Riders urge Boulder County to restore public winter "open ride" at county fairgrounds amid dispute over lease fee

Cindy Johnson and Carmen Porter told the Board of County Commissioners that community groups have pursued reinstating "open ride" sessions at the Boulder County Fairgrounds indoor arena during winter months and that nonprofits, including the YMCA and Riders Fund, expressed willingness to lease and manage the facility.

Johnson said advocacy efforts produced a unanimous June approval by commissioners to move forward with a base lease for nonprofit use, but she said staff later quoted a daily lease figure of $2,500 to $3,500—an amount she said is not economically feasible for nonprofits and inconsistent with the fairgrounds policy manual. "We were authorized to proceed with a base bridal lease for our nonprofit organization ... we waited... and then staff said they needed more time," Johnson said, requesting a staff-provided line-item breakdown of the operating cost used to justify the higher rate.

Carmen Porter, who said she serves on the board of the Boulder County Horse Association, said the policy manual states a nonprofit fee of $150 per day and a standard commercial weekday rate of $300 per day; she asked commissioners to help resolve the apparent disconnect so the arena can be used for public winter riding sessions. "BCHA stands ready to help make the restoration of public riding sessions a reality," Porter said.

Commissioners asked staff to provide the requested cost breakdown so the board could respond to the Riders Fund and the YMCA. The board did not take formal action on the lease at the Dec. 4 meeting but instructed staff to follow up with specifics for commissioners to review.

Sources: Public comments by Cindy Johnson and Carmen Porter at the Dec. 4, 2025 BOCC meeting.