The 2012-2013 Ocala Horse Properties Eventing series concluded in grand style with our April CCI three day event. The event boasted more than 300 entries and we set record attendance for spectators over the four days of competition.
This season Equiventures placed a renewed emphasis on growing our spectator base, and we were thrilled with the results. Having a home town competition that hosts beginners through Olympians is a real treat for even a casual fan of the sport.
While this is all great news for the promotion of the sport, the top priority was as always to produce top level competition. By providing our competitors with challenging yet educational courses we have been able to help produce our future stars in the sport of three day eventing. The two star competition, the top level offered, was hotly contested right up to the last second. A clear trip around Marc Donovan’s show jumping track catapulted Lauren Kieffer to victory on Team Rebecca’s Veronica. Meanwhile, Athens Gold Medalist Leslie Law gave a virtual riding lesson to his fellow competitors on Beatrice Rey-Herme’s Tout de Suite in the one star. Leading from start to finish Mr. Law won by nearly nine points over the next closest competitor, showing what kind of domination an Olympic gold medalist is capable of. Holly Jacks is the proud winner of the Best Turn Out award supported by Ashley Cline of Dressage Collections. Live scoring results are available on Equiventures.com under competitors.
This is the first year that Equiventures, LLC stepped forward to present $2,000 to Marion Therapeutic Riding Association, our Charity of Choice. MTRA is a PATH premiere accredited therapeutic horseback riding program, see www.mtraocala.org.
Most importantly, Equiventures wants to thank all of the sponsors, volunteers and staff that make these competitions a huge success time and time again. Without each and every one of you these completions would not happen. It truly takes a village to pull off the biggest/highest level eventing competitions in central Florida.
On that note, we also would like to thank the local community for all of their help. Having the support of the greatest horse community in the world makes all the difference.
Jonathan H Holling, Equiventures co-founding/co-director
Karen: equiventure.karen@yahoo.com
Jon: jonathanholling@msn.com
EllenMarie Ettenger
Event Director
Florida Agriculture Center & Horse Park
11008 S. Highway 475
Ocala, FL 34480
352-307-6699 Ext. 6
Direct Dial: 352-307-6119
email: events@flhorsepark.com