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Greetings from Ocala! At times my blogs are inspired by my imagination of what the Florida horse life is all about. Luckily for me and my readers, I’m pleased to bring your information straight from the source!
My boyfriend, two dogs, two horses and I all made the trek from Vermont to Ocala a few weeks ago. None of us have been to Ocala before, and quite honestly, just leaving our home and farm behind was a major ordeal. There always seems to be a plethora of loose ends to tie up before leaving your nest for a month. The planning was never-ending and yet we managed to cram everything into a two-day time period. We made our escape and hoped we had everything we needed to live in a horse trailer for over three weeks!
Life in Oscala
Other than the overly cozy, shall we say, living quarters, life in Ocala has been pretty remarkable. We are both so grateful to be somewhere warm for a few weeks. We relish in the idea of sitting outside and simply enjoying the warmth and breeze. Not to mention, this area has something for every kind of rider. My boyfriend is a team roper and calf roper and there’s quite a group of cowboys down here. Obviously there’s not a shortage of eventing or jumpers in Ocala, but I had no idea there was nonstop opportunities and activities going on every day.
Within my first week in Ocala, I went cross country schooling on my friend’s lovely young horse at Longwood, an amazing facility adjacent to the O’Connors property. There were xc jumps as far as the eye could see. I felt like I was in heaven! Of course then I experienced the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Qualifier at the 2016 Live Oak International, which was pretty darn cool! I learned a lot over the course of three days as I watched some spectacular horses and riders make their way around a very tricky course!
Visit to Florida Horse Park
I next attended a schooling jumper show at the Florida Horse Park. It was a great experience considering I rode a horse I had never jumped before. The horse was terrific and I learned that I am less likely to feel nervous to ride in public when I’m riding other peoples’ horses. In fact, I think I ride other peoples’ horses better than my own, when you eliminate the emotional factor!
Clayton Frederick’s Farm
I watched some ridering school cross country at Clayton Frederick’s Farm. I can honestly say I have never seen a xc course like this one before. You will find every “scary,” or “weird” obstacle on that course, from skinny wedges, to a variety of keyholes, to a very cool water, bank and ditch complex. I even got to see Clayton school a few horses which was really neat.
Rocking Horse III
Lastly, I watched the intermediate division at Rocking Horse III this past weekend. Of course I would have died to be the one competing, but watching is the next best thing. The course was amazing and appeared to ride really well! I would love to compete there some day, maybe next year!
Leaving an icy and cold Vermont farm to come to the sunny south has been more than I anticipated. The best part? I barely spent a dime! I would keep going about all these amazing experiences, but I am off to watch the $15,000 Ocala Horse Properties Eventing Prix invitational! Tell next time!
Author: Lila Gendal
