Paul Rowland, a well-liked steeplechase horseman, died Friday, June 8, after a long battle with malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that affects the chest cavity. He was 44.
Rowland arrived in the U.S. in 1988 to work for Michael Dickinson and rose to be assistant trainer in his five years with the Maryland-based trainer. He subsequently managed farms in the area while training a small stable of steeplechase horses. One of his best was Preemptive Strike, who defeated multiple champion McDynamo in the 2005 Somerset Medical Center Race for Cancer Awareness (Gr. 2) at the Meadowlands.
The fifth race at Parx Racing on Tuesday, June 12, a $25,000 Sport of Kings maiden hurdle, will be named in his memory.