Disabled Competitors Make Leaps, Bounds : Ventura: Kids and adults are winners at Special Olympics equestrian events. More than 1,000 bikers raise funds during Beach Ride.

Bobby Metcalf carefully guided the 21-year-old dark bay mare as she trotted around a series of markers that substituted for wooden barrels at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Sunday.

The 41-year-old Sun Valley man gave Cookie a few quick heel kicks as she galloped through the arena and scurried across the finish line.

Moments later, Metcalf let out a scream as his name was announced as the gold medal winner in the barrel-racing competition of the California Special Olympics State Equestrian Championships.

“I’m a double winner,” Metcalf said, two medals draped across his chest. He had captured a silver medal earlier in another competition. “I try really hard.”

Metcalf was among more than 130 Special Olympians who participated in the contest Sunday, the closing day of the two-day annual championships designed to give developmentally disabled children and adults a sense of pride and achievement.

It was the first of two events held Sunday for the benefit of developmentally disabled people.

Down the coast at San Buenaventura State Beach, more than 1,000 motorcyclists converged for the third annual Beach Ride, a fund-raiser for the Los Angeles-based Exceptional Children’s Foundation.

Organizers of the equestrian competition said the California Special Olympics offers disabled adults and children a chance to take stock in themselves and work toward a goal.

“They’re out there in the arena all by themselves,” said Pete Peters, who coached the Ventura County team. “It builds a hell of a lot of self-esteem.”

Seven teams from Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and Santa Barbara counties competed in barrel racing, trail riding, jumping and other categories, with medals awarded to each participant.

“They practice all year for this,” said event director John Panagakis. “The beauty of the Special Olympics is that everyone’s a winner. What they’ve accomplished over the last year is fantastic.”

One young girl from Camarillo stole the show, as far as one judge was concerned. Eight-year-old Laura Cox, who has only one arm and one leg, won four gold medals over the weekend.

“There was no question about it,” said contest judge Barney McGeary of Granada Hills. “I gave her five points. She was sitting up there with the biggest smile you ever did see.”

About 2 miles south of the Ventura County Fairgrounds, more than 1,000 tattooed and leather-clad bikers congregated at San Buenaventura State Beach for an afternoon party that culminated a 100-mile motorcycle ride.

“It’s going great,” said Art Naddour, a vice president of the Exceptional Children’s Foundation. “We expect to make a $50,000 profit.”

The foundation is a nonprofit group dedicated to enhancing the lives of more than 1,500 developmentally disabled people throughout Southern California. It spends about $10 million a year teaching adults and children life skills and job-hunting techniques.

Naddour, a retired automobile restorer from West Los Angeles, said bikers--who came from as far as San Luis Obispo and Palm Springs for Sunday’s beach ride--get a bad rap when it comes to their image.

“Most of the people here are RUBs, and that stands for rich urban bikers,” Naddour said. “But bikers are a part of the community. They want to feel like they’re contributing to the community, and they can do that by participating in these fund-raisers.”

Most of the others attending the Beach Ride agreed with Naddour.

“I came because I’m a giver,” said Tom Foster, a Los Angeles communications supervisor covered in colorful tattoos and wearing a black leather vest.

“Anything to help kids I’m all for, 100%,” Foster said. “I do all the benefit runs.”

Near a display of finely maintained Harley-Davidsons with license plates that read “Looseel” and “Mthr Mlk,” year-old Teal Bergquist stood mesmerized by a coral-colored ’86 Sportster.

“She’s ridden almost 3,000 miles,” said Teal’s father, Kenny Bergquist of Simi Valley, a weekend biker who is always ready to support a worthy cause.

“I was fortunate to have a healthy baby,” Bergquist said, “but I can see how (difficult) it is when a child is not entirely healthy.”