Photo courtesy of Jacksonville Equestrian Center.
Jacksonville, FL (July 24, 2015) – Eighty acres of horse paradise in Jacksonville, Florida – complete with a giant indoor arena, outdoor show rings, and over 400 stalls – is ready to welcome all riding levels and disciplines for prime events and horse shows this fall. The Jacksonville Equestrian Center has served the equestrian community for the past decade. This year has already been packed full of exciting events and competitions, and the fall line-up promises to be just as successful.
The Jacksonville Equestrian Center will ring in the autumn season with the Ride Lite Dressage show on September 5-6. Next up will be the Southeast Medal Finals on Thursday September 17 through Sunday September 20. The Southeast Medal Finals is the championship hunter, jumper, and equitation competition for USEF Zone 4 and ASPCA Maclay Region 3. The 3,700 seats in the indoor arena will be filled with supporters and hunter/jumper enthusiasts watching adult and young riders vie for first place. As the Jacksonville Equestrian Center spent the summer installing new top-quality footing, competing at the facility will be better than ever for the riders this fall. September will close with the First Coast Classical Dressage Challenge schooling show on September 26-27.
In October, the facility will present opportunities for young riders of all disciplines, and dog lovers too! The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair Association 4H Horse Show will take place on October 17, with prizes available for 4H participants of all riding disciplines. The following weekend, on October 23-25, a smaller four-legged breed will be showing off its talent at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. The AKC Pals & Paws Agility Trial will feature AKC registered dogs crawling through tunnels, climbing A-frames, and weaving obstacles.
Already this year, visitors to the Jacksonville Equestrian Center have enjoyed such events as The National Team Roping League’s “Rope for the Truck Event,” featuring ropers showing off their teamwork and roping skills to rope steer. The winner received a brand new truck. In April, over 450 dogs competed in the 2015 CPE National Agility Event. Then horses were back on the scene in May with two back-to-back USDF Region 3 Dressage qualifier competitions.
Penny Gorton, head of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center Business Development and member of the Northeast Florida Equestrian Society, explains: “While our facility is wonderful for hosting equestrian events, from show jumping and barrel racing to rodeos and equestrian expos, we are also a great community facility. It’s exciting to have a venue that can support our community and hold everything from charity events to monster truck shows to RV shows. We have an 80,000 square foot indoor concourse and vendor space, which really means the center has unlimited potential.”
Everyone is invited to be part of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center community by attending the upcoming events, or even by leaving a permanent mark on the facility with the Buy-a-Brick fundraising campaign. “It’s great to see people buying bricks in honor of their loved ones, both two and four-legged,” Gorton said. “The bricks not only become a permanent part of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center, but they are an everlasting tribute as well.”
The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is located at 13611 Normandy Blvd, in Jacksonville, Florida. The multi-faceted event center hosts equestrian, sporting, recreational, and community events. For information about attending or scheduling events, visit www.jaxequestriancenter.com or call Penny Gorton at 904-573-3649.
For more information, contact:
Jacksonville Equestrian Center
Penny Gorton 904-573-364
PGorton@coj.net
13611 Normandy Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32221