The “Zorro” TV show is what first piqued Ali Nilforushan’s interest in horses at the age of 6. Like many horse-crazy children, Nilforushan begged his parents to ride a horse and can still fondly recount the experience once they finally agreed. “It was like a continuation from a previous life, and it felt like home,” he said. 

Unfortunately, war in Nilforushan’s home country of Iran resulted in trying times for his family and a pause on riding. Eventually, his family immigrated to San Diego, California, and Nilforushan picked up his horse habit again at age 12. “Then, it was just history, and that’s all I ever wanted to do after that,” he said. 

For Nilforushan, horses were an escape as he didn’t have many friends at school as a kid in California.

“I came from a country that was known for not good things here [in the U.S.]. I remember when I was in school at the drinking fountain and nobody would drink water after me,” he said. “But when I was around horses, it didn’t matter who I was or where I was from. So, the horses kept me in this beautiful bubble.”

From the past to present day, Nilforushan is thankful for having horses in his life. “It’s literally the greatest gift that could have ever come to me, so I never take it for granted,” he said. “I consider myself the luckiest person to have had this beautiful sport come into my life.”

From Humble Beginnings To the Olympics

After starting riding lessons, Nilforushan gravitated toward show jumping. “Once you start riding, you tend to tap into your passion,” he said. “And my passion was show jumping, so I kept going with it.” 

Over the next several years, Nilforushan honed his skills as a rider and worked his way up the show-jumping ranks to the top level of the sport. He began training with Eric Navet, French Olympic and world championship medalist, to help him achieve top international results with several mounts. 

Nilforushan considers himself fortunate to have connected with talented horses throughout his riding career. With Campione M, he became the first Iranian equestrian to compete at an Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. The pair qualified for the Individual Final, but when Campione M turned his back on Nilforushan in the stall before the final jog, it was a sign to withdraw from the competition.

 “It was clear that at that point he’d had enough competing for the week,” he said. “Eric Navet always taught us to be horsemen before sportsmen.”

Nilforushan also achieved a string of impressive results with Cellist 2. In 2006, the pair competed at the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They qualified for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ that year, but after Cellist was diagnosed with a lung problem, Nilforushan opted not to compete at the major event to prioritize the horse’s health.

“I was lucky enough to do some very good things with him,” he said of Cellist 2. “He was a really wonderful trier.”  

Taking on the Role of Horse Show Organizer

Competing at international championships and national events allowed Nilforushan to partake in a variety of horse-show experiences. In 2017, he believed it was time to change up the horse-show model that he was experiencing, so he decided to retire from competition to pursue horse-show management. “I realized there were a lot of things I could do to change the sport because what I was seeing was not enjoyable for me anymore,” Nilforushan said.

His first foray into show organization was at the National Sunshine Series, which he purchased from the Langer Group. Shortly after, he sold the show to Tom Struzzieri, formerly of HITS Horse Shows. Nilforushan then took a hiatus before creating his ideal horse-show experience. 

“I just waited for my opportunity to do what I envisioned without having to be apologetic or worry about how long it’s going to take for it to be profitable,” Nilforushan explained.

He founded Nilforushan Equisport Events, a horse-show management company, with his wife, Francie Nilforushan. The company developed the Temecula Valley National Horse Shows at Galway Downs Equestrian in Temecula, California. The endeavor proved to be popular with competitors and grew into a successful show series led by Nilforushan.

“I always thought I could make a wonderful show experience for everybody involved,” he said. “You learn what you expect as a rider and trainer. Now to be in a position where I can make those things happen is probably one of the best parts.”

With his horse shows, Nilforushan aims to address what he believes is the hardest part of equestrian sport: lack of opportunity. He tries to cater to both competitors and spectators alike by producing USEF-rated shows with prize money classes, affordable showing options and first-class VIP experiences. Entertainment is also a factor at Nilforushan’s shows with live music, game nights and social events.

“When you come to our shows, there are so many different opportunities for people,” he explained. Whether it’s free entries for young horses and Thoroughbreds or different tiered levels of stable pricing.” 

New Ventures on the West Coast

Nilforushan’s horse-show management style and expertise caught the attention of Equine Network, who acquired a controlling interest in the successful enterprise in December 2024. In addition to continuing to run the Temecula Valley National Horse Shows, Nilforushan and his team are organizing The Oaks, a revamped show series held at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park in San Juan Capistrano, California.  

“That’s an iconic venue for the West Coast,” Nilforushan said. Noting that some of the West Coast competitors head East in the summertime, he believes The Oaks is an important part of the California competition calendar. “That’s always been my dream to have something that we can rally around in the summertime and not have to leave. And I believe that we’re going be able to do that,” he added.

The Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park is undergoing numerous upgrades for The Oaks. Nilforushan explained that all arenas are getting new footing, and the Ebb & Flow Arena will have a stadium-like feel. A new kitchen is also being built for a high-quality dining experiences in the VIP areas. Additional changes are also set to give competitors and spectators a whole new experience at the venue. 

“The layout is going to be different; the vendor area is going to be different. It’s a dramatic change,” Nilforushan said. “We’re doing some arena shifting. A lot of them are the same arenas. But they’ll have a completely different feel because of what we’re doing around them.”

Even with the new opportunity with The Oaks, Nilforushan’s vision remains the same. 

“As I walk around all day at my horse shows watching, I try to put myself in other people’s shoes, and I realized that I’m in a position where I can affect their lives and improve their show experiences,” he said. “I think it’s actually beneficial that I didn’t come from a horse-show organizing background, because I always look at things as a trainer, rider or owner, and do what I think is best from that perspective.” 

For More:

• Listen to our Practical Horseman Podcast with Ali Nilforushan here.
• To learn more about Nilforushan Equisport Events, click here.
  

Editor’s note: Equine Network also owns Practical Horseman.