Images of Olympic equestrian events are dancing in the heads of Sonoma Horse Council members as they shoot for the stars with the proposed creation of the California Equestrian Park and Event Center (CEPEC).
Should all the dreams become reality, plans for the Sonoma County facility will meet the needs and desires for a world class multi-purpose facility. If all goes well, the future will award the CEPEC international competitive events like World Cups and Olympics, making it a premier West Coast equine event center.
And that’s not all. The space will accommodate a medical center providing imaging, surgery and veterinary services, camping, trail riding, and exhibitions of art works. All disciplines will have a home with several arenas, a polo field, cross country course, driving course, galloping track and more. Facilities also will include education and conference center for clinics, classes and certifications, a museum for the county’s historical equine artifacts and memorabilia, restaurants, and shops.
The entire center is currently estimated to cost $200 million dollars and will sit on 1400 acres. Plans are to build in stages as money is raised from fundraising, investors, bonds, taxes and other sources. Several potential sites have been selected and meetings are in progress with landowners and the Sonoma County Open Space District.
Horses are an important segment of the Sonoma County economy. Based on a survey taken by Sonoma State University, horses as a group are the second largest contributors to the economic well-being of the county, following the well-known
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