Ocala First Timer

[BridgettePony]

Daughter and pony will be showing in Ocala the weekends of 2/13 - 15 and 2/20 - 22. Pony will be traveling down with the trainer. I already have hotel reservations (Comfort Suites) and Airfare booked. And her entry forms will be mailed next week. She's only missing 5 days of school since we have the President's Day Holiday in there and the school has already been informed - she'll keep up with her homework over the internet.

We're also planning to go to Disney World for two nights (Tuesday/Wednesday) - since we have a timeshare there - so I can do laundry.

Since this will be our first time there - any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bridgette and Mikey Pony Mom

[Equinoxfox]

There is lots going on. Many rings at the same time. It can be a bit much for your fiirst trip there. After going for so many years it becomes a bit over rated. This year we are taking a change and doing some different stuff.
it is nice to see you are including other activitites for your family as well.
I do hope you enjoy yourself and please post once you return with your thougths on it .

[fair judy]

unless a lot has changed, the hike to the rings can be long, and occasionally there is Traffic. also, the footing used to be inconsistent, so if you use caulks bring your full box !

ocala is a less sophisticated ( and less expensive) venue than WEF. plenty of chain restaurants, but not much in the way of special menus. our fave place to eat was always the fox room (?) restaurant/pub in the shopping center just next to the old grounds on 27. great spinach salad..... i hope they are still there! shopping at the show is okay...... but not like WEF ( which i think is a good thing).

depending on where you are stabled, the ring calls are not always easy to hear. if you haven't rented a golf cart yet, i advise you to call and reserve one.

ocala can be cold and wet. as with your caulks, bring the full complement of clothing both for humans and equines!

(as i read this it all sounds a bit negative). we showed at hits forever, and we always had a good time, did well, and kept going back!

enjoy yourselves, and have a good time at disneyworld........

[Platinum Equestrian]

You'll need a golf cart... and bring rubber mud boots and plenty of warm clothes. It's always wet and cold.

[Mel0309]

You'll need a golf cart... and bring rubber mud boots and plenty of warm clothes. It's always wet and cold.

And hot, too. With the Florida weather it can be hot and sunny one minute - and cold and rainy the next. I would bring sheets, blankets, coolers, and scrims for the pony. And shorts, jeans, t shirts, sweatshirts and jackets for humans. And extra shoes as yours WILL get wet and muddy.

HITS is a fun show to go to. Lots of nice horses and ponies but not so intimidating as WEF.

A golf cart is nice - but not totally necessary if your trainer has one. Bicycles are also common.

[maxxtrot]

the resturant next to the old show grounds on 27 is horse and hounds, not the fox room. and yes, it is still there.
you will love ocala, lots to do, really horsey and not as bad as it may seem. but the other posters are right about the weather, it can be sunny and hot and the next day be cold, windy and wet. so, do bring a variety of clothes for humans and horsey. hope you have fun. :)

[Lincoln]

Ocala is more rural than Wellington, beautiful natural rolling topography, and not as hot. There is a lot going on horse-wise beyond HITS - it's fun to go drive around and check out the beautiful farms. Some cool spots to go see as well - check out some of the natural springs in the area - really amazing, some nice restaurants nearby (Horse and Hounds and their spinach salad as referenced before not to be missed) and a super bakery cafe in town called the Primary Oven - amazing food (www.primaryoven.com) that also serves dinner. The weather does vary, and you'll do some walking, but just enjoy being out of the cold. It's a big investment sending your kid and pony down there, so enjoy and take advantage of the time. Lots of great riding to watch and soak up and beautiful horses. Have fun!

[eqrider1234]

have fun and make sure you watch my horse in the derby!! :D:cool:

[BridgettePony]

Thanks for all the good info! Especially the restaurant recommendations.

Daughter and I are really looking forward to the trip and enjoying everything the show has to offer. She really wanted to go last year (trainer goes every year) but we decided to have a full summer first of competing in medium pony locally (Culpeper, PG Equestrian Center, etc) before we took the plunge.

We'll be sure to check out as many of the other events as we can - and daughter will be in the pony ring - doing pony eq, medium pony hunter, and a couple of the medals.

And the rubber boots were part of our xmas presents!

Bridgette & Mikey Pony Mom

[heartinrye]

Bikes (I believe) are fine, we did have a golf cart, but I rarely used it. Barns to ring distance is not bad at all (granted I'm used to the 2 mile hike from Littlewood to main WEF showgrounds) so Ocala is wonderful compared to that!

[ccoronios]

If you're interested in other views of equine life, a visit to Continental Acres should be amazing. It's appears to be a gorgeous park-like setting, and Gloria Austin's carriage museum is full of impeccably restored carriages of all sorts and sizes, including at least a park drag (the private version of a stagecoach). http://www.fcmr.org/ In fact, there is a large "horse festival and carriage show" that weekend!

Enjoy!

Carol

[PlantersPunch]

The Melting Pot downtown is really fun too, a whole restaurant based on fondue!

I also love the Horse and Hounds, the shopping was eh which I was disappointed about but otherwise I had a ton of fun.

If you're looking for any trunks or grooming totes etc, make sure you check out the trunk guy (or trunk man.. or something along those lines) I got a beautiful tote there last year.

[ccoronios]

OMG, The Melting Pot - my FAVORITE restaurant! Very fun - very delicious - and their Big Night Out EASILY feeds 3 - we added two salads and one entree and fed 4.

[Platinum Equestrian]

And hot, too. With the Florida weather it can be hot and sunny one minute - and cold and rainy the next. I would bring sheets, blankets, coolers, and scrims for the pony. And shorts, jeans, t shirts, sweatshirts and jackets for humans. And extra shoes as yours WILL get wet and muddy.

HITS is a fun show to go to. Lots of nice horses and ponies but not so intimidating as WEF.

A golf cart is nice - but not totally necessary if your trainer has one. Bicycles are also common.

I figured the heat was a given since it's Florida... ;)

[SpiritInTheSkye]

oh yeah....the melting pot! yummy!

i can truly say i always have a good time there. yes there are the occasional rainy/windy/too hot days but heck i'm from the northeast and they are having SNOW at home while i'm in ocala, so....naysayers go home.

way more laid back than WEF & that suits me just fine. bring clothes that layer well and i'd highly suggest picking up a cooler once you get there & stocking it with drinks & snacks. the food pavillion is kind of pricey (but they do have a good selection) but who wants to plunk down $10 everytime you need a snack & a drink.

have fun, i'm leaving for ocala january 9 & can't wait to get down!

[hideyourheart03]

I don't think that the hike from barn to ring is too bad. But it does all depend on what barn you're in.

The food at the show is slightly pricey, but not too bad, and very good. Since you go to Culpeper, I would assume that you know about the food cards for your daughter as well. You do have to go get a new one each week, but that's all.

The Trunk Man is amazing. We got such a nice schedule board from him when we went in '07. One of the clients bought it was a gift for my trainer because she thought he was hot and wanted to flirt with him. ;)

Still working on convincing my parents on letting me go join my summer employer for one week down there over spring break. But it's not working so well. haha.


Oh and another restaurant recommendation is Lorenzo's on Highway 27. I LOVED it! It is a cheap, little strip mall Italian place, but has very good food for a reasonable price. Their strombolis and calzones are to die for!


Have fun! You're lucky to get to go. I had a blast the year I went!

[LiveLikeUrDyn04]

yay for Lorenzo's!!! I worked down there with hideyourheart! It is delicious and I can't tell you how many times we ate there. The only terrible walk was from the tent stalls back behind the main hunter ring down to the opposite end to the old grand prix ring. Other than that the walks aren't too bad.

[thatmoody]

We're in Ocala right now, waiting on a horse to have surgery, and I have to admit that this is one of my favorite towns to visit (although I really like living on the coast a lot more). Juniper Springs is pretty close, and try to get somewhere (like Crystal River) to see some manatees while you're here. They're very cool :). We did the whole tack store/western store route today and actually scored some jeans (I can never find jeans that fit right) and some good bits that we would have had to order.

Have fun, and enjoy Disney. Even though I've lived in Florida all my life, I still love it there - I guess I'm just a kid at heart.

[maxxtrot]

thatmoody- i too have lived in florida for most of my life. i love it as well. living here in the ocala area is awesome.

[fordtraktor]

I don't see how everyone has time for all this exploring! When I went, I was so tired every night I ate only buttered toast and chocolate ice cream for dinner throughout the circuit. That was back at the old grounds, though, where I don't even remember seeing any food stands, though I imagine there must have been some.

[thatmoody]

Well, I live over at the coast, and the only time I'm over here is when I've hauled a horse over to Peterson & Smith (and this one is a complicated hernia surgery, btw, so wish us luck), so I always have a lot of free time. But yes, when I'm over at Altoona for a show I'm always too tired to MOVE when I get done.

[Jazzy Lady]

Tony's sushi, ayutaya (sp?) thai, Lorenzo's and the Melting pot are all good places to eat. Plus they have the usual selection of chains.

Also, since I'm from up North, I can never miss a trip to Cold Stone. lol. mmmmmmm

[heartinrye]

Tony's Sushi is AMAZING, I ate there 7 nights in a row, took one night off then went back :) Melting Pot- also delicious but try that maybe on a thursday or friday night (cuz usually you're done earlier) as dinner can take 1 1/2 hours+. Also there is a restaurant in some big old pink victorian house, veryyyy good food :)

[MunchingonHay]

Ocala is more rural than Wellington, beautiful natural rolling topography, and not as hot. There is a lot going on horse-wise beyond HITS - it's fun to go drive around and check out the beautiful farms. Some cool spots to go see as well - check out some of the natural springs in the area - really amazing, some nice restaurants nearby (Horse and Hounds and their spinach salad as referenced before not to be missed) and a super bakery cafe in town called the Primary Oven - amazing food (www.primaryoven.com) that also serves dinner. The weather does vary, and you'll do some walking, but just enjoy being out of the cold. It's a big investment sending your kid and pony down there, so enjoy and take advantage of the time. Lots of great riding to watch and soak up and beautiful horses. Have fun!


primary oven only does dinner on saturday nights it is reservations only, as they only seat for 2 hours. it is a 4-6 course meal BYBO and delish!
they only do breakfast and lunch mon-fri till 4pm.
and I think the tomato soup is better at the horse and hound than the spinach salad. lol

and dont forget Sky in the Holiday Inn and there is a new panera bread on the west side of 75. where the new outdoor mall is on 200.

I also think that silver springs is a great place to visit. you can rent a canoe and see live gators and monkeys.

[catsmom]

Try out Mango's!! It's a new place on 27 near the showgrounds. The sandwich wraps are awsome!! I live about 10 minutes from the show grounds and I find that time-wise I am just as close to Gainesville. Lots to see and do up there too!

[case solved]

If you find time check out the Ocala breeders association. February 16th is their only live day of racing for the year because they are so close to Tampa. You can check out the races and go through the building where they hold auctions. I'm not sure if they will have an auction going on during that time, but there is a good cafe in the main building that serves great sandwiches and simulcasts races from other tracks. I was down there for an auction early this month and almost had to keep my hand taped under my chair to keep from bidding on some gorgeous colts! :lol: Also check out winning edge tack store on 27. Have fun!

[BridgettePony]

Thanks again for all the good info. I can't believe the trip is only a month away. DD started her packing list last night. We may try and do one more rated show locally as a warm-up before the pony leaves on 2/9.

Bridgette & Mikey Pony Mom

[naters]

I have been here for just a few days, so I am also reading this list to get good ideas on things to do! :)

[Lucassb]

Bring extra dry socks, boots and RAIN GEAR.

I showed at Ocala several winters and liked it... but there was a LOT of rain. Be prepared!

[fair judy]

is there still a nice schooling/longing area area out at the east? entrance? i always stabled out by the keilyn inc private barn, and it was great to be able to have that open space. the hike to the ring from there was a great way to let the kinks out for my nags........

even when the temperature doesn't seem that low in comparison to northern climates ( it is -2 here in missouri tonight) the humidity can cut like a knife. definitely bring your full complement of clothing.

i am so jealous to hear of the new choices for restaurants!

[maxxtrot]

do get in touch with us full timers that live here. we will be more than happy to meet up. i hope to be over at the show grounds soon with a green paint mare to school.

[BridgettePony]

And my thoughts so far.

After leaving a very windy Maryland last Thursday - we had a smooth flight down. Actually another family from our stable was on the same plane so it was nice that we could experience it together. We made it into Orlando a little early - snagged a Dodge Town and Country Van from the emerald aisle at National and we were on our way. Made a quick stop at a Starbocks along the FL turnpike and were at the Comfort Suites in Ocala around 11:30 - of course no room available yet - so we headed down to the show grounds.

We knew it was much bigger than Culpeper but had no idea it was this big. Of course can't seem to contact anyone from our barn that was already bthere - so head to the office, drop off our check and find out we're in barn 12 - head over there so daughter can bond with pony she hasn't seen since Sunday.

Mikey and Cary seem happy to see each other. We wander around for awhile and watch some of the other people from our stable compete, grab some lunch (split a personal pizza) and then I leave to check-in at hotel and Cary rides for awhile. I go back and get her, make a quick stop at Publix and just grab a quick bite at the Town and Country diner - not great but okay and very inexpensive.

Friday AM - up bright and early and head to the show, Cary doesn't wind up riding until later in the day - but does place in one of the pony eq classes and the WIHS pony medal. Her main goal was to just get a ribbon - so at least that's taken care of. She also has come down with a nasty cold - yuck!

Now - Cary's trainer has never been one to actually say much about appearance so when he does mention it we tend to listen. We get the comment that she really needs a Charles Owen helmet (all black) and maybe riding in her glasses would look better - she's been in sports goggles and an IRH helmet for the past two years. And we had been on the hunt for a different saddle - the 15" pony Pessoa had definitely gotten too small for her.

So by the next morning daughter now has a new helmet (actually on purchased on sale at the tack shop by the Horse and Hounds restaurant), riding in her glasses, and on a used 16" Antares saddle - from the Antares booth at the show. Even with the nasty head cold - Cary and Mikey do place in one of the medium pony hunter classes.

Oh - sorry I got ahead of myself - dinner Friday was at the Italien place in the Publix shopping center (also covered Sunday night since we had lots of leftovers). Dinner Saturday was Horse and Hounds - we got there early so they could seat us - YUM!!!!!!! Lunch has just been snacks at the show and stuff we brought.

Sunday - Cary and Mikey did okay - got to jog in one of the medium pony classes - but no ribbons.

So it's now Monday morning - I'm sitting in the van at the show grounds while Cary and some friends around the track - trying to catch up on some work I brought and reading email, etc. This afternoon we're going to go to downtown Ocala then tomorrow its down to Orlando for 2 days and then back here by Thursday noon to get ready for next weekend.

My overall thoughts - We had some rain yesterday - but the weather has been beautiful. Cary and Mikey have done well but hope to do better next weekend - and both seem to be enjoying the experience.

Well that's it for now my battery is gone :)

Bridgette and Mikey Pony Mom

[juniormom]

It has been a few years since I have been to Ocala (my daughter is older now and goes by herself some). However, there was a great little resturant in the middle of downtown that had wonderful salmon with spinach, etc. It is near all of the "painted horses." That's a big help, isn't it? If someone said the name, I would probably recognize it, but it was always a great place to eat.

We love Ocala! There aren't as many vendors as WEF, but it is much more laid back. Some of the WEF riders come to Ocala near the end of the circuit for some of the bigger classics. My daughter is going down later this month and I may try to join it. She is getting married and someone has to stay home to get the wedding things planned.

Good luck and have fun! I had so much fun with my daughter and can't believe that "those days" are gone! She is getting married and I will still be able to go with her some, but things do change.