On Feb. 25, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District approved a 12-year contract with Friends of Bear Creek Stables to operate the Los Gatos facility it’s named after. With the help of local businesses like Summit Store, and thanks to money from Netflix, $250,000 was raised for the stables to reopen and begin offering programs to the public—as early as May. Though horse-boarding will remain its primary focus, the nonprofit says it will also offer programs for members of the public.
Coming this spring
The stables will begin operating to the public for the first time in a long while.
The man behind Friends of Bear Creek Stables (FOBCS) is Rick Parfitt, who sat down with the Los Gatan last year to discuss his move into the world of animals, after working in the technology industry.
“This is a major milestone for us,” he said this past week. “About two years ago, the general managers recommended closing the stables.”
After County animal control officers inspected Bear Creek Stables in March 2024, which was run at the time by Chaparral Ranch, Jennifer Bryant, a former manager, was charged with failing to give proper care and attention to an animal.
The Santa Clara County Superior Court case was recently suspended pending an upcoming diversion review, scheduled for June 22.
Parfitt, president of FOBCS, came into the picture and proposed to make Bear Creek Stables a place for the general public—and to operate it via the nonprofit. “It took 14 months just to get the contract in place,” Parfitt said, explaining that a key two-year period of time begins on April 1 (when certain benchmarks need to be met).
The quarter-million-dollars raised to get the ball rolling will go towards things like electricity, lighting, an electronic gate, safety signage and insurance. Some roofs will be refurbished, and—for the first time—the stables will have an “ambassador area” in the lower section of the stables.
Tevis Barn, which is located at the lower part of the stables, will soon be turning 100 years old. The organization expects to host visiting days where families can come and see this historic barn as well as the stables, at least twice a month.
But over the next two years, they’ll have to raise another $250,000 chunk (although this can come in the form of pledges). A broad spectrum of people helped to fund the stables, from Netflix and Google (which both have programs where the company matches contributions from employees).
The planning process with Midpen began in 2013, so this authorization is a big feat. And it was met with excitement. “I would encourage people to go on our website,” says Parfitt, noting there are programs, as well as volunteer opportunities, people can find out about there. “One of our goals is to be a high-quality stable in the Bay Area with high standards,” Parfitt said.
He hopes Bear Creek Stables will be seen as a recreation option to rival Saint Joseph’s Trail, or Vasona Lake County Park. He expects it will be a regional attraction. The owner of Los Gatos Farms, Toni Kent, is pretty excited, too. “I am thrilled,” he said. “I wish them all the best—and am so grateful that Midpen saw that we need to keep horses in people’s lives.”
