Ocala Visiting the Horses

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The Springs RV Resort, Silver Springs, Florida, is adequate and the price is right - $20 a night! We got to enjoy their ice cream social and a bluegrass/country music "jam" by some of the other campers on Sunday night while our laundry was drying. Saturday night presented us with lots of entertainment options in the Ocala area including the symphony, a gospel singer, and a play at the civic playhouse, but we were bushed from 15 hours at Disney the previous day. So we settled for a few margaritas and some great Mexican food at Torenos off Route 40. We had already been on the glass bottom boat ride in Silver Springs a few years ago and would recommend it. On Sunday we spent some time at a Flea Market (great strawberry shortcake) and the Appleton Museum of Art where we learned about William Bouguereau (incredible paintings of striking and graceful peasant girls - bravo bare feet) and his students. Very nice museum, great special exhibit, lovely building. Lunch was at the Horse & Hound (very horsey). Our main purpose is business. We have a partnership interest in two horses, a filly and a colt, now in training at New Episode Training Center in Ocala. The two-year old thoroughbreds are BeeQueOne and Battle Ready. We watched both work out on Monday morning and will see another work before we store The Schooner here at the farm and head for Tampa and our flight home on Wednesday. New Episode is a wonderful farm. The horses are happy here and it is easy to see why - it's like a kindergarten experience for these young horses. They are gaining confidence and are slowly being introduced to the things they need to know to be successes when they finally get to the races. It has been a great trip - but we always love going home. We'll be on the road again after March 26 when it's time to drive The Schooner back to is fair weather home on the Mohawk River in Schenectady, NY. That trip will take us through the Florida Panhandle, Memphis, Lexington, and maybe Pittsburgh. We invite your suggestions for interesting things do do on the next leg. Stay tuned!

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Photos

We Found us a Session!
We followed a fellow toting a fiddle case into Friendship Hall while our laundry was finishing at Springs RV Park and found a jam fest! Very cool country and blue grass!

Comments

[The Connollys]

Battle Ready
Hey Wes and Joann, How's he look? Looks good in the photo. What do the stable folks down there have to say about his progress/prognosis for being a winner? Great blog, keep writing. Mark and Jean in cold and snowy Quaker Springs!

[Silver Back Cuda]

Lookin' good
Hey Mark and Jean - Battle Ready is big and stong and in very capable hands here at New Episode - Tony, Elizabeth, Shannon, Virginia, and Israel and the others here really know their horses - The McMahons really know what they are doing sending their (our) two year olds here - no wonder FunnyCide did so well! We are loving it - when we return at the end of March, they will be breezing!