In August I had the chance to visit one of my old stomping grounds – the Ocala Equestrian Complex, located in Ocala, Florida.  The Central Florida Appaloosa Horse Club was hosting their Fun in the Sun show and I thought I’d drop by to check it out.  Although the weather wasn’t too cooperative, it was still a great day in Appaloosa country as exhibitors from all over Florida engaged in friendly competition.  The show marked one of the last opportunities for competitors to gain the points needed to qualify for this year’s 2009 Appaloosa World Championships. 

Covered arena; view of arena from outdoor holding area

This showgrounds is right in the heart of horse country.  If you’re looking for convenience, this is one show facility that’s hard to top.  Access is extremely easy from I75, which is the main artery from Georgia all the way to Naples.  Hotels, gas stations (with diesel), and food options are plentiful and close by.  Another bonus is the large number of feed and tack stores right in the proximity of the grounds.  Need some hay or bedding?  Break or forget a piece of equipment?  Less than a 5 minute drive from the grounds are several options.  Another perk of the location is that there are several horse trailer dealerships, as well as a repair shop for horse trailers within a 5 minute drive.  I wasn’t kidding when I said this place was convenient! 

As far as the facility goes, there is ample parking with plenty of room for big rigs.  The covered arena has a concession and lots of bleacher seating for spectators.  There are three outdoor arenas and a large outdoor holding area.  There is also a narrow, covered holding area attached to the covered arena that is frequently used for longeing and show prep, especially in inclement weather.  The restrooms are clean and well kept, although I don’t recall seeing a shower on the premises for overnight campers.  There is an indoor barn and plenty of temporary type stalls under a permanent enclosure. 

Outdoor arena and view of one barn; Trailer parking after severe thunderstorm

There aren’t many cons to this facility, but there are a couple of areas worth mentioning.  Trailer parking is FAR from the barn areas.  It is well worth getting a tack stall, especially if you show in all around events.  In addition, access to the barns with trailers (especially large ones) is limited.  There is room for a trailer or two to unload at the same time, but there are often backups to get close.  Also, if you’re not comfortable reversing your trailer in tight spots, you may want to avoid unloading here.  I always find it easier to just unload in the parking area, put my gear in the truck and haul it over to the barns that way.  Another point worthy of mention is that one of the outdoor arenas has some sort of mulch type footing.  It’s probably fine for most events, but App shows tend to run the speed events in that ring and it can be a little slick.  Also, there are lights for the outdoor riding areas, but they are paltry.  At a show that I attended in March, they actually postponed the last few events of the day until the following morning because it had gotten so dark and the lights were not bright enough to ensure safe runs. 

With all of these great bonuses and fairly minimal complaints about the facility, it’s definitely worth checking out.  There are a number of events that they host and they get some really large barrel races there.  I have also attended a few clinics and even a haunted house!   Ocala is a great place for horse lovers so come by, enjoy a show, and check out the town!