L.A. Awards Equestrian Center Lease : Riding: Horse lovers protest to parks commissioners that a development firm will cut the facility’s services.

The Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission voted Monday to turn over operation of the financially troubled Los Angles Equestrian Center to a Burbank development firm despite protests by some horse owners that the move could lead to cuts in riding lessons, shows and polo games.

Commissioners, after briefly trying to allay the fears of about 150 protesters, voted unanimously to permit the takeover by Del Rey Properties.

In a boisterous session in the ballroom of the 70-acre center in Griffith Park, city officials insisted that opponents were needlessly worried.

Del Rey will “not be able to change on thing unless it comes back here and gets commission approval,” said Sheldon Jensen, assistant general manager of the city Department of Recreation and Parks.

And Commissioner Richard J. Riordan told the crowd the commission “would be sticking the city’s neck out legally” if it refused to turn the operation over to Del Rey.

The commission owns the property and has a long-term lease with Gibraltar Savings, which owns the stables and other buildings.

Jensen said that Gibraltar, which is insolvent and is being run by the federal Resolution Trust Corp., has the right to assign the lease to a firm of its choice if it can demonstrate that the proposed concessionaire is a fit operator.

Staff officials said they could find no reason to bar Del Rey, a general partnership formed by Gregory Daggett and Timothy Behunin that grosses more than $8 million annually.

But Lance J. Walter said that he and other horse lovers were worried that Del Rey will “turn this property into a mass-boarding operation” and halt less-profitable horse shows, polo games and riding lessons.

Actress Loretta Swit, saying she learned to ride at the center, said “if you have no trainers, no riding rings, no shows, then you have nothing to strive for.”

Unappeased by the commissioner’s reassurance, several opponents shouted, “You’re railroading us!” and vowed to organize additional protests. In approving assignment of the lease, commissioners also agreed to a plan under which Del Rey will pay Gibraltar and the city $3.6 million for the right to operate the center.

Of that amount, the city will get $836,000 to cover past-due rent on the center.

City officials said Del Rey will not actually take over the center until the close of escrow with Gibraltar, a process that is expected to take about 60 days.

At Monday’s meeting, Behunin said he was “not planning any major changes” in the center’s operation, but gave no further details.

Gibraltar has owned the lease since April, 1988, when it foreclosed on Equestrian Centers of America, the original leaseholder.

In an effort to cut costs while searching for a firm to operate the center, Gibraltar, which was declared insolvent 11 months ago, has laid off 40 employees and cut services offered at the center.