Current Articles

HAS THE SUN SET ON THE HORSE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD OR IS OPTIMISM WARRANTED?

Dec 22nd, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

BY BILL STEELE The photo is representative of what has and is transpiring in Marion County in the horse industry and while it addresses the eye as a photo, it should address the mind as to what is really happening in our horse world! Many farms are having to cut corners just to keep the [...]



Caroline & Paddock Room

Dec 1st, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

Written by BILL GIAUQUE Photographs DANETTE PHILPOT Caroline Burgeson, owner of Paddock Room Galleries onSilver Springs Blvd. in Ocala, is not unlike a character from the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. The B & B, as the soap is affectionately referred to by its millions of devotees, is set in the fashion [...]



The Pam Mattox Report to FTBOA

Sep 1st, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

August 17, 2011 TO:  Bonnie Heath and Phil Matthews, DVM FROM:  Pam Mattox Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association-Internal Record Inspection Memo Let it first be stated that in no way should the word audit be used in connection with the record inspections performed.  The audit of the Florida Thoroughbred and Owners Association (FTBOA) and [...]



The Best Horse I Never Rode

Sep 1st, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

By BEN BAUGH There are horses who have left an indelible imprint on the sport of Thoroughbred racing, whose brilliant performances are for the ages and will forever transcend time. Many of those equine athletes are admired by legions of fans, who have only witnessed their abilities on film or read about their exploits, years [...]



The Magic of Saratoga

Jul 22nd, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

By Bill Giauque “From New York City you drive north for about 175 miles, turn left on Union Avenue and go back 100 years,” according to renowned sports writer Red Smith. Smith was writing about Saratoga—the racetrack, the mineral springs, the city, and the historic, romantic allure that surrounds it like the fog, creeping on [...]



Ron Turcotte – Legend

Jun 10th, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

By BEN  BAUGH Correspondent If it  wasn’t for a major snow storm, a lack of work, and trying to find a job in  Toronto, Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte may have continued his career as a  lumberjack, and possibly gone to the racetrack only as a spectator. But as fate  would have it, his [...]



Equitrekking: The Only Way to Ride

May 18th, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

By BEN BAUGH The combination of life long passions served as the inspiration and the realization of a dream vocation for Equitrekking host, creator and producer Darley Newman. She combined her love of travel with her passion for riding horses, and her experience in television as the confluence of circumstances, people and events made Equitrekking [...]



You Can’t Buy Class

May 18th, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

By Bill Steele Kentucky Derby…..the biggest race in our sport and when the spotlight shines, it shows the flaws in the facade. While we all wonder how to revitalize the sport and restore some of the lustre, we have owners who seem to think they are above it all. Many argue that the owner is [...]



Ken Ramsey: A Man for All Seasons

May 5th, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

  Very few people have the enthusiasm and confidence that Ken Ramsey exhibits in racing and in life as a whole. When you see him in the winner’s circle with grandchildren all around him, he is talking like racing’s number one fan (who knows, he just might be) and he is usually as excited as [...]



LeRoy Jolley – On Winning The Kentucky Derby

Apr 18th, 2011 | By | Category: Current Articles

By BEN BAUGH Correspondent The first question a layman always seems to ask someone involved in the Thoroughbred industry is whether or not they’ve won the Kentucky Derby. The challenge of preparing a horse to run in the sport’s first jewel of the Triple Crown on the first Saturday in May is a monumental task, [...]