These poor people are seriously confused. Yes, their mascot is indeed a toad.
At the same time, though, they show a winged horse on their school seal.
As for the toad, it comes from Nick Thacher, the grandson of the founder and a 1964 graduate of the school. He found the toad, and I quote, “humble and quietly persistent.” As for Pegasus … read on.
The school dates back to 1889, and is the oldest private school west of the Mississippi. It sounds quite tony, with the original buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, alumni including Howard Hughes & Thornton Wilder, the admission rate at about 15% & fees running between $60-80K per year. There are only about 260 students.
Athletics doesn’t seem all that big, with barely a mention on their website and absolutely no mention on their Wikipedia page. The equestrian program, though, is pretty huge. In fact, it’s a requirement – freshman must ride (and take care of) a horse for at least one whole year.
Fittingly, the school is located in the rather tony city of Ojai. The city prohibits chain stores, multi-family housing units, and Airbnbs. In their place are boutiques, multiple festivals & a big tennis tournament. There’s also a wellness and “spiritual” side. It does indeed look like a beautiful place.
The city of 7,500 people is in southern California, in the mountains between Santa Barbara and Ventura.
