History of the Park

1996

March 14 Florida Agriculture Center & Horse Park Authority was created by state statute

1998

January 22 A 50 year lease commences b

etween the Florida Agriculture Center & Horse Park Authority and the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

2005

May 1 Florida Agriculture Center & Horse Park Authority Board is vacated by state statute.  Tom Warriner is then appointed by Commissioner Charles Bronson as the new Chairman of the Board.

June 1 International Event Organizer Shelley Lambert is hired as the first employee of the Park

August 5 First Full Board Meeting of the newly formed Florida Horse Park

August 8 Olympian David O’Connor is hired to design first cross country courses at the Park

October 4 Florida Horse Park Groundbreaking Ceremony

November 5-6 The first event, Ocala Fall Horse Trials and Sunshine State Driving Competition, is held at the Park

November 14 Construction of the All-Weather Arena Commences

2006

January 16 First Dressage Event is held at the Park in the newly constructed All-Weather Arena

April 8 Children’s Home Society’s Dozer Days makes its debut at the Park

April 8 First Arena Polo Game is held at the Park

April 7-9 The first Show Jumping show, the Ocala Jumping Classic, is held at the Florida Horse Park

April 7-9 The first international event is held at the Park: The Sunshine State CAI International Combined Driving Event

April 20-23 The first international 3-Day Event is held at the Park:  The Festival of the Horse International CCI**/* 3-Day Event

August Florida Horse Park Polo Club Forms

December Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company and OBS Feed make a generous donation to the Park and are granted naming rights to the All-Weather Arena

2007

January-March Florida Horse Park hosts for the first time the CFCC Equine Studies Class in Event Management

February 17-19 Florida Horse Park hosts largest Horse Trials ever in the Southeast Region (509 entries)

March The Equestrian Center at Horse Creek Entry Level Cross Country Course, donated by Mrs. Parker J. Collier is completed

August 10 Florida Horse Park office gets its first flushing toilet.  The office staff  are no longer required to use port-a-potties.

August 21 Representatives from the Florida Horse Park meet with Governor Crist to discuss the Park

September Park is awarded a CCI**/* International Event to be held in conjunction with the Ocala Fall Horse Trials.  The 2-Star level will be a Championship