Gina Economou remembers competing at Galway Downs when the late Anne Kellerhouse and her son, Robert, first moved their events to the venue back in the mid-1980s. She has fond memories of that era, but loves, loves, loves the ongoing improvements that have made Galway “unrecognizable” from what it was back then.
Getting lost while walking cross-country courses is her favorite example of how things have changed. “We always used to wonder are the courses going to change enough?” she reflects. “And now they are constantly changing, which is a big draw. I walk around and I’m lost. I’m asking, ‘Wait, where do I go?”
Gina’s long history with the venue and her excitement over its current state and bright future epitomize an exhibitor whose support and enthusiasm make Galway’s evolution possible. Her booming voice and big warm smile characterize the famous friendliness of the West Coast eventing scene.
“I just put my head down and keep going,” Gina says modestly of her place in the sport. “I have a small circle that I kind of love and I stay in my lane.”
Her “lane” is filled with signs reminding everyone to enjoy the sport – including herself. And that doesn’t always mean pressing to move up from level to level. That realization has come into sharp focus with her current upper-level horse, Cooley By Design, aka “Richie.”
One Tough Cookie
Two years ago at Woodside, Gina and Richie parted company at a chevron obstacle on cross-country and Gina sustained serious injuries. They initially went undiagnosed, and Gina kept riding with a torn abdominal muscle and fractured sacrum and pelvis. “The ER told me nothing was broken and I was OK and sent me home.” She took two weeks off, then got back on track with plans to compete in the CCI4-L at Rebecca Farm that July.
“It took weeks to get an MRI and the results came while I was at Rebecca Farm,” Gina recounts. “The stubborn part of me decided to do the dressage phase, but then I scratched. I was already jumping around and schooling cross-country, but I was not willing to risk doing anything else.”
The MRI diagnosis triggered “five months of sitting around.” Gina “hated that,” but she loved the upside in having “dear friend” Tamie Smith take over Richie’s ride. “I just wanted him to be able to play a little. I hated not riding but honestly it was so fun to play owner for a little bit. I can see the appeal of it. I’m so grateful Tamie took him on”
Gina and Richie are back on track now. They recently tuned up with excellent 1.4-meter and 1.35-meter jumping rounds at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal. They’re set to contest the CCI3*-L at the Eventing Championships at Galway Downs, which start Oct. 29.
It’s tempting to get back to Advanced, the Pepperwood Riding Center owner and trainer acknowledges. “That would be great. At the same time, I feel like, at this point in my life, I don’t have to put that kind of pressure on myself.
“There’s sometimes an idea that if you are not running Advanced, you are failing – you just suck. I’m a little past that way of thinking, even though I know going back to Advanced is doable.
“The sport is already anxiety-producing enough,” Gina continues. “I always tell my students they don’t have to compete at a level at which they’re not comfortable. So why wouldn’t I hold myself to the same standard?”
Born in the Saddle?
Gina can’t remember the date of her first interaction with horses. Her mother Maria continued a family tradition of riding and owning horses and “it just seemed like horses were always there.” Maria juggled her passion for horses and the equestrian world with a career in public relations and management. “She got tired of having to spin things for other people and got out of that,” Gina remembers of her mother’s career change that eventually determined her own professional path.
“People started asking my mom for help with riding and getting into horses, so she started doing that a little on the side of other things – like hanging wallpaper.” That eventually grew into Maria buying the small, beautiful property that became home to Pepperwood Riding Center. Gina’s riding and horsemanship advanced while helping her mom out with Pepperwood. Along the way, Gina thought about becoming a veterinarian and she dabbled in college, but the seeds of a professional path had taken root.
Maria passed away in 1998 and Gina carries on her legacy as Pepperwood’s owner. The transition wasn’t as easy as it might sound. The positive and encouraging nature of her mother was always counterbalanced by negativity and discouragement from her father, Gina shares.
Gina’s early years solo with Pepperwood included her father regularly threatening to sell the property out from underneath her. “I didn’t want to leave the place that I had built up with my mom,” Gina explains. “And that’s where I feel a strong connection to my mother.” Throughout that time, the horses and clients have been “the easy part,” she says. “The family side of it was difficult.”
Gina gives both parents credit for her positive approach, in the sense that she had great examples of what to do and – equally important – what not do in how she treated others and how her words and actions made people feel.
Equestrian Paradise
While helping her mother and when on her own, Gina accumulated many accomplishments.
In 2001, she campaigned the horse Airtyme to the AHSA’s Area VI Horse Of the Year Intermediate title. She’s a graduate of the United States Eventing Association’s Developing Rider Program and has been coached by some of the sport’s best – Ian Stark, Lucinda Green, Karen and David O’Connor, Boyd Martin and Greg Best among them.
She’s also trained multiple horses through eventing’s Advanced level.
Gina started in show jumping and continues to be passionate about it. Whether competing at the Gold Coast shows at nearby Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, or hauling out to the Desert International Horse Park, Gina is a force to be reckoned with in that realm.
Located in Los Angeles County’s Sun Valley, Pepperwood is a tiny slice of equestrian paradise on La Tuna Canyon Road. A full-size dressage court and a 40m x 40m jumping arena enable preparation for eventing competition and a lunging area adds exercise space.
Located near a school, the area is quiet but also has traffic and activity that are great for helping horses and riders stay focused amid distractions. “Our horses really get used to things coming flying out of nowhere,” Gina says with a laugh. “That can be a blessing and a curse!”
Pepperwood has room for 24 horses and Gina’s clientele lean toward amateurs with a few dedicated juniors also coming along in their horsemanship and competitive successes.
Enjoy The Ride
Gina emphasizes excellent horsemanship as the foundation for all clients. Having her riders understand how and why to apply an aid is a core of her coaching. “I really try to make sure that the horse’s welfare and care is paramount,” she explains. “I’m blessed to be around people who agree with that and never question that.”
Supporting her clients’ mental health and helping them enjoy the sport and the learning process are equally important. In Gina’s famously candid style, she shares that “don’t suck and have fun” is the Pepperwood barn motto. The slogan arose when a well-coached student asked, “What else should I do?” right before entering the show jumping phase at an eventing competition. “And it kind of stuck!”
Even though she claims to “stay in my lane,” boisterous good behavior and booming laughter make Gina easy to spot. Her infectious enthusiasm for the horses, the sport and her fellow competitors make her an icon of West Coast eventing no matter what competitive lane she’s riding in.
