The Ocala area and Marion County are special, not just for being the Horse Capital of the World, but also for being a rich blend of culture and natural beauty. There are many historical events that happened in the area, plus amazing places to go and things to do. These articles can help you learn more about Ocala, Marion County, the Equine world, history, and the amazing places you can visit.
Memorial Day is around the corner and while some are planning vacations away from home, there is plenty to do here in Ocala this summer, particularly at the World Equestrian Center. WEC hosts events year-round. We invite you to explore what’s in store for you this June.
Continue Reading Things to Do in June at the World Equestrian Center
The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby is May 6, 2023, and once again, Ocala, Florida is well represented with at least three, and up to five horses running in…
Continue Reading Ocala Horses, The 149th Kentucky Derby, and MORE
Welcome to Ocala, home of a new 368-acre facility on a park property of 6,000 acres: The World Equestrian Center of Ocala. This is a world-class multi-indoor and outdoor arena…
Continue Reading The World Equestrian Center of Ocala – A Sight to Behold
Known today as the Bradford / Barker house, this home was originally located on property owned by Carson Bradford, who bought the real estate in Ocklawaha in 1892. His son,…
Continue Reading Edgar Hoover, Jazz-Era Gangsters, and a Sleepy Resort Town
A community that calls itself the “Horse Capital of the World” will further justify that title with the opening of the World Equestrian Center. The 3,000-acre complex in the heart…
He helped create the largest Combined Driving and Show Jumping event in the United States. But he couldn’t compete that first year, because he wasn’t yet 18 years old. That…
Continue Reading Live Oak International: A Celebration of Equine Excellence
Ocala / Marion County is home to the largest number of horses and ponies in the United States. Not only to we have the numbers, there is a wide variety…
Ocala is known not only for its beautiful horses and farms. Ocala is known for producing horses who often, as Joan Pletcher says, “Outrun their pedigrees.” J.J. Pletcher and his…
Continue Reading Payton Training Center: Where Horses Learn to Become Champions
The exceptional beauty of Padua Stables with its open, rolling countryside and scenic lakes, has an exceptional history to match. It was here among these spreading oaks and rolling hills…
Continue Reading Padua Farm: Exceptional Beauty and Rich History
The city of Ocala was established in 1849, but has roots going back centuries of Native American culture. Ocale, or Ocali was a Timucua village and means “Big Hammock” later…
Way back in 1892, a Chicago entrepreneur included a pack of chewing gum in every can of baking powder his company sold. It was just a simple promotional idea. But…
