State-of-the-Art Equestrian Park Opens in Agoura Hills

Nobody in the crowd objected when Ron Troncatty suggested that he and his horse, Hot Wheels, lead the parade into the Agoura Hills’ new equestrian facility. After all, the project was, as everyone knew, the realization of his longtime dream.

And so, the man and his appaloosa became the first to officially set hoof in the arena during ribbon-cutting festivities Saturday. Agoura Hills now has bragging rights to a state-of-the-art equestrian center.

“It felt wonderful,” Troncatty said. “It’s an old dream.”

The Old Agoura Park Equestrian Facility, at 5301 Chesebro Road, is the first phase of a 10-acre park that will replace a smaller park nearby. The equestrian center will be free and open to users from throughout the region.

The facility was constructed with a $600,000 grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy that was obtained with assistance from Agoura Hills City Councilwoman Fran Pavley, a member of the conservancy’s advisory committee. It will link up with the Zuma Ridge Trail, an equestrian trail running through Los Angeles County.

Back in 1984, Troncatty, then president of the Old Agoura Homeowners Assn., managed to arrange a land swap: the 2.75-acre city-owned site on which the old park was located for a nine-acre tract down the street owned by a developer.

“People told me I was nuts for considering a park trade when nobody had ever done such a thing,” Troncatty said.

Meanwhile, a new ball field at the park will open on Saturday, said Audrey Brown, the city’s director of community services. It was built, she said, with an $18,700 donation from Agoura Pony Baseball.

Brown said a planned playground will hopefully be completed sometime next year. She said funding would come from the city, which has been asked to include the project in its fiscal 1995-96 budget. The project would cost $80,000, including a picnic area.

The city, she said, is still seeking funds for a third equestrian arena, a basketball court and a 1,500-square-foot recreation building.