Equestrian real estate has fallen into an absurd trap: many venues built to celebrate the horse lifestyle end up destroying it, as the usual model of building a horse park and surrounding it with luxury hobby farms drives land prices up and pushes agricultural and equestrian uses out. Pegasus Equestrian International, a 2,800-plus-acre destination resort in Douglas County, Oregon, takes the opposite approach with a “Keep and Rent” strategy, retaining its full residential footprint as short-term equestrian rentals rather than subdividing and selling land. The result is a model designed to preserve farmland, generate stronger long-term returns, and create year-round jobs without inflating local housing beyond residents’ reach.

We’re proud to share that Pegasus Equestrian International Resort & Venue was selected to present at The Boardroom: From Pitch to Capital at the 2026 International Mass Timber Conference in Portland on March 31st from 2-4 PM — a live, deal-focused session built around real projects, direct investor feedback, and real capital.

On nearly 3,000 acres in northern Douglas County, Oregon, Pegasus Equestrian International / Stirling Downs is conceived first as a multi‑discipline equestrian campus and resort, and only then as a racing venue.

Here's a sobering reality: the "Sport of Kings" has been playing checkers while the world moved on to 4D chess. Over the past 50 years, thoroughbred racing has shed nearly 60% of its inflation-adjusted market value. Fifty-four racetracks have closed since 2000. Foal production has collapsed by 49%. And despite billions in subsidies, the industry continues its death spiral—December 2025 saw wagering handle plummet 7.3%, the worst month on record.

But here's the plot twist: this collapse isn't a tragedy. It's an opportunity.

Picture this: a 1940s industrial powerhouse meets a warm, modern sanctuary of mass timber—because apparently, we couldn't choose between gritty and luxe, so we married them. Welcome to the Pegasus Equestrian Experience Center, where "High-Industrial" architecture proves that heritage and innovation aren't enemies; they're just waiting for the right timber beam to introduce them properly.

In the development world, there is often a massive gap between the initial artistic vision and the "Minimum Viable Product" (MVP) that actually allows a business to cash flow. At Pegasus Equestrian International, we aren't immune to this.

When we first looked at our site—a spectacular 2,800-acre landscape in Douglas County, Oregon—we were captivated by the massive box canyon at its heart. The original dream? Cover the whole thing. We looked at spanning the canyon from ridge to ridge, creating a roof over 130 acres with a floor area of 65 acres. It would have been an engineering marvel.