In The Media


These articles highlight how the Ocala Horse Alliance has had an impact in the Ocala community through various channels. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

black stallion reading project ocala horse alliance

Inspiring Literacy

chronicle of the horse article

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

black stallion reading project ocala horse alliance

Horse Alliance ponies up for those in need

MARCH 23, 2021 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC, Public Relations Director

 

352.671.7555 ◊ FAX: 352.671.7735 ◊ CELL: 352.840.3265
 
BLACK STALLION READING PROJECT LAUNCHES MONDAY AT
OCALA’S WORLD EQUESTRIAN CENTER
 
MARION COUNTY – The Black Stallion Reading Project, a cooperative effort between the Ocala Horse Alliance and Marion County Public Schools, kicks off Monday, March 29, at 10AM at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.
With a staged event in Arena Two, this five-year partnership will be visually presented with special guests from the equine world including Bonnie Heath, Olympic gold medalist David O’Connor, Paralympic gold medalist Lauren Barwick, legendary female jockey Abby Fuller, and Bridging the Gap Farm’s Fabian Brant. 
As well, four members of the Marion County School Board — Chair Nancy Thrower, Vice-Chair Kelly King, Eric Cummings, and Beth McCall – will ride horses into the arena to start the event.  The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit will also participate along with a special guest star.
Over the next five years, the Black Stallion Reading Project will harness horse power to encourage fourth-grade students to read, set goals, achieve, and become aware of job and career opportunities in the equestrian industry. The program links schools and horse farms and provides rewards and incentives for students to achieve their personal best. 
During the five-year program, each participating fourth grader will receive a copy of The Black Stallion and the opportunity to experience a horse up-close and personal.  For some, this will be their first encounter; for others, this could be their only encounter.
Media interviews, video opportunities, and information packets will all be available at the event featuring remarks from MCPS Superintendent Dr. Diane Gullett and Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn.

The Ocala Equestrian Center is located at 1390 N.W. 80 Ave., Ocala, Florida, 34482.  For more information, contact Ellie Trueman, president of the Ocala Horse Alliance, at 240.388.0565 or

tcgemt@aol.com

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An Equal Opportunity School District

 

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Ocala Style October ’20  

The Appleton Museum of Art’s equine art collection spans more than 3,000 years of history from around the world. Just as Ocala is genuinely heralded and officially designated as the Horse Capital of the World, horses and equine art are part of the College of Central Florida museum’s ancestral and historical roots.

It’s hard to believe how quickly two decades have galloped by since 2001’s Horse Fever public art project leapt onto the local art scene. Spearheaded by the Marion Cultural Alliance, with assistance from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ & Owners’ Association, the large, colorful herd of more than 50 horse sculptures came to life and populated downtown and the surrounding area, including one at the Appleton: Journey, by artist Brenda Flynn. As success breeds success, Horse Fever is returning to Ocala in testament of the area’s lifeblood.

Arthur I. Appleton (1915-2008) and his wife Martha Appleton (née O’Driscoll, 1922-1998), bought their rambling Ocala property in the 1970s and established the 1,600-acre Bridlewood Farm (1976) as a premiere thoroughbred breeding and training facility that successfully continues today under new ownership. Since the Appleton Museum of Art opened just 11 years later, it is easy to recognize and highlight how horses and equine art became pillars of the institution.

Ranging from Eurasian Steppe Bronze Age horse-bridle bits to eighth century Chinese mortuary tomb sculptures to 19th century European oil paintings to contemporary photography and sculptures, the museum’s equine art collections are particularly notable for the breadth of historical materials and varied media.

Horses are indeed fascinating and awe inspiring. We frequently field such questions as: What is the history of the domestication of the horse for agricultural needs? What roles do horses play in military and police maneuvers? Or, simply, how did horses come to be so important that September’s fan-less Kentucky Derby track was impacted by COVID-19 in such a way that the Nasdaq-traded Churchill Downs Inc. investment strategies also were influenced?

As a community, our love of and interest in horses is championed by many vital organizations and encompasses the promotion of our equine population in many forms, including various art forms. Recently, the horse industry welcomed a new collaborative partnership, the Ocala Horse Alliance, a group focused on the collective needs and possibilities ever present in the equine industry.

As the Appleton Museum of Art’s director, I am so lucky to have unbridled access to rare museum artifacts that document the wide range of human-horse relationships—riding, hunting, racing and farming, to name just a few. Equine art is art for all as it is accessible to everyone given the long tenure of our horse-human relationship. The Appleton family entrusted an internationally renowned collection to the Appleton Museum team to steward. I look forward to welcoming you back soon into the Appleton fold to enjoy the collections, especially our exhibition from the permanent collection showcasing equine-centric art and objects.

Visit www.appletonmuseum.org for more information and online offerings. Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., (352) 291-4455.

Posted in Ocala Style Insider Section October’20 The mission of the Ocala Horse Alliance is to unify the diverse equine industry and stakeholders in order to champion a unified voice and to design and implement a pro-active agenda to promote, educate and grow the horse industry in Marion County (Ocala, FL).

Meagan Gumpert – photographer & visual storyteller

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hHorse Alliance ponies up for those in need

Click HERE OG above to Read the full Article

The smallest ripple can reach the deepest oceans.

It was an idea of Ellie Trueman, the founder of the Ocala Horse Alliance, that would be the difference in helping to transform the lives of horse owners throughout Marion County this spring and summer. The Horse Alliance’s Emergency Feed Fund program kept horses nourished and healthy during a time when well-being became a cardinal concern.

“Ellie came up with the idea, and presented it before the executive committee and we said let’s do it,” said Ray Di Maria, Horse Alliance co-founder. “This was in April when COVID was raging. We were the only organization in Marion County that developed a program like this … a lot of people in town donated to the feed fund program. Many people wrote in, got qualified and received help from us.”

The effort was driven by the knowledge that Covid-19 was ravaging the horse industry, just as it was other sectors of the economy and community. Some area horse owners were furloughed or even lost their full-time jobs and faced the prospect of not being able to care adequately for their horses.

“A lot of horses got fed who were owned by people who were experiencing hard times because of Covid,” said Di Maria. “It was very successful. No other organization thought of this or did this in this county. It wasn’t the major farms that asked for vouchers. It was the backyard farms, places that weren’t a commercial venture, but for those owners it’s more of a passion. Whoever qualified for the grant was issued the grant.”

The Horse Alliance emphasizes education and bringing people together in the horse community together, but has focused much of its effort recently on those impacted by the epidemic.

“Those who were approved received a voucher, and when they were approved, they took that voucher to the store,” said Di Maria. The horse owners redeem the vouchers for hay and feed.

Horse Alliance leaders say the response from the community has been overwhelming.

“We were approached by the OHA to partner with them, by the OHA Emergency Feed Fund,” said Suzanne Donaldson, Berretini Feed Specialists. “We were happy to do that as being part of the Alliance. We have a lot of farms in the area that are customers. It kind of worked well. It was a supportive relationship on our end to help those farms that visit us routinely.”

But it was the rapid and direct response by the Horse Alliance that made a marked difference in the success of the program, said Donaldson.

“From the time they had it out on their website, the application process, they tried to meet a couple of times a week to go over these grants and the people that needed them,” said Donaldson. “A person could fill out an application online. They told them they would get back to them within 24 hours, once they met to approve those grants. The paperwork went immediately to us. We put the paperwork together and sent it to our stores. Someone could be granted money that day and go in and get hay and grain. What the OHA did … their timeframe was amazing.”

Many of the pleasure farms in the area are small and had to contend with the evolving environment, one of constant change, where horse owners in some instances had to contend with job loss, compromising their ability to support taking care of their animals.

“Those are the ones we saw the most of, the smaller farms,” said Donaldson, who said many of those in distress found out by word of mouth what the Horse Alliance as offering.

“It was very heartwarming for our staff to feel like they were doing something to help the community and the people they usually see,” said Donaldson.

Posted in CommunityNews

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The plaid horse

Click on TPH above to Read the full Article

  American Horse Publications ocala horse alliance ocala florida

 

American Horse Publications

Click HERE on AHP above to Read the full Article 

The mission of the Ocala Horse Alliance is to unify the diverse equine industry and stakeholders in order to champion a unified voice and to design and implement a pro-active agenda to promote, educate and grow the horse industry in Marion County (Ocala, FL). The mission of Palm Equestrian Academy is to champion the partnership of horse and rider through education. The two have a connection in education and are a natural fit.

To foster relationships, the Ocala Horse Alliance organizes monthly connection events hosted by various organizations within Marion County. Saturday, November 14, Palm Equestrian Academy will host the Connection event from 1:00-5:00 at their Fox Grove Farm in Ocala. A full afternoon will allow horse enthusiasts to connect, meet and become members of the Alliance and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Palm Equestrian Academy.

This event will feature a welcome by Ocala Horse Alliance, demonstrations by Lynn Palm and Cyril Pittion-Rossillon, farm tours and a special appearance by 2007 Breyerfest Celebration Horse, Rugged Painted Lark. Visitors can take photos and have autographs with this special horse and the Breyer model in his likeness. And they can even see a Musical Freestyle by Palm and Rugged Painted Lark.

To learn about Palm Equestrian Academy visit lynnpalm.com. To RSVP to the Ocala Horse Alliance event at Palm Equestrian Academy, use this link www.ocalahorsealliance.com/palm-equestrian-academy/.

About Lynn Palm
Palm’s career highlights include 2007 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Horsewoman of the Year, a record four AQHA Superhorse wins, AQHA Female Equestrian of the Year by the Women’s Athletic Association, named one of the top United States clinicians by Horse & Rider magazine, over 34 AQHA World and Reserve World Champions, 14 WDAA World and Reserve World Championships, over 50 bridleless dressage exhibitions at events including the National Horse Show, 1989 World Cup and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and World Cup. Palm and Cyril Pittion-Rossillon are co-founders of three horse industry companies: Palm Partnership Training, Women LUV Horses, and Alliance Saddlery USA. Palm is the author of the new release, The Rider’s Guide to Real Collection.

About Cyril Pittion-Rossillon
Pittion-Rossillon hails from Paris, France, where he earned his Riding Master Degree from the French National Equestrian School. With his extensive equine background and thirty years of experience, Cyril brings an ideal background to his instructor duties. His credentials include: Trained under members of French Olympic Team • French Junior Jumper Circuit • French Open Jumper Circuit (Levels 5 and 6) • Eventing Preliminary Division • AQHA & USEF Hunter Division • Youth & Amateur Coach for USEF & AHSA competition • Co-Director and Instructor Palm Partnership Training Clinics • Co-Founder and Managing Director of Alliance Saddlery

  

K Country Radio

Interview Date: MAY 10, 2020

 K Country spoke with Ray Di Maria from the Ocala Horse Alliance to discuss how COVID-19 has affected the Horse Industry in Marion County as well as what the OHA is doing to help residents of the county with their horses during these unusual times . 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Ocala Star Banner


Article Date: MAY 7, 2020

 Click here or on the logo to the left to read the article by the Ocala Star Banner highlighting the Emergency Feed Fund for Horses, helping those in Marion County needing help to feed their horses during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

  

Ocala Style Magazine

Article Date: MAY 2020

 Click picture to read a recent article featuring the Emergency Feed Fund for Horses (EFFH) by the Ocala Style Magazine. 

  

 

World Equestrian Center Magazine


Article Date: April 2020

The OHA was featured in an April 2020 article in the World Equestrian Center Magazine. Click the magazine to the left to read the article. Highlights include a review of the successful OHA Summit and a thank you to our sponsors. 

  

Ocala Magazine

Letter Date: FEBRUARY 2020

Click picture to read a recent letter from Ocala mayor, Kent Guinn, spotlighting OHA’s importance.

 

 

MTRA Connections Event


Event Date: February 2020

Check out this video to learn more about the February 2020 Monthly Connections Event held at Marion Therapeutic Riding Association in Ocala, Florida. 

  

K Country Radio

Interview Date: JANUARY 5, 2020

 K Country spoke with the horse whisperer himself, Pat Parelli and Ray Di Maria from the newly established Ocala Horse Alliance the day before the OHA Summit “One Industry… One Voice” held at Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. 

  

K Country Radio

Interview Date: JANUARY 2020

 Lewis talks with Shawn from Shadow Trailer World of Ocala during their grand re-opening on Hwy 40 West near the New World Equestrian Center in conjunction with the OHA Monthly Connections Event. 

Inaugural OHA Connections Meeting

The first OHA Monthly Connections meeting held at the Parelli Horse Psychology center was a great success! Here is a peek at a demo put on by Pat Parelli during the meeting. 

November 2019

  

Ocala Style Magazine


Article Date: November 2019

Read Ocala Style’s exclusive interview with the OHA leadership members about why they decided to create the Ocala Horse Alliance and what they hope to bring to the Ocala horse industry.