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Florida Horse Shows and Equestrian Events
Rodeos | Horseback Trail Riding | Barrel Racing
Horseback
Riding in Florida
Florida horse shows, equestrian events, and trail riding includes everything from beginner horse riding lessons,
guided trail rides,
to advanced horse jumping, dressage, and barrel racing. Many horse lovers compete in Florida's numerous horse shows while
many more prefer to ride their horses in non competitive activities such as
horseback trail riding or just riding.
Florida is home to over 500,000 horses, making it the third largest equine state in the United States. The Sunshine State has a significant horse industry, with over 600 Thoroughbred horse farms and training centers, as well as more than 1,300 Thoroughbred owners, breeders, and trainers.
Enjoy a beach horse ride along one of Florida's fantastic beaches with expert
guides and seasoned horses to show the way. Florida offers some of the best
beach horseback riding on both the Atlantic Ocean beaches and the Gulf of Mexico
beaches. You can even experience fantastic sunrise and sunset rides.
You can find guided horseback beach tours at Jacksonville's Amelia Island,
at Ft. Pierce on Hutchinson Island, Bradenton in the Tampa Bay Area, and at Port
St. Joe in the Florida
Panhandle. Riding horses on the beach will give you some wonderful memories of
your visit to Florida. All the horses are well trained so you don't have to be an experienced
horseback rider to join the
fun.
You can expect rides of one to three hours depending on your
choice. Occasionally inclimate weather will call for cancellation of a
scheduled ride which can be rescheduled or refunded.
Like horses? Horseback riding is available in every area of Florida.
Rent
a horse by the hour of enjoy a guided trail ride through some of
the finest trails in the eastern United States.
Florida is the horse show capital of the world with top rated FEI show
jumping, dressage, eventing, equestrian driving, and western horse shows.
Florida hosts some of the most prestigious equestrian show venues in the world
including Wellington International, the World Equestrian Center, HITS Ocala, and
the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, FL. Additionally, Fox Lea Farm in Venice
Florida, and TerraNova Equestrian Center near Sarasota, FL offer rated horse
shows all year.
Florida hosts numerous professional rodeos throughout the year in including the Saturday Night Rodeo at Westgate River Ranch,
the iconic Davie Rodeo, the Silver Spurs Rodeo near Orlando, and the Ocala Shrine Rodeo. Here is a list of various rodeos throughout Florida, including dates and locations for events such as bull riding, roping, and riding.
Barrel racing, a fan
favorite, can be witnessed throughout Florida with prize money attracting both
female and male riders to these weekly events. These fast moving horse races
involve both speed and agility on the part of the horse and rider. There is a
barrel racing venue in virtually every community.
Florida is now host to the United States Polo Association, headquartered at
the National Polo Center, Wellington, FL. Polo is a
great spectator sport at any
one of the active polo clubs throughout the state. Check out this
link for a comprehensive listing of
Florida Polo Clubs and their playing schedules.
Buying and selling horses is part of the horse culture and Florida is no
exception. In addition to the normal horse inventory, Florida has many horse
breeding farms that sell horses through direct sales and auctions. Also, many
horse show participants bring horses for sale to the horse shows.
In addition to the equestrian oriented spectator sports in Florida, many
Florida horseback riders like to hit the numerous horse trails that dot the
state. Horse trails are featured in many
state and national parks such as Ocala National Forest. Riders can choose from
guided trail rides or riding on their own horses.
Horseback Riding Trails in Southwest Florida
Includes riding trails near Naples, Fort Myers, Venice, and Sarasota.
Horseback Riding
Trails in East Central Florida
Includes trails in Brevard County, Indian River County and Volusia County in
Florida.
Horseback Riding Trails in Orlando,
Florida
Includes riding trails in Orlando, Claremont, Lakeland, and Apopka in
Florida.
Trail riding in state parks in Orlando and Central Florida is a great way to explore the natural beauty of the region. There are many state parks in Central Florida that offer trail riding opportunities. Lake Louisa State Park is located in Clermont and offers over 20 miles of equestrian trails. The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including alligators, deer, and bald eagles. The trails at Lake Louisa State Park are well-maintained and offer scenic views of the park’s lakes and wetlands.
Horseback Riding Trails in Ocala,
Florida
The Ocala National Forest is one of the largest state forests in Florida and offers over 100 miles of trails for horseback riding. The forest is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, wild turkey, and black bears. Wekiwa Springs State Park is another popular destination for trail riding. The park has over 13 miles of equestrian trails that wind through pine forests and along the
Wekiwa River.
Horseback Riding Trails in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville and Northeast Florida offer some of the most scenic riding
trails in a cooler part of Florida. Julington Durbin Creek Preserve Yellow and White Loop: This is an easy trail, rated 4.5 out of 5, and is one of the top trails for horseback riding in Jacksonville. Cecil Field Recreational Trail: Another easy trail, rated 4.4 out of 5, it's a popular choice for horseback riding.
Horseback Riding Trails in the Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle is one of Florida's most visited locales, mainly for
the fantastic snow white beaches and clear blue water of the Gulf of Mexico.
But, it also host some of Florida's most interesting horse trails through
slash pine and shaded live oak hammocks. Blackwater River State Forest: Offers off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding activities as one of the largest state forests in Florida.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park: Provides 5 miles of paved trails and 15 miles of unpaved trails for biking and eco-biking activities.
Blackwater Heritage State Trail: This trail offers 8.1 miles of paved asphalt trail, suitable for cycling, walking, running, and skating. Equestrians are also allowed to use the paved trail or the unpaved shoulder at their discretion.
These are just a few examples of the riding trails available in the Florida Panhandle.
Horse Shows in Florida
Florida
hosts several of the world's most important horse show venues that offer rated
horse shows all year. These include Wellington International in Wellington, FL, Fox Lea Farm in Venice, FL,
Ocala, FL, often called the Horse Capital of the World, features the World Equestrian Center, HITS Post Time Farm, Florida Horse Park, Southeastern Pavilion, and Majestic Oaks.
Wellington International hosts major FEI international horse shows during the winter and spring seasons.
Featuring, the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and the Global Dressage
Festival (GDF.) During the remainder of the year Wellington Classic Dressage and
Gold Coast Dressage sponsor horse shows almost every week.
Riders from all over the world compete in the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and Global Dressage Festival (GDF) in Wellington which has
become one of the premier horse show events in the world. Additionally, horse jumping
competition levels range from FEI CSI*2 - CSI*5 events and dressage shows
feature levels CDI*2 -CDI*5.
White Fences Equestrian Center
at Wellington - Loxahatchee
The Ridge at Wellington Groves
Palm Beach County, Florida
Wellington is located in Palm Beach County, Florida which is also home
to Jim Brandon Equestrian Center,
West Palm Beach, and
Jupiter
Park Farms Equestrian Center in Jupiter, FL.
Ocala is known as the horse capital of the world because of its world class horse show venues
and numerous horse farms. Ocala is home to hundreds of horse breeding farms that produce many champion thoroughbred race horses and sport horses.
Additionally, Ocala has several important horse show venues that attract
horse riders from all over the world.
The
World Equestrian Center (WEC) is a very impressive horse show venue in
Ocala, Florida. Featuring, five climate controlled
riding arenas, plus a fabulous five star hotel overlooking the oversized main show arena.
The World Equestrian Center has attracted many top level FEI horse shows and is
becoming an international destination for equestrians.
The HITS Ocala twelve week
winter USEF sanctioned horse jumping circuit draws top riders and riding fans during
its January - March season. HITS
Ocala features some of the largest prize money awarded in show jumping contests.
Florida Horse Park
in Ocala is operated by the State of Florida and hosts multiple horse shows
including dressage, eventing, cutting horses. and pleasure shows. The park
allows horse riders to practice at available times. Wellington Classic
Dressage offers shows here several times a year.
Florida Horse Park is also home to the
Ocala Polo Club, a men's and
women's polo club that plays throughout the year.
Majestic Oaks is just north
of Ocala in Reddick, FL.and is popular cross country and eventing site. Majestic Oaks is open daily for schooling, clinics, schooling shows, and three-phase horse trials.
Venice, Florida is home to Fox Lea Farm, an increasingly important horse show
venue in Florida. Furthermore, the venue
features horse shows all year around including CSI* rated horse jumping shows.
The Venice Equestrian Tour runs from January into March each year and
features USEF Regional Hunter Level 3 Jumper shows. Other horse shows are held
at Fox Lea almost every weekend throughout the year. Fox Lea Farms also provides
a unique summer camp for kids with all levels of equestrian skills and features
USEF level shows with large cash prizes.
TerraNova Equestrian Center is a multi-discipline equestrian competition facility in Manatee County, near Bradenton and Sarasota. TerraNova provides a beautiful backdrop for all levels of a range of equestrian disciplines.
Especially, top international, national, and regional competition in a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere with many amenities.
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