Soon after the Riverside County Planning Commission approved development plans for a major new East Valley project, Thermal Ranch, on October 22, I asked the project owners to meet with me to discuss their plans.
While I generally knew about their horse show facility nearby and had read some about its national prominence, I didn’t realize what was really going on at Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) in Thermal (just east of the intersection of Airport Blvd. and Harrison Street) until partner and CEO Jeremy Smith took me on an eye-opening site tour. Not just in terms of the venue and facilities, which are amazing, but also because of the exceptional economic and regional brand impacts it yields for Greater Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Smith explained all of it to me as he led me on a complete tour on one of the many golf carts zooming around on DIHP’s opening day.
As you read this article, you will get a sense of the passion Smith and his partners in the venue, including his wife, Christina, Rob Meadows, Sandy Meadows and Catherine Harvey, have for the sport and for running a business with the highest standards for all involved, as I did. But what struck me right away as I was admiring the beautiful, elegant horses was Smith’s telling statement that set the tone for our discussion: “This is a place where horses come first,” he said. “Everything else is built around that premise.” It showed from start to finish.
For half the year, DIHP isn’t just a venue. It’s an economy with hoofbeats. From late October through March, the park draws thousands of riders (including Olympians and many other top ranked riders in the country), trainers, grooms, veterinarians, farriers, owners, families, media, and sponsors, many of whom take up seasonal residence and collectively spend very big money locally for weeks at a time with many setting up shop and staying all six months. That density of people and purchases and the highest levels of horse show competition turn the far eastern Coachella Valley into one of North America’s busiest equestrian hubs and a reliable generator of jobs, hospitality bookings, and business for the region.
Venue scale makes that possible. DIHP operates roughly 1.6 million square feet of competition and riding space on about 239 acres, with approximately 2,800 stalls and 14 rings. Capacity translates directly into visitor days, and visitor days translate into local spend – hotel nights and home rentals, RV hookups, meals, groceries, and groomer, trainer, farrier and vet services, plus fuel, retail, entertainment, and more.
“The Horse Park has a direct economic impact of about $500 million on the local economy… Just on our own, we spend about $30 million a year in the local economy,” said Smith. Those dollars circulate over six months, spreading steady revenue across the East Valley’s hospitality and service sectors.
The park’s seasonal population behaves less like a weekend crowd and more like a temporary city. Barns are impressively assembled on property as complete operations, bringing riders and owners (often with family), trainers, grooms, vets, body workers, saddle fitters, braiders, media crews, and show staff. That ecosystem supports dozens of small businesses on “Vendor Row” – from tack and apparel to equine spas, coffee stands, DIHP merch and food operators – that are owned and/or hire locally and stay open for months because the customers keep coming back.
It shows up in the headcount. Smith says the horse park brings in about 300 employees for show services on site and another 150 in other specialty roles during the season; the operation also employs roughly 40 permanent staff year-round, with most of those workers living locally. “We pay well…” he added, noting that several facility foremen are local and earn six-figure wages with overtime.
Aerial view of DIHP showing the vast scale and scope of the property.
All of that demand has a multiplier effect far beyond the entry gates. More than 400,000 guests pass through each season, a level of traffic that keeps hotels, short-term rentals, and restaurants busy during months when many destinations struggle. Anyone who wants to see the competitions and enjoy the many wonderful food and beverage venues can attend for free. It’s a must see, so if you love horses, go. The partners have invested about $20 million in refurbishing the current 240-acre campus since taking it over six years ago, precisely to meet and grow that demand.
Why build Thermal Ranch?
For all its success, DIHP sits on a long-term lease of land owned by Riverside County’s Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport. Smith is candid about the risk of staying put forever: “We are leasing land… So, in 15 years or so, if they want the land for something else, there will be nowhere to go… Where development happens, horses always get pushed out.” He also describes the current site as a “hard beast to keep going,” with aging infrastructure and logistics that limit, to some extent, what the team can deliver to the horses and spectators.
The answer is Thermal Ranch, a purpose-built equestrian campus and mixed-use district, a short drive, approximately two miles south of DIHP (on land currently used for agriculture bounded by Harrison Street to the west, 62nd Avenue to the north, Tyler Street to the east and 64th Avenue to the south). The project cleared a key step when the Riverside County Planning Commission approved it at the entitlement stage. The plan envisions roughly 619 acres, with an approximately 230-acre equestrian center at its core; the horse park would move there and operate on a show site about 30% larger than its current location (which includes an RV park in its acreage calculations). “It’s the future of show jumping on the West Coast,” Smith said.
The development program is explicit about capturing and amplifying the existing economic engine:
- Housing for every role: up to 110 custom estate homes, 161 single-family homes, 191 condominiums, and up to 500 modular workforce units designed for on-site employees during the busy season, plus an RV park with up to 300 spaces. That variety mirrors the horse-show economy itself and keeps people close to work.
- Lodging and retail: a hotel up to 150 rooms and a village of restaurants, shops, and services that today don’t exist in Thermal, so more spending stays in the East Valley.
- Infrastructure for the community: at the developers’ request, and with county support, the project includes a five-million-gallon water tank and a 40-megawatt electrical substation. Roughly half of the water and power will serve the venue; the other half will be available to the surrounding community, unlocking stalled projects that lacked utility capacity.
Smith says the team is building the substation itself and then handing it over to the utility to operate, so it can be delivered in about two years instead of five. “We’re building our own substation… and then we’re giving it to them (IID)… we are adding the excess capacity and building about 50% larger,” he said. It’s a heavy lift – he cites a $40 million bid as a benchmark – but he frames it as part of the price of securing a permanent, modern equestrian home and enabling broader East Valley growth.
The investment thesis: make the sport (and the economy) stick
“It’s $100 million to build a fantastic show venue and do it right,” Smith said. The only way to make the books balance, he argues, is to combine a world-class venue with on-site homes, hotel rooms, and commercial opportunities – just as renowned venues Wellington and Ocala have done successfully in Florida. Thermal Ranch follows that model, so the horse park can own its destiny, control quality, and meet the expectations of horses, riders, and fans.
The business logic is straightforward: a bigger, smarter campus creates better weeks of competition; better weeks draw more barns and sponsors; and a built-in neighborhood keeps people – and their spending – right next to the rings. “A community around an equestrian center… different housing options everywhere from townhomes all the way up to estate homes,” is how Smith describes it.
Thermal Ranch also tackles a structural challenge in the region: seasonal housing for its workforce. Smith’s view is blunt – trainers, grooms, show staff, and small-business owners and their employees serving those in the venue’s ecosystem deserve dignified, affordable on-site units. The plan has up to 500 dorm-style units for rent by the week with no deposit, a practical answer for workers who can’t front two months’ or more of rent and furniture for a half-year stay. He notes the current 300-space RV park is sold out, a signal of demand that the new site is designed to meet.
“Our horse show facility needs to mirror our customer and our employee base with housing options,” Smith said. The mix matters for another reason: many trainers today pay thousands each week to house staff off-site; owning a condo at the venue lets small operators build equity instead of writing checks to distant landlords. Smith says that this season, DIHP will spend roughly $1.2 million on hotel and rental property fees for his team, including $200,000 at La Quinta Resort.
What the current park already delivers
DIHP’s calendar is the backbone of the East Valley’s shoulder season. The venue runs 18+ weeks of competition across hunter/jumper circuits and dedicated dressage weeks, bringing a predictable cadence of visitor demand that flattens the peaks and valleys of the tourism year. The effect is not just about volume but also about repeatability, as many teams stay for weeks, not weekends, and come back year after year.
Broadcast and media exposure adds to another layer of value. With national and international coverage, including live streaming and highlight packages, Thermal, Indio, La Quinta, and much more of Greater Palm Springs show up on screens throughout the season. That visibility attracts sponsors and buyers, promotes the valley as a winter sports destination, and amplifies the marketing spend of every local business that ties into the circuit.
The vendor base looks more like a village than a trade show: tack and apparel brands, mobile pharmacies and feed suppliers, coffee carts, food trucks, and pop-up retailers. DIHP actively courts these operators because they make the season livable for competitors and fans, and because they hire locals. The park’s own materials cite “more than 400,000 visitors each season,” a scale that keeps those vendors viable for months.
Smith, who built a successful national craft products business, then entered the sport through his wife’s involvement in the equestrian life, keeps the mission simple. “We’ve got to make it as accessible as possible, knowing that it’s still expensive,” he said, adding that making it easier for newcomers to enter – through lower-cost shows and additional disciplines – helps grow the base that sustains the entire industry.
What the new campus adds
At Thermal Ranch, the layout is core to the final product. Purpose-built circulation for horses and people, more high-quality rings (including the ability to add a modern indoor capable of FEI World Cup qualifiers), consistent footing, and smarter back-of-house space are all designed to raise the standard of competition and broadcast. That reliability makes it easier to bid for national-caliber weeks and anchor finals that bring bigger purses, bigger fields, and bigger audiences.
The proposed Thermal Ranch site plan.
The on-site ecosystem completes the picture. Housing and hotel rooms near barns shorten daily commutes and keep more spending in the region. Retail and services at the village level mean fewer miles driven across the valley and a better fan experience for visitors who want to watch, dine, and shop without leaving the grounds.
Crucially, the project shores up the valley’s long-standing infrastructure gap. The substation and water tank are not only necessary for a world-class show park; they also free up power and water capacity for neighboring projects that have sat in limbo. In a part of the Coachella Valley where “a shortage of clean water and power infrastructure has long been an issue,” that is a regional unlock, not just a venue upgrade.
“We want to build a permanent home for the horse park that is sustainable… so we can control our own destiny,” Smith said. “Being able to build a brand-new modern facility that’s perfect for horses as well as guests… it will be a breath of fresh air and a dream for all of us.”
Smith insists the goal isn’t an exit; it’s a legacy. “We will probably never sell… The entire goal of the development was to build a permanent home for the Desert Horse Park,” he said, adding that selling lots and homes is how the venue will pay for the show without heavy debt – the opposite of a flip.
He’s equally clear about the competitive stakes. Florida’s modern, integrated equestrian campuses have been gaining market share. “Our goal is to make sure that the West Coast sport is at a high enough level, and we keep compelling enough top people out here to support this industry,” he said. Thermal Ranch is the best way to keep more of that demand in California, by matching the standard and improving the experience for horses and humans alike.
And the mission is personal. “You do this because you want to be involved in it and you like the business and you enjoy this… We want it to be fun,” Smith said. “We’ve learned a lot over the years and we’re still learning.”
The entitlement process has one remaining step: obtaining final approval from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. The hope is that the Board will consider the project within the next few months. If approved, Smith anticipates that the completion of the new horse park portion of the development can be ready for the 2029 season. The various housing sub-sections would lead the start of the construction.
What happens to the current park?
The existing DIHP won’t go dark. The plan is to shift the main hunter/jumper competition to Thermal Ranch and use today’s campus to broaden access by hosting dressage, western, and lower-cost county-level shows that lower entry costs for new riders and trainers. They also plan to establish a world-class rodeo at the current location. This approach grows the base while keeping the facility productive outside of the marquee weeks.
“We’ve got to make it as accessible as possible…” Smith said. In plain terms: bring more people into the sport, build more careers around it, and keep more of that six-month spend anchored in the East Valley.
The bottom line
If the point of economic development is to attract reliable, high-value activity and then keep and build upon it, Thermal Ranch checks every box. It protects a proven engine, grows its output, and shares the utilities that development in the East Valley sorely needs. And it does so with the simplest promise a community can ask of a private investor:
Build it here. Keep it here. Let it lift everything around it.
