The future of the Rock Creek Park Horse Center is unclear after the contractor told the National Park Service it's losing money and wants out.
Ferrall Dietrick has been coming to the horse center in Northwest D.C. since she was three years old. It's been a special place that holds decades of memories.
“We’ve had seven horses over the years that we've boarded here. It's been an incredible community. It's accessible to Rock Creek Park and we ride on the miles and miles of trails in the park," she said.
But Dietrick and others who love to ride at the horse center have been told Guest Services, Inc., the contractor that operates the facility, has no plans to stay and is starting to move horses out of the barn.
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“They've already transferred two horses from the school house to out of state to other locations and they have a plan to transfer all of the horses out by the end of February," said Larry Hanauer, who frequents the horse center. "Guest Services has not sent any communications to anyone in the community."
Guest Services did not respond to News4's request for comment, but late Friday afternoon sent an email to patrons of the horse center confirming its plans to step away.
In part, the company said that financial challenges have become unsustainable.
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The National Park Service (NPS) said it was in discussions with Guest Services about possibly getting out of its contract, but there were no decisions or timelines as of Friday evening.
"The Horse Center remains open, and we are actively exploring future operational options to ensure it continues to serve the community," NPS said.
Some people who board their horses at the center are in the process of moving them out.
Craig Scherer has been a volunteer at the center and likes to ride every Monday.
But he said there's been a noticeable decline.
“We used to have 63 horses and around 300 kids," he said.
Some say Guest Services hasn't properly invested in the facility.
