Posted, February 1, 2006

Ocala Winter Horse Trials 1 at The Florida Horse Park

Carol Ogden — A Leader In Her Own Right
By Text and photos by Shaneen Kohler

Sometimes, success in the equine industry is not defined by what a person accomplishes in the show ring, but by how they promote the industry. Carol Ogden of Lake Butler, Fla. is one of those people.

Employed full-time in the loss prevention department at a retail store, Ogden doesn’t have much time to give. But, she still manages to head up the Florida Horse Trials Association as its president and competes on a regular basis with her horse, In Rhythym.

The FHTA was formed three years ago and, through the efforts of its leaders, already offers some super year-end prizes, including coolers, saddle pads and halters. The club offers special awards for off-track Thoroughbreds, juniors, warmbloods and “just about whatever else we can think of,” said Ogden. They use a relatively new scoring system, which does not involve points, and they sanction multiple shows around the state, including the Ocala Winter and Rocking Horse events. “We make it easy for people to win awards,” said Ogden, who admitted her role with the group is “a labor of love.”

Ogden is also a regular competitor, and has attended both of the three-day events at the Florida Horse Park. She and In Rhythm, who is a grandson of Secretariat, came in fourth in Open Training at the Jan. 20-22 event and fifth at the November one. But, it was at the November event where Ogden “had the best ride of my life,” almost as good as when she won a novice championship in Aiken, S.C. “That was a real thrill!”