrian events, replacing the original site in Temecula. Santa Anita was the site of equestrian events at the 1984 Olympics (dressage and jumping only; cross-country was held at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, 100 miles south of LA) Santa Anita racetrack has been owned by the Stronach Group’s 1/ST since 2011.
It is believed that the change was made in part because the Galway Downs venue in Temecula, located 85 miles southeast of LA and nearly a two-hour drive, was too far from Los Angeles and did not have enough hotels and other amenities in place for the onslaught of visitors expected at the Games July 14-30, 2026.
For the 1984 Olympics, Santa Anita used its main grandstand and temporary seating on the main dirt track. (FEI archives)
Galway Downs had originally been tentatively approved as a venue for dressage, jumping and eventing on March 28, according to an announcement from LA28. Just a few days later at the FEI Sports Forum, however, it was announced that the equestrian venue had in fact not been finalized. A report in the area outlet Sports Examiner detailed that the LA28 organizers had informed Galway Downs on April 9th that it would not be hosting the equestrian events. A shocked Galway Downs owner Ken Smith remarked: “We are extremely surprised that we were suddenly removed from consideration. We don’t understand how, based on the March 28 [Los Angeles] City Council’s vote of approval, that this could happen.
“When we started this process more than four years ago, we understood the equestrian venue selection for LA28 would be a highly competitive, evolving process. Being selected as the proposed equestrian venue put Galway Downs and Temecula Valley on the world stage. We’re very proud of that, and we’re just getting started. Galway Downs will continue to host elite national and international competitions as well as additional sporting events.”
U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (R-Temecula) said in a statement: “I’m deeply disappointed to learn that Galway Downs in Temecula is reportedly no longer LA28’s proposed host site for equestrian events at the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games. This abrupt move appears arbitrary, unwarranted, and our community deserves a clear explanation of the process that led to this change. At this time, a satisfactory reason has yet to be offered.”
He went on to add that significant amounts of time, material, and preparations have already been invested in upgrading the site, and that Galway Downs is the only equestrian venue in the greater LA area with the existing infrastructure to accommodate all equestrian events, including a well-established full-length cross-country course. It is not clear where the cross-country phase of eventing would be held with Santa Anita as the venue.
According to the Olympic quota, about 200 horses are expected to arrive at the Santa Anita backstretch stables during the Olympics, which will be held July 14-30, 2026. The track’s Thoroughbred racing season ends in June.
An FEI spokesperson told HorseSport, “At the moment, the FEI is not is a position to provide further information on this matter. Once the LA28 Organising Committee announce officially the venue master plan, we’ll be following up with news from the FEI.”
Equestrian joins eight other Olympic sports – including mountain biking, surfing, volleyball, baseball and boxing – for which sites have not been officially allocated for LA28.
