Tag Archives: Florida Reining Horse Association

Reining Horses at Jacksonville Equestrian Center Compete for over $130,000 in Prizes

Photo courtesy of Waltenberry Photography and Videography of the Horse.

Jacksonville, FL (March 9, 2018) — The Jacksonville Equestrian Center hosted the Florida Reining Horse Association (FRHA) Classic February 20-25. The annual competition paid out more than $130,000 in added prize monies.

The multi-day reining competition offered 75 classes across multiple divisions from short stirrup and youth to amateur, non-pro, novice, green and open. The event also included US Para Reining Grades 1-4 and World Para Reining Grades 1-4, which are for athletes with a physical disability.

“We had roughly 450 horses here,” said Karen Randall, the show secretary from Lockport, New York. “We had more exhibitors from outside of Florida than from the state of Florida.”  Riders hauled from as far west as Texas and Oklahoma and as far north as New York and Pennsylvania and points beyond. Each exhibitor had hopes of winning cash prizes, one of 35 championship buckles, a saddle or one of nearly 600 other prizes.

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center’s facilities contribute to the event’s popularity. The facility offers more than 400 permanent stalls and a large indoor coliseum, which includes a 123,000 square foot arena with permanent seating for 3,700.  “The Equestrian Center goes above and beyond for us,” Randall said. “The facility and staff are simply fabulous to work with.” FRHA will host another event at the facility March 23-25 of this year and has already signed a contract for events in 2019.

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is widely known for hosting family-friendly, exciting events all year long, which are open to the public. Events range from reining to barrel racing, dressage, dog agility competitions and more. The next event scheduled for this month is the USDAA Agility Trial on March 9-11.

After that, the facility will be open to the public for Community Schooling – All Barrels on March 13. Barrel racers can take advantage of the opportunity to ride in the Main Arena in the evening. That takes place just ahead of the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) Shamrock Showdown. This high-speed barrel race will pay out an estimated $125,000 in cash prizes.

The Jacksonville Equestrian Center is a favorite destination for equestrian competitions, recreational events, and social events for the community. The 80-acre facility, which is easily accessible from major highways in Jacksonville, Florida, also features miles of hiking and riding trails and a picnic pavilion. For more information and to find out about other upcoming events, please visit www.jaxequestriancenter.com.

Jacksonville Equestrian Center
Tim Jones
904-255-4225
timjones@coj.net
13611 Normandy Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32221