T.J. Coveyou speaks of patience the way some men speak of love—something arduous, all‑consuming, and, in the end, the only thing worth having. “Persistent and patient,” he muses, describing the long gestation of Capistrano Ranch. His partners have held the land for two decades; he’s spent the last few years traveling the country, visiting Olympic‑level barns, consulting top riders, and gathering feedback from the local community.
The project is to be a private, world‑class equestrian facility: seven ranchettes, staff housing, individual arenas, a clubhouse conceived as both salon and sanctuary. “It’s a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to leave a legacy,” he shares with us exclusively. “Akin to what Augusta National symbolizes for golfers—but for horses and equestrians.”
Coveyou, founder and CEO of Newport Capital, is not given to grandiosity without footnotes. He delights in the engineering minutiae, in the over‑specification of things. The ranch will hold fewer than 150 horses, yet the environmental systems have been built to accommodate the impact of more than 700. “We’re going over and above,” he says. Solar power for all electric equipment, and advanced water reclamation systems—most notably the million‑dollar “ebb‑and‑flow” arenas—will cut dust and water use by half. “We aim to be a leader globally in animal husbandry and environmental stewardship,” Coveyou says.
He lingers on that detail: the ground itself breathing upward into the air, moisture rising without intrusion of hoses or sprinklers. “Nobody else is doing it at this scale,” he says. “It’s expensive, it’s rare—but it’s the right way.”
The ranch will feature seven bespoke ranchettes designed to appeal to the most discerning equestrians, staff housing, and a hospitality‑driven clubhouse. The clubhouse will be part wellness center, part social hub—where Olympic riders can go from eight hours in the saddle to a cold plunge and a massage. Horses will enjoy the same athlete‑first approach, with top‑tier veterinary and conditioning facilities.
And yet—this will not be a walled Eden. Ten percent of the ranch’s event space will be carved out for public or charitable use. “Our core values are the human–horse connection,” Coveyou explains. “It’s not contradictory to build for the highest level. You can hold both in the same hand.”
Economically, the impact could be profound. Coveyou’s research shows major equestrian events bring millions into host cities. Capistrano Ranch will serve as a home base for the global equestrian elite—families who may invest in local property, enroll children in area schools, and deepen the region’s identity as a horse‑centered community.
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, Coveyou sees the ranch as a potential staging ground for international teams, charity galas, and spectator‑friendly showcases. “You want them to arrive early, acclimate, train. And when they do, you want a clubhouse they can walk into with dirt on their boots and still get a five‑star meal.”
With completion projected for late 2027, Capistrano Ranch will take its design cues from Mallorca, Spain—the birthplace of Junípero Serra and the quiet aesthetic ancestor of San Juan’s mission. “It’s not just faux‑Mission style,” he says, “but the real bones—stone, arches, proportion—the things that last a thousand years.”
For all his technical precision, Coveyou is unabashedly romantic about the anthropology of horsemanship. “Horses are herd animals. People are herd animals. If you want to torture either, isolate them,” he says. “The way horses live and work together—that’s the model. That’s what I want this place to embody.”
949.922.6674 / CapistranoRanch.com
