By Liane Crossley
NKyTribune correspondent
Everyone has coworkers who evolve into friends despite circumstances that pull them apart. For Ronan Cunningham, equine operations director at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, his peer-turned-pal is, not surprisingly, a horse.
But not just any horse.
Cunningham oversees the daily care of about 100 steeds at the Kentucky Horse Park and while he says he loves them all in different ways, he has a special history with 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, a resident in the Hall of Champions. While working as a flight attendant for the Lexington-based equine airline that ships horses, Cunningham routinely traveled with Funny Cide to racing engagements throughout the country.
As a longtime friend of the gelding’s track trainer Barclay Tagg, Cunningham also spent plenty of quality time with Funny Cide at the barn.
The cronies were reunited about a year ago when Cunningham went to work at the Kentucky Horse Park, where Funny Cide has resided since 2008.
On the move
Cunningham and Funny Cide no longer travel the migratory racing circuit, but they do make occasional road trips. Funny Cide is scheduled to be presented at Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky on April 2 when the track’s signature Kentucky Derby prep race is contested. Last year, they ventured to Saratoga Race Course in Funny Cide’s home state of New York for a celebrity appearance and the pair likely will make similar guest spots.
The two are homebodies at the Kentucky Horse Park, but certainly they are not couch potatoes. When Cunningham arrives at the facility visible from Interstate 75 in northern Fayette County, he instinctively surveys the horses in their pastures on his way to his office to get his walkie-talkie and golf cart.
“Then I am off to see my four-legged friends,” he said.
His first stop is the area where Funny Cide resides in the Hall of Champions. After exchanging pleasantries with his former track buddy, he continues his rounds and confers with divisional managers in other barns about horses in their care. Cunningham then circulates through the property observing his herd and their handlers and mingling with guests. Quitting time is late afternoon when Cunningham reluctantly leaves the job site but never stops thinking about his four-legged crew.
Funny Cide’s typical working day begins when he is led from his grassy pasture where he spends his nights. After eating breakfast in his stall, he is groomed in preparation for the morning “parade of breeds” show. He also is led around the grounds to interact with customers. Parts of his stroll include being led at a brisk pace much like humans limber up with a power walk.
Funny Cide then goes to his stall for a mid day snack of hay and a nap before his afternoon appearances. After dinner, Funny Cide returns to his paddock for the night. He has several days off depending on his own preferences and the park’s schedule.
“It’s a busy schedule but he is happy in it,” Cunningham said.
Then and now
Both Funny Cide and Cunningham relish the park’s tranquility, a stark contrast to the hectic pace of racetrack life. Funny Cide’s career spanned six consecutive years and was highlighted by his 2003 season when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and banked nearly $2 million. He added another million-plus dollars to his account in his final four years of racing.
Upon retirement, Funny Cide stayed at the track in his home barn as a stable “pony”, something of a mascot horse ridden alongside the Thoroughbreds during their morning exercise routines. After about a year in that role, he joined the Kentucky Horse Park’s team in late 2008 and readily adapted to his new lifestyle as a pampered tourist attraction.
Kentucky Horse Park at a glance
Summary: Showcases all breeds through equine presentations, museums, horse-drawn tours, art gallery and special exhibits. Horseback riding and pony rides offered for an additional fee. Hosts an array of equestrian competitions such as the famed Rolex
Cunningham also adjusted quickly to his position as equine manager and said he seldom thinks about his own time at the track that was highlighted by precious moments of winning races. That elusive euphoria of victory is replaced by what Cunningham dubs “golden moments” such as seeing joy in people’s faces when they touch horses.
“I can replace the feeling of winning at the track with situations that I get to witness out here,” Cunningham said. “I get a lot of satisfaction from those moments. Here winning comes in different forms. It can be introducing two horses to each other for the first time and seeing their reactions.”
He tells of a moment when Funny Cide spied a miniature horse nearby and pulled Cunningham in that direction.
“He’s a smart horse,” he said. “Who am I to question him? Now he is never happier than when he has a miniature horse within his sights. He loves them.”
Funny Cide is one of the most well known horses at the park thanks to his run for the Triple Crown. After winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Funny Cide was third in the Belmont Stakes. However, he is not the only Kentucky Derby winner at the facility. He shares that honor with Go for Gin, who won America’s most storied horse race in 1994. Upon retirement, Go for Gin was a breeding stallion before relocating to the Kentucky Horse Park in 2011.
With his vast background in the Thoroughbred industry, Cunningham has a special place in his heart for the breed in general and his crony Funny Cide in particular. But he speaks passionately about all the horses under his umbrella.
“I love the challenge of all these different horses,” he said. “They all fascinate me in different ways. No book could teach me what I have learned from horses—it is my physical, mental and emotional interactions with them. I love each and every one of them.”
Liane Crossley is a freelance writer based in Lexington.