Riding high at Hempstead Lake

Denise Smith rode her horse in front of the old Lakewood Stables, in the only ring that was available in the old facility.

New York Equestrian Center

Rockville Centre horsemen and women — as well as others around the region who love riding — will soon be back in the saddle at a refurbished local facility.

The last surviving privately owned equestrian center in the Town of Hempstead will hold a grand opening on April 20 and 21, complete with a ribbon-cutting, demonstrations and a horse show.

Once the site of the Lakewood Stables, which closed in 2006, the new facility, renamed and redesigned as the New York Equestrian Center, has been transformed from “a former run-down relic to a state-of-the-art, year-round indoor arena,” said owner Alex Jacobsen, a real estate developer from Baldwin Harbor.

The new facility, at 633 Eagle Ave. in West Hempstead, is a climate-controlled arena with a 30,000-square-foot enclosed riding area, 53 new stalls, seating for 100 spectators and a large parking area.

Jacobsen said that he had bought the property thinking he would tear down the stables and build condominiums, but had a change of heart.

The nearly century-old stables were one of the community’s oldest landmarks, and Jacobsen decided to enhance the community while maintaining the history of the area.

The stable tour will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, and will be followed by the ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. The first horse show is scheduled for the following day, beginning at 9 a.m. There will also be equine demonstrations on Saturday, from 12:30 to 5 p.m.