'New heights' expected as Cal Poly celebrates opening of state-of-the-art equine center

Cal Poly welcomed hundreds of community members to the grand opening of its state-of-the-art equine center Friday afternoon, an event that was years in the making for longtime university supporters Peter and Mary Beth Oppenheimer.

It was the Oppenheimers' generosity and hands-on approach that fueled one of the more exciting renovation projects in recent Cal Poly history, resulting in the completion of the first phase of the Oppenheimer Family Equine Center.

The now-complete 60,000-square-foot covered riding arena, foaling barn, stallion barn, hay barn and tack room on the northern end of Cal Poly's campus came to fruition through the Oppenheimers' $20 million donation in 2014 — the largest cash gift in the university's history at the time.

"Cal Poly is so fortunate to have one of the premier equine programs in the country, thanks to our outstanding veterinary and equine faculty, and wickedly smart students," Peter Oppenheimer said Friday from inside the new foaling barn. "We know that this facility now catches the facility up with the program. We think with it, the students and the faculty will take it to even new heights, with some amazing learning and teaching opportunities."

Peter Oppenheimer said two moments stood out as he reflected on the massive renovation project: when the first of 11 foals was born inside the foaling barn, and when students took their first ride in the covered riding pavilion that matches the size of a football field.

The first phase of the plan is part of a larger vision to overhaul facilities and improve teaching units for the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences.

Andrew Thulin, who serves as dean of the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences, said the Oppenheimers' investment will support generations of students to come.

"When Mary Beth and I were here, we knew that part of the experience we had was the result of the generosity of those that came before us," said Peter Oppenheimer, who graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in agricultural business management in 1985. "So we knew that we wanted to give back so the students that succeeded us would have an even better experience than we did."

The school said the new equine center will benefit a variety of students across campus, including a foaling and breeding enterprise, a quarter horse enterprise and Cal Poly's equestrian, dressage, polo and rodeo teams.

Moving forward, a second riding arena, an animal health center and an agriculture event center — all funded in some part by the Oppenheimers' donation — also are in various stages of planning.

After graduating from Cal Poly, Peter Oppenheimer went on to become senior vice president and chief financial officer of Apple, where he helped grow revenue from $8 billion to $171 billion in the span of a decade.

The couple has remained deeply committed to Cal Poly for the past three decades, and the robust new equine facility may be the most accurate reflection of their generosity.

"It is partners like Peter and Mary Beth Oppenheimer who allow us to reach our full potential in providing the best for our students," Thulin said.

Ashlyn Frost, a senior studying biomedical engineering with a minor in equine science, said the additional space provided by the center will help students in the quarter-horse program train the 37 colts on campus.

"Not to mention we can work in all weather conditions now, which is huge because we start them in the winter, and in the past it's been a big problem for us," Frost said. "That's going to make a huge impact on us."

The university is scheduled to host its annual Cal Poly Performance Horse Sale from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday at the new equine center.

The quarter-horse enterprise program is comprised of students selected to start, prepare and prime Cal Poly-bred horses, the school said. The colts and fillies are trained entirely by students and are geared toward performance, general pleasure riding and ranch work.

The live auction will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m., with a riding preview and silent auction preceding the event.

This story was originally published June 1, 2018 at 6:54 PM with the headline "'New heights' expected as Cal Poly celebrates opening of state-of-the-art equine center."