Posted Tuesday, January 23, 2006

Ocala Winter Horse Trials 1 at The Florida Horse Park
Text and Photos By Shaneen Kohler

The Florida Horse Park Bids For a Four Star Event

The third event at the Florida Horse Park, Ocala Winter II Horse Trials, was scheduled to offered Intermediate Level. The schedule has been revised. The Feb. 17-19 event will only feature competition up to Preliminary Level.

The Florida Horse Park will be hosting a two-star event, April 20-23. Once the horse park’s staff has successfully run the two-star, the Organizing Committee will present a bid to the USEF requesting their support to host a four-star event at the horse park. “If the USEF thinks this is a good place to hold a four-star, they will help us prepare our bid to go to the next level. The next level is submitting a bid to the FEI,” said Tom Warriner, chairman of the Florida Horse Park Authority. In his opinion, “If they want a four-star in late October or early November, then Florida is the place to host it.”

According to park event director Shelley Lambert, “We beat any other place hands down, as far as climate and footing goes.”