Gary Kenworthy always dreamed of owning horses. Although he was an adult before that dream came true, it has been fulfilled and then some! His life changed with the purchase of his first straight Egyptian Arabian filly, Alia Riyala, in 1994. The four-day-old filly captured his heart, and with wife Wanda’s support, Paradise Arabians was born.
Gary had spent his entire professional life in the carpet industry, and was Director of Governmental Affairs at the Carpet and Rug Institute in Dalton, GA when he and Wanda bought “Baby Alley” as she became known.
It wasn’t long after “Baby Alley” came into their lives that Gary was bitten by the “show bug” and decided he wanted to show his filly in the center ring himself. With encouragement from Wanda and a little training for both man and horse, he showed the yearling Alia Riyala to the Amateur Halter Mare Championship at the 1995 Egyptian Event, the world’s largest show for Egyptian horses! The next year he showed the stallion, Thee Infidel, to his Unanimous Champion title at the Egyptian Event’s inaugural Egyptian Breeders Challenge (EBC) class, and the following year, showed another EBC champion!
These and other show ring successes along with Wanda’s marketing skills gave Gary the confidence to pursue his straight Egyptian Arabian breeding business more aggressively.
Since 1997, Gary and Wanda had been developing their a new home in the country into the Paradise Arabians, Ltd. farm. By 2002, Gary retired from The Carpet & Rug Institute and, alongside Wanda, threw himself full-time into Paradise as a business endeavor. In the 13 years since its inception Paradise has produced and marketed Egyptian Arabians that now live on 5 continents and have won the highest honors in competition against Egyptian Arabians from around the world.
Gary continues to be involved daily in many aspects of the training and breeding side of the business for both the horses of Paradise and its clients, who have all found great success at the Egyptian Event and in the marketplace. He carefully studies and makes breeding decisions for each of his broodmares and is eager to share his knowledge and experience with their clients. The success of their breeding program is illustrated by the fact that he and Wanda bred of both their sought-after herd sires, The Singleton and Scapa.
Another of his serious pursuits is photography. Recognizing the importance of getting just the “right shot”, Gary enjoys the challenge and enjoys a tremendous amount of success for both his own horses and for others. Of course, with some of the world’s most beautiful horses in his backyard to utilize as practice subjects, one might say it should be easy but Gary has demonstrated a keen eye for such things and many of his photos have found their way onto some of the most prestigious publications in the industry.
Gary’s energy and passion for his horses and the business he and Wanda have built around them are boundless. He is loved by his staff, clients, and most apparently, his horses. It’s a mutual admiration, and one that Gary still gets excited to encounter every morning when he gets up.
