A Conversation with Rudy Leone

by Erin Gilmore | Sidelines Magazine, January 2009

While Northern California is hardly considered a remote corner of the horse world, its distance from the European and East Coast hubs of horse sport often leave it in a position of catch-up. The majority of U.S. Olympic and Super League show jumpers are East Coast-based, and on the FEI World Cup circuit all West Coast qualifiers have always been held in Southern California.

Until now. Northern California was placed squarely within the radar of international show jumping with the inaugural Sacramento International Horse Show, an FEI sanctioned competition and 2009 World Cup qualifier offering more than $150,000 in prize money. The show attracted the very best riders from the Western United States and Canada, and from start to finish the competition was like nothing California had ever seen.

The show was the brainchild of trainer Rudy Leone, a Swiss native and the owner of Sacramento-based Leone Equestrians Inc. Rudy has run a thriving import and consignment stable for over 30 years, and hosts a series of local and statewide hunter/jumper shows at his facility each year. But in 2007 his idea of holding a World Cup Qualifier in Northern California was met with more skepticism than support. Fortunately, Rudy has never been known as a small thinker.

His cynics were well silenced by the conclusion of the International, which was held November 6-9 at the Murieta Equestrian Center in Sacramento. It was attended by every heavyweight show jumper in the West, was nearly flawless in its execution, and was such a resounding success that riders are already lining up for next year’s show. When Rudy entered the West Coast Active Rider’s 2008 USEF Fall Rider Meeting in Los Angeles the week following the show, he was given a standing ovation by his fellow trainers and riders.

Sidelines: I’ve heard rumors that you spent as long as two years, and as short as six months trying make this show happen. What was the actual timeline, from conception to completion?

Rudy: Well I had the idea last year, but right away there were a lot of issues about holding an FEI World Cup event, not just having it in our area but holding one at all. The FEI felt that the people who were holding FEI events were not holding them up to par; there are regulations that have to be met in order to be an approved FEI show. The class had to be indoors because the finals are indoors, the minimum amount of $50,000 in prize money for the class had to be met, there had to be a warm up Grand Prix and that minimum prize money amount of $25,000 had to be met. Most importantly, we needed to fill the class. Having a World Cup class at that highest level, 1.60 meter, it can be an issue to fill the class, and that was pointed out this summer at the Oaks when only 11 or so riders entered an FEI class there. 

When I got behind the idea, it looked like, from some indicators, like we would have problems having the class on the West Coast. But I made a proposal in meetings a year ago April, and I found sponsors, including the Anderson family, which owns the Murieta facility. It was an incredible financial undertaking to hold this show, but once I got the sponsors behind me, I at least could move forward. But the FEI still didn’t approve the show until we were five months out. From there, I had just five months to organize the show. There were a lot of people who said you can’t take on an undertaking like that and make it happen, but at that point I had the sponsors and I really couldn’t turn back, so I went for it.

Sidelines: The format for this show was unusual; just one ring, only jumpers, and featured classes every night. Was this format your idea, and if so what was your motivation behind staging a jumpers-only competition?

Rudy: There is no doubt about the fact that I had a vision about what a horse show should be. When I was a rider, the horse shows that I was impressed by and the shows that I really liked had one ring, and were European styled. Since we designed this show around just one competition ring, we didn’t have time to run hunter divisions. I would like to do the same thing for hunters that I just did for jumpers, but the number one reason we did it this way is that there’s only so many rounds you can run in one day.  But sticking to that format was a great success, because not only did it give the children and the amateurs the opportunity to ride where the big guys did, it gave you time watch everyone ride, and that created a very unique atmosphere. Most importantly, it created a show that was spectator friendly.

We planned a spectator event for every night of the show; the first night our $25,000 Welcome Stake had 67 entries. That filled out the whole evening, and on Friday night we held a five bar competition, Richard Spooner cleared 1.80 meter and won that. And we had a Ride and Drive class, which has been done in Europe for years. The class was by invitation only and only 11 were allowed in it. It was pretty much the top Pacific Coast riders, and was very exciting for the spectators to watch. The rider went around a speed course of 12 jumps, then jumped off their horse and ran as fast as he could over to a car, got in and drove an obstacle course around cones with a tennis ball on top. Knocking a cone counted as a fault, and the one with the least faults won. I believe it was Karl Cook that won it.

Sidelines: So the format of the show was designed to reflect a European indoor show. What were the other touches that made this competition unique to others in the area?

Rudy: I had a vision of having the vendor’s tents along the inside of the indoor, box seats going down one side, the party tent at one end. All of that gave it a really cozy, special atmosphere that no other show on this side of the country has. And yes, it was designed like a European show. A smaller ring and I installed very special footing; a silica sand with Euro-geo textiles mixed in. We don’t see that footing anywhere in California, it is the same footing that was used in the Olympics, and is used in Europe. Not only did I hear from so many riders that their horses jumped better off that footing, but its light color gave that steel, walled indoor ring three times the light. It brightened the place up.

Sidelines: By imitating the European show format, you are doing what for West Coast jumpers? 

Rudy: First of all, for me this show did what I wanted it to do. For starters it showed that it is possible to produce a horse show of that kind. Totally unique, and with the power to draw spectators. I tried to make it more of a spectator event, with the thought that you’re going to encourage corporate sponsors. With that, you will help every rider, on every level on the West Coast. The sport needs attention, and obviously this show was made very special because we had the spectator support.

Saturday night was the World Cup class and it was like being at the World Cup Finals.  There were 41 entries and it truly was an international class. Harley Brown, who won it, rides for Australia, Ali Nilforushan was second and rides for Iran. We had riders from Calgary, British Columbia, Mexico, riders from pretty much every western state, and a whole group of New Zealand riders who are based in California. Literally the best riders, not to mention our U.S. Olympian Will Simpson, and Rich Fellers and Richard Spooner.

The hope is that this is a leg up to see that we can have corporate sponsors. Corporate sponsors who will eventually help shoulder the costs that exhibitors take on. Exhibitors spend a tremendous amount to train and get to a show, and to one day be able to alleviate that through sponsorship would be a big goal met.

Sidelines: Will there be another Sacramento Invitational? And if so, what will be different next year?