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Saturday, December 22, 2007 |
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Dressage
Takes Center Stage at the Florida Horse Park this Winter Florida Horse Park - A Central Florida Equestrian Hot Spot
She believes the park’s growing success comes not just from its super footing, but also from innovative thinking. “We’re trying to do innovative things that are fun for everybody,” she said. And clearly, there is something for everyone at the horse park, even non-competitive riders. With access to the Florida Greenway’s more than 100 miles of trails, the park is also a prime destination for trail riders. “You can almost ride across the entire state,” Lambert said. Within the horse park’s 500 acres are 350 acres of grass fields. There is currently stall space for 156 horses. In addition to the riding rings filled with Polytrack, the horse park also has several grass rings. Of its rings, overall, the horse park has seven – yes, seven – full-size, FEI regulation dressage rings. But the horse park also has what’s needed by other disciplines – jumps of all kinds for stadium jumping but also cross-country events. In fact, the horse park has more than 100 cross country jumps ranging in height from 2' to 3'9'’.
“There’s a lot to do in this part of Florida,” Lambert said. “We’re hoping that people will come and bring their horses and stay because the horse park and the surrounding area have much to offer. Those offerings include museums, super restaurants and great nature parks, such as Silver Springs. Related
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The
horse park, in existence only since 1996, is aiming to become central
Florida’s destination of choice for equestrian competitors of
all breeds and disciplines. There’s something exciting happening
at the park nearly every week and that’s just what Florida Horse
Park officials like to see. “We’re starting to get the breed
organizations coming in for shows and we’ve got shows and events
going on for all types of equestrian disciplines. It’s getting
a little crazy, but that’s good,” said Lambert, who serves
as director of events for the Florida Horse Park.
The
Florida Horse Park got its start in 1996 when the Florida state legislature
created the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park. It’s located
on 500 acres in Marion County with easy access to I-75. The park itself
is surrounded by a beautiful view of open space, which Shelley Lambert
said is much better than other equestrian areas of Florida where everyone
is “right on top of each other.” 
But
what the horse park has now isn’t what it’ll have in the
future. Lambert calls the park’s current stage of existence its
“infantile” stage, which means, it has a lot of growing
to do. And that’s just what she and other park supporters envision
for the future. Already a fundraising-campaign is under way for the
construction of a permanent barn and a covered ring. Even an RV park
is in the future plans.
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