Canyon Lakers in Rose Parade

BY Dawn Rankins

Amanda Latta-Portillo and Michelle Stubbs, members of the Canyon Lake Equestrian Center, rode horses in the 2023 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Monday.

“It’s been on my bucket list since I can remember,” Michelle said.

Michelle is the official riding instructor and horse trainer at the Canyon Lake Equestrian Center, also known as “the barn.”

Amanda keeps several of her horses at the barn and has been involved in the Andalusian horses for all of her life and has other horses at a facility in Agua Dulce.

Amanda received a notice that the Andalusian horse group she belongs to, The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association, had been approved to ride in the Rose Parade. She immediately thought of inviting fellow Canyon Lake and Equestrian Club member Michelle Stubbs to join her.

The process to participate in the Rose Parade is long and arduous and began on Jan. 2, 2022. Applications were submitted from around the world which was followed by a selection of the participants. Endless details had to be provided to the Rose Parade Committee.

“We didn’t think it would really happen because of the sheer number of applicants,” Amanda said. “But it did and we were chosen.”

The theme for their group was “Turning the Corner,” which showed the diversity of the Andalusian breed of horse.

“This theme was most likely the reason for us being chosen as one of the 16 equestrian group entries” Amanda said.

After being selected to participate, it was then Amanda and Michelle’s task to choose the horses.

Amanda Latta-Portillo on Ganador, left, and Michelle Stubbs on Maximus are staged and ready to enter the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade Monday. The two participated in the parade as a group of Andalusian horses. Photo by Donna Kupke

They picked Ganador, a 13-year-old, 17.1-hand-tall, white Andalusian stallion and Maximus, a 17-year-old, 14.1-hand-tall, white Andalusian gelding. Both horses are owned by Amanda and kept at the Canyon Lake Equestrian training center.

“Max, as he’s affectionately known, is boarded at the Canyon Lake barn,” the Equestrian Center’s Donna Kupke said. “He is the 2022 Working Equitation Champion for the Novice Amateur division.”

Amanda and Michelle began preparing the horses weeks in advance by going to practice parades, bathing (a task in and of itself, because they are both white), and clipping their hair to give a clean-cut appearance. The duo also braided manes and tails to give the horses a classic look.

Not only did Amanda and Michelle prepare the horses, but there were more tasks to do in order to get ready for the Rose Parade. Gear had to be cleaned and polished, outfits had to be decided upon and horse shoe nails had to be made specifically for riding on asphalt.

Amanda and her horse Ganador represented the Western form of riding, while Michelle and Maximus represented the hunter/jumper discipline.

The festivities began five days prior to the parade with the horses being trailered to Los Angeles and temporarily boarded there.

“There were rehearsals and a special exhibition of horses and horsemanship, known as EquestFest,” Amanda said. “This EquestFest was sold out and had the largest turnout in over 20 years.”

Michelle Stubbs and horse Maximus prep for the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade Monday. Photo by Donna Kupke

The Tournament of Roses Parade has quite the history. It began 133 years ago in 1890 when Pasadena’s distinguished Valley Hunt Club decided to promote Southern California’s warm winter weather. The club began calling SoCal the “Mediterranean of the West.” The Valley Hunt Club held a holiday with games such as chariot races, polo and tug-of-war.

With an abundance of fresh flowers available, the Valley Hunt Club decided to add a parade with horse-drawn carriages covered in hundreds of beautiful flowers. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade was born.

The Rose Parade has come a long way since those early days. The modern parade is filled with elaborate floats, bands and equestrian groups.

Thousands of volunteers participate each year and a portion of the freeway is shut down for the parade staging area. The parade is a long-standing New Year’s Day tradition and is enjoyed by thousands who attend each year and by millions around the world via television.

“Riding with friends and colleagues who had never done this was the best part for me,” Amanda said. “I got to experience their first-time jitters and excitement.”

Michelle, riding in the prestigious parade for the first time, was mesmerized by the crowd.

“One thing you cannot explain is how fascinating it was to watch the crowd,” Michelle said.

“Seeing the kids and the people clapping and crying was truly an amazing experience and one I will never forget.”