Ocala Stud and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (FTBOA) have joined forces to pledge $10,000 to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's Ocala Initiative.
“The FTBOA and Ocala Stud are two cornerstone institutions of Florida Thoroughbred horse racing,” said Garrett Gleeson, director of development and major gifts at the foundation. “Their support for the Ocala Initiative shows their commitment to putting equine health and welfare first. We're excited to have them as partners in this growing collective of equine organizations.”
The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is working with locally based companies within the equine communities and others throughout the state in an attempt to raise $100,000, then will go about soliciting matching funds from other individuals. The funds will be earmarked to support equine research at the University of Florida.
“The FTBOA is proud to partner with the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation to fund critical equine research at the University of Florida,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said. “Thoroughbred breeding and racing is what our members do, and we are all committed to research to improve equine health.”
“When I think of the formative days of Ocala Stud and my father's investment during the 1950s, I know he would be proud of the Ocala area collectively supporting the horse in this way,” said Michael O'Farrell, president of Ocala Stud. “He would also be proud of how the University of Florida has developed into, and remains, one of the leading institutions in furthering the soundness and health of the horse.”
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