The Team: Paul Cunningham, International Equine Adviser
Armed with extensive experience in the equine industry, both on the business and personal side, Paul Cunningham takes on the role of International Equine Adviser at Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue. Paul’s interest in the equine industry began at an early age and led him to great successes throughout his career helping to develop prestigious international equestrian venues and he is eager to bring his expertise to the Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue project.
Horses have been an integral part of Paul’s life since he was a child, “I was born and raised on a horse farm in England,” explains Paul. “My life and career path have been intricately connected with the horse; caring for their wellbeing, nurturing their lives to achieve their optimum level and designing and developing their environment to provide a functional and healthy habitat.”
Paul has vast experience with horses as both a businessman and a rider. “On a personal level I have been a Team Roper and have also competed in the World Team Penning Championship. I have actively participated in traditional fox hunting and played polo in Argentina, USA and England. I have lived and worked as a Gaucho in Argentina, broken in and trained polo ponies and fallen off, and got back on, in Hunt Point to Points. Other areas of horse sport have also provided me with intense involvement and joy,” says Paul.
Though Paul has a variety of equine experience, his career has centered around the Thoroughbred industry, “My equine career has been mainly focused on the global Thoroughbred market with management and development roles in California, Kentucky, Argentina, India and England. I have further experience in China, the Middle East and the Caribbean.” Paul’s resume includes the management of Riverside Thoroughbred Farms, California, resulting in a Breeders’ Cup winner and Eclipse Award winners; stud management roles at Winfield Stud in Lexington, Kentucky; as well as at the Classic winning Manjri, Royal & Claremount Studs in India. Paul was appointed the Stud Farm Expert to the Royal Court of the Sultanate of Oman in Salalah, Oman. He took on the General Manager position in the development of the nascent Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club, Saint Lucia, West Indies.
One of the many highlights of Paul’s equine industry career is his work in the development of the Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre, Qatar, “I was integral in the development of the multi-million-dollar Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre. This centre encompasses 13 competition arenas, of which two are air conditioned. All arenas were designed with different competition surfaces to hold multi-discipline and parallel competitions. Al Shaqab has been the venue for many Longines Global Champion Tour events and CHI events. Also in this development is a 10,000 sq.mt. Equine Veterinary Medical Centre with facilities to conduct MRIs, CT-scans, and nuclear scintigraphy, and including two operating theatres. Al Shaqab was developed with 450 air-conditioned stalls, equine hydrotherapy units and 175 paddocks, along with roads and tracks, along with state-of-the-art facilities to support the function of a World Champion Breeding and Show Division, Endurance Training and Competition, Equine Education and Riding Academy and HH The Emir’s Royal Stables.”
The Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue site provides a stunning backdrop for a world-class equestrian facility.
With many international equestrian industry projects under his belt, Paul is looking forward to being a part of the Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue team, “I believe that I will be able to deliver an objective and an insightful value with wide ranging practical management skills, and most important of all, a very high level of horsemanship, to the Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue project. The value I can bring is gained through my in-depth experience as a professional horseman and my proven ability in cross functional project planning, development, delivery and implementation, with particular emphasis on operational safety and functionality in the equine environment.”
“My role will be intrinsically linked to the consortium of knowledge of the many professional members of the team,” explains Paul. “I especially look forward to working with the talented Linda Royer in creating and developing an equestrian resort and venue that will be exemplary in its design, whilst at the same time developing a venue that is predicated on the values of sustainability, nature, functionality and, most importantly, on the well-being and welfare of the horse. I would like to think that my nine years spent at Al Shaqab will be of great assistance in creating the perfect array of multi-use arenas, the most commodious of stabling and an environment that is luxurious, but at the same time governed by sustainability and practicality.”
When it comes to the sustainability aspects of the Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue project, Paul says, “I have found that the most efficient method of sustainability is to work hand in hand with nature and the localized natural assets of environment, water, weather, and land utilization. In each country I have worked in around the world, I have had to adapt to the environment of the location and maximize its natural strengths.”
Paul is excited for the impact that Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue will make on the equestrian industry, “I am looking forward to being part of a team that has a beautiful and natural canvas on which to design, create and develop a venue that will not only be one of the most utilized on the West Coast by the equestrian industry, but also becomes a destination for Oregonians and visitors from all places.”
The varied topography of the Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue site adds to the uniqueness of the venue.
Paul also notes that Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue will be a destination for the equestrian community, “The venue will become the place to go to in the Western United States for all horse people and their related activities. It will be a place that will open the eyes of equestrians and non-equestrians alike to the endless activities of the world of horses.”
“Some of the highlights of the venue include the five multi-use, climate-controlled arenas, plus the sand and grass arenas, on which multi-discipline equestrian events can be held,” explains Paul. “The luxury of the 150 room 5-star resort and spa is an added bonus, along with the natural beauty of what will be one of Oregon’s most visited destinations.”
The unique on-site assets of Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue will ensure that it is both a national and international equestrian destination. “The project is an eclectic mixture of luxury, competition, experience and destination,” says Paul. “It is a venue designed for horse people, by horse people, but created with the optimum allegiance to functionality and sustainability to create the Nirvana for horse competition and luxury.”
Paul notes, “Pegasus Equestrian Resort & Venue will be a destination previously unseen in the northwest. It will be a venue that will benefit all in the community through the creation of jobs and the beautification and enrichment of the natural landscape and is a place for the local community to be proud of as it becomes a venue that will put Douglas County on the equestrian map.”
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