If you don’t own a horse or are not really into thoroughbred racing, you may not know how high Florida ranks in the world of this sport. But for those in the know, it is no surprise that Marion County may rank as the “Horse Capital of the World.”
Marion County’s population of horses and ponies is greater than that of any other county in the United States, and globally, it is one of the top thoroughbred breeding regions.
Ocala is home to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association (FTBOA) Museum and Gallery. You can learn just about anything you might want to know about thoroughbred breeding and horse racing here.
“We produce more thoroughbreds annually than any place outside of Kentucky,” said Brock Sheridan, editor-in-chief of Florida Equine Communications.” California produces a few more foals, but we certainly win more races.
“There’s some cool stuff here you can only find in this museum. It’s the closest you can get to a Kentucky Derby trophy without winning it,” he said.
So, how did Ocala and Marion County come to be thoroughbred breeding central?
Karen Grimes, owner of Farm Tours of Ocala, said geology has much to do with it.
“We have lime rock base close to the surface, and the limestone inserts calcium and other nutrients into the grass. Horses eat the grass here, which builds tremendous bone density.”
Grimes said there are only three other places in the world that have this geography: in France, in parts of England and Ireland, and in Lexington, Kentucky.
“And those places are cold,” she said.
Grimes, whose three-hour tour gives visitors a good glimpse of what goes into horse breeding, called Ocala the “kindergarten for thoroughbreds. Ninety percent of thoroughbreds on the East Coast come here to get their start because we have great weather in the wintertime.”
The climate helps because the warmer weather lets the foals get out and about much sooner.
“A horse is usually born in January, February or March,” Sheridan said. “In Florida, a foal can drop and start running around immediately. If born in Kentucky or New York, the foal must stay in the stall until it gets warmer.”
The museum serves as FTBOA headquarters and is full of equestrian treasures.
Many Florida thoroughbreds are Kentucky Derby winners; their awards are displayed for everyone.
The achievements of Florida’s first Kentucky Derby winner, Needles, and his 1956 trophy, along with the Needles collection, which includes the blanket given to Needles with his letter in track from the University of Florida, are on display.
Needles got his name because he was so sick as a foal that he had to receive a lot of injections from the vets trying to care for him.
Once Needles staked his claim to fame, more people started coming down here to breed horses. Ocala and Marion County were on their way to becoming their trademarked name as the World Horse Capital, with the museum and gallery coming along later.
“We built this building in 2000, and when we constructed the buildings, we constructed this museum,” said Sheridan, adding the trophies are part of a permanent collection with others on loan.
Another famous Florida thoroughbred whose glories are also on display is Dr. Fager, named the “Horse of the Year” in 1968 after winning four titles. The collection includes the “speeding ticket” issued to Dr. Fager as a publicity stunt after he returned home from the races that year. No other thoroughbred has topped that record for that dirt mile.
The museum also includes the honors won by Affirmed, the last U.S.-bred Triple Crown winner in 1978.
“Florida-bred horses have won six Kentucky Derbies; that’s more Kentucky Derby winners than any other state outside of Kentucky,” Sheridan said.
Many of the silks worn by jockeys who race Florida thoroughbreds are also part of the museum collection.
“The silks the jockey is wearing are the owner’s colors,” Sheridan said. “Some of these silks belong to some of the giant farms in Marion County throughout the years.
In addition, an extensive gallery of equine-focused original art is on display in the museum, its library, halls, and boardroom. The equine-related cartoons and sketches hung in the restroom, at least the women’s restroom, are an added treat.
A life-sized, painted fiberglass horse named Champ at the front of the museum and gallery building catches the visitor’s eye before one even enters. And that’s only the beginning.
Admission is complimentary, although donations for the Florida Thoroughbred Charities horse retirement farm and student scholarships are appreciated. The museum is open from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located at 801 SW 60th Ave. in Ocala.