On May 20, 2013, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed 2013-2014 General Appropriations Act allocating $2 million to the Florida Horse Park. The Park Board decided the funds would go toward a covered arena and the construction is in motion on budget, on time.
Friday, February 28, the final of 17 tandem trucks will be delivering the last of the pillars and the roof for the covered arena. This is a notable happening for the Florida Agricultural and Horse Park, Ocala, Marion County, the Equine industry and tourism.
Local officials/executive directors are invited to the Park to comment/support this endeavor as the Total Horse Channel will broadcast live at 10 am. Additionally, this video will then be available to be embedded on websites and a 3.5 minute edited version will be available to support the Florida Horse Park with unlimited usage.
ADVERTISEMENT
About the Florida Horse Park (Florida Agricultural Center and Horse Park) Ideally situated on 500 acres in the heart of Central Florida, this year-round, world-class facility is fast becoming the centerpiece of Florida’s equestrian lifestyle community. The Park offers international caliber competition courses, an exciting schedule of world-class events that are drawing top competitors and spectators from every horse sport discipline, locally and globally and educational opportunities for the horse enthusiast. This increasingly popular destination for family tourism offers visitors hundreds of miles of pristine riding trails that wind through the lush Florida Greenway and a diversity of non-equestrian events throughout the year.
The Florida Horse Park was created by the Florida Legislature in 1996 in recognition of the fact that the horse industry was so much a part of Marion County’s identity. This park is located in the center of the state in an ideal tourist and competitor destination. The Park is comprised of 500 acres on the Cross Florida Greenway and near I-75, thus the Florida Horse Park is one of the most ideal locations in the United States for an equestrian facility and tourist destination.
With the vision of Park supporters, and interest from local Olympians/ international competitors, a partnership was fostered with the United States Equestrian Federation, the body that directs high performance and Olympic bound competitors. The Horse Park ran its first nationally recognized 3-day event in November of 2005 and early in 2006, was named an official training site for the United States Equestrian Team.
The Florida Horse Park represents Ocala/Marion Country and the state of Florida to equestrian and tourist markets around the world. This venue, with the assistance of our community and the state of Florida, is creating a large-scale economic impact for the state. The Park is a showcase for demonstrating that Marion County is indeed “The Horse Capital of the World”!
