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Paul Cronin, A Classic Rider Gone Away
Paul Cronin, A Classic Rider Gone Away
By Emily Ristau
Paul David Cronin--father, teacher, mentor, avid equestrian and dear friend—was a native New Englander at heart and a Virginian by choice for most of his remarkable life.
A Middleburg resident who passed away on December 29 at age 86, Paul personified the word gentleman. He was reserved, private, philanthropic, thoughtful and kind and always seemed to have a twinkle in his eye.
He was great company, enjoying a good joke and kindly poking fun at his friends. He also was fiercely independent and lived life to the fullest until the end, enjoying the home in the village of Middleburg he shared with his beloved golden lab, Rody.
A lifelong equestrian, Paul grew up in Massachusetts, where he trained and showed horses and was an avid foxhunter. After receiving his Masters in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh, he served for four years in the U.S. Navy from 196064 where he earned the rank of lieutenant, and later remained as a reserve.
A lifelong teacher, Paul was the head instructor and director of riding at Sweet Briar College in Amherst County, Virginia for 34 years and was designated as a Professor Emeritus there until the end of his life.
After retiring from Sweet Briar in 2002, Paul moved to an idyllic farm in Rectortown with his beloved late wife, Ann. Both Ann and Paul were enthusiastic followers of the Orange County Hounds and Paul credited his purchase of a second truck and trailer with keeping the peace in his family.
The two rigs allowed Paul to arrive at a meet early to prep his horse and Ann to arrive separately, just before the hounds moved off, after finishing her coffee in the warmth of their home. Brilliant!
Paul was an elegant rider, always on a beautifully turned out, perfectly schooled horse. He was a regular in the hunt field and served for several years as a hardworking member of the Orange County Hounds Board of Stewards.
I first met him in the hunt field on his lovely grey horse, Laddie, shortly after I moved to Middleburg. I was immediately struck by his friendly, welcoming personality. While Paul was best known for training high-level riders who went on to become Olympic athletes (Lendon Gray), and working with fellow, accomplished trainers, he also selflessly helped riders at any level who hoped to improve their skills.
Riding with Paul occasionally could be a bit intimidating. He was clearly the professor in control of the classroom and did not take kindly to a lack of attention or the failure to follow direction. He was even known to quiz riders on matters found in his book, Riding and Schooling the Sporthorse
Paul was a master instructor who was happy to share his wealth of knowledge and delighted in seeing even the smallest improvement. As tough as he could be, he also was constantly encouraging and supportive, working hard to make sure every rider got some benefit from every session.
Paul was most proud of his two sons, Peter and David, and three granddaughters. And anyone who knew him well was proud to call him a dear friend.
