History

Lake Oswego Hunt was originally incorporated as the Multnomah Hunt in 1930, and was located at the Highlands Riding Academy near Sylvan. Later that year LOH moved to the Fairfield Riding Academy located at 92nd & East Glisan streets. By the end of 1930, LOH had grown from 12 original members with seven horses, to 90 members owning 40 horses. Early in 1931, a 5 year lease was negotiated with the A.G. Ruby Stock Farm at 209th and East Glisan streets. Flat races, jumping and other events took place on the race track of a farm adjoining the property. Fox hunting was popular during the early days of LOH.

In 1936, the Multnomah Hunt merged with the Forest Hills Hunt Club to form Lake Oswego Hunt. The Oregon Iron and Steel Company, which owned the Lake Oswego Country Club, deeded the LOH 19 acres at the current location. The indoor arena and barn were built with funding borrowed from the Oregon Iron and Steel Company, along with funds raised by selling corporate shares to charter Club members. The wooden arena, 90' X 220', is the oldest and largest wooden arena in the West. The completed cost of the arena and original barn with 50 stalls was $25,000. Since the original construction, the barn has increased in size to house 70 horses.

Over the years, Lake Oswego Hunt has been used for fox hunts, polo events, drill team, pony club, standard bred trotters, and fine harness ponies. Hunters, Jumpers, Dressage and Three Day Eventing continue, to the present day, as active programs. LOH also offers a Riding Academy to the general public. On January 4, 1987 Lake Oswego Hunt was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

You can read about how the purpose of LOH has evolved over the decades since its original inception as a non-profit corporation in 1936.

In early 2005, the Historic Preservation Committee was formed for the express purpose of identifying, protecting and restoring key historical elements of the Lake Oswego Hunt.

For a detailed — and entertaining — description of the Origins of the Lake Oswego Hunt, please view the following documents compiled by Adrianne Brockman:

You will need Adobe® Reader® to view the Origins of the Lake Oswego Hunt.