Amenities
The Rancho Oro Verde had a swimming pool, a rodeo stadium, and its own airstrip, the first amenity Barnes created upon establishment of the Club in 1935 to stay in touch with her aviator-friendly social circle south of the San Gabriel Mountains. Visiting civilians and military men alike flew into the strip to stay at the Rancho Oro Verde, and Pancho often held events to ensure that her guests were entertained, including her legendary barbecues and treasure hunt for 200 silver dollars.
The swimming pool was originally rectangular, and was one of the first built in the Antelope Valley. It was enjoyed by residents and guests alike before being destroyed by the July 21, 1952 Tehachapi earthquake. The replacement pool was circular and had a circular ramp which, legend has it, allowed Barnes to ride her horse into the pool. This later pool was modeled after one Barnes had owned in the Pasadena area. The pool was lit at night - an aid to aerial navigation.
The rodeo stadium would present a three day weekend rodeo which was jointly sponsored with the local VFW post in Lancaster.
A tradition was started when Chuck Yeager, who became friends with Pancho during Mexican hunting and fishing expeditions, broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 and Pancho gave him a free steak dinner. After that, pilots were given a free steak dinner when they broke the barrier for their first time. After Yeager's achievement, she sometimes gave this dinner to multiple pilots in a week, reflecting the frequency with which the sound barrier was broken in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Read more about this topic: Happy Bottom Riding Club