WEC and USEF Kiss and Make Up

[StormyDay]

@Sticky_Situation

Ugh. I’m not likely to be showing there any time soon as I’m primarily an eventer, so my opinion is probably not relevant to anyone … but I’m going to say it anyway. The horse facility part of the property does look very nice, but turning a horse show facility into some kind of knockoff Disney World adds nothing to the sport and just makes us all look even more like a bunch of spoiled, lazy rich people with no real responsibilities in life who “just sit on horses”.

The horse facility is super nice and it’s such a relief to have facilities that are so horse friendly. I will happily pay to be there with real stalls, AC, heat, etc. Call it equine Disneyland, but its IMO totally worth it.
And is it a bad thing to have nice things now? Do we gripe that golfers should give up their courses in Maui to play in dirt lots? Football players shouldn’t have climate controlled gyms and locker rooms?

Also, the local (no horse) population is super into WEC. The restaurants are packed and the GP usually has a full crowd (and it’s not just horse people. Last time I sat next to a group of golfer guys who had no idea about horses at all, but had been enjoying dinner at Stirrups and came out after to watch). On homecoming weekend, the whole plaza was packed with kids getting pizza before the dance. On Halloween, they had 8+ giant containers full of mini pumpkins for kids to paint and trick or treating at the stores. It was a smash hit. The pumpkins were gone in less than an hour, and they ran out of candy and had to go buy more.

So if the local population is happy, the horse people are happy, and it’s exposing people to horses who might not get that chance…. Well, what’s the problem with that?

[Sticky_Situation]

I didn’t mean that having nice stalls for horses, climate control, etc makes it Disney world. Even having restaurants and lodging is reasonable, people need somewhere to eat and sleep even when they’re showing horses (although god knows if I ever could afford to show there at all, I’d be staying at the motel 6 across town because that’s more the demographic I belong to)!

It’s the previous comments I was addressing … adding water parks, jet skis and roller coasters is very Disneyworldlike and IMO something that a horse show facility is better without.

[StormyDay]

@Sticky_Situation

I didn’t mean that having nice stalls for horses, climate control, etc makes it Disney world. Even having restaurants and lodging is reasonable, people need somewhere to eat and sleep even when they’re showing horses (although god knows if I ever could afford to show there at all, I’d be staying at the motel 6 across town because that’s more the demographic I belong to)!

It’s the previous comments I was addressing … adding water parks, jet skis and roller coasters is very Disneyworldlike and IMO something that a horse show facility is better without.

Ok, my bad.

I doubt they will do a roller coaster or anything like that. They would be in direct competition with Orlando which is only an hour away… so just from a financial side of things it doesn’t make a ton of sense. And as far as jet skis/a lake…. Building a lake in the land of lakes makes me laugh. The last thing that part of the world needs is another lake

[skydy]

This sort of beast tends to pop out of the water in Florida. No lake needed at the horse show. Who needs a lake?

Large alligator saunters through Florida neighborhood

Only in Florida: Video of HUGE gator in Lakeland goes viral

Giant Gator Walks Across Florida Golf Course | GOLF.com

[MHM]

@StormyDay

They would be in direct competition with Orlando which is only an hour away… so just from a financial side of things it doesn’t make a ton of sense.

Actually, I can sort of see the logic in having something there so that if you have other kids who don’t show, there is something for them to do all day. Similar to having a golf course and a sports bar for the dads who come along to make it a family vacation.

[skydy]

Just not a lake.

[roseymare]

@MHM

Actually, I can sort of see the logic in having something there so that if you have other kids who don’t show, there is something for them to do all day. Similar to having a golf course and a sports bar for the dads who come along to make it a family vacation.

The water park down the street from State Fair Park in OKC does a bang up business during the AQHA Youth World Show. Also the small water park at Tulsa is busy during the summer shows.

[roseymare]

@skydy

@skydy

This sort of beast tends to pop out the of water in Florida. No lake needed at the horse show. Who needs a lake

I have heard that a BNT of QH had his dog eaten by a gator in the 1980’s at the Gold Coast shows. I think it is probably is legend. Not that those happen in horse show land at ALL LOL

[Ponyplusaninch]

Those are some awful giant nopes there you’ve shared

[wanderlust]

@Sticky_Situation

It’s the previous comments I was addressing … adding water parks, jet skis and roller coasters is very Disneyworldlike and IMO something that a horse show facility is better without.

Honestly the Ocala area is boring AF and WEC is a solid 2 hours from Disney. It would be awesome to have a mini golf course or some fun family things to do when not doing horse things. As @StormyDay mentioned, the local non-horsey community loves WEC for all the reasons mentioned, I have zero problem with putting some fun stuff on the property away from the show facilities.

[CBoylen]

I doubt it’s untrue. Plenty of lost dogs and gator sightings on the WEF showgrounds over the years with all the lakes and canals. If there is water in FL there is a gator in it, and they often get dogs.

[bingbingbing]

I will be attending a preview of the 40,000 sq foot equine and small animal hospital this month. Hope to get more info on the plans at WEC. Ocala and the surrounding area are changing fast and will continue to do so.

[roseymare]

Oh I don’t doubt it happens but pretty sure the story I heard had grown legs over the years. Doberman chasing a golf ball swims to an island for said golf ball and gator eats him in full view of numerous big name horse folks…

[MHM]

@roseymare

Oh I don’t doubt it happens but pretty sure the story I heard had grown legs over the years. Doberman chasing a golf ball swims to an island for said golf ball and gator eats him in full view of numerous big name horse folks…

I’m sorry to say that is not the tiniest bit unlikely.

Any dog that goes near any body of water in south Florida is lucky to come out in one piece. Seriously.

[skydy]

Unfortunately that goes for toddlers as well.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

Par for the course here in Far North QLD, Australia. Anything bigger than a bathtub runs the risk of a crocodile. You just don’t let your dog in the water. People swim, of course. The big fellows typically stay away from the popular beaches, and we have drones looking for crocs. Of course, we also have rays, stonefish, irukandji, and boxies to worry about but she be right, mate.

Crocodile roll by John Williamson

[MHM]

@Old_Mac_Donald

Anything bigger than a bathtub runs the risk of a crocodile.

No joke.

I was watching a TV show about people who remove nuisance alligators a few years ago, and they went to somebody’s house. The guy directed them to what looked like a mud patch in his backyard.

Apparently it had started out as a small pond, but it dried out due to lack of rain. And there was still an alligator in it, even though there was not even any water left. Horrible. I believe that was about half an hour or so away from the big horse show in Wellington, Florida.

[Sparky]

I fell in love with WEC last year, and was able to buy a small farm 5 miles from it. There’s a very small pond and sure enough there is an alligator living in it. Judging by the frog noises from the pond, she has plenty to eat so I hope she doesn’t stray too far from her home.

[SillyHorse]

@skydy

I think it’s a nice option for religious folks that may be working and unable to leave the grounds

Are you aware that there are other religions than Christianity? Or are there doodads for Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and others strewn about the facility?

[skydy]

@SillyHorse

@skydy

I think it’s a nice option for religious folks that may be working and unable to leave the grounds

Are you aware that there are other religions than Christianity? Or are there doodads for Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and others strewn about the facility?

Of course I am aware of the many religions practiced in the U.S. There’s no need to be condescending.

I belong to no religion, and I think it’s a little weird to have a church at a horse show, but I don’t get worked up about people practicing their religions as long as they leave me out of it.

Perhaps if I belonged to a religion that was offended by the existence of other religions it might bother me. Thankfully I am more tolerant than that.

I don’t understand why so many religious people are so offended by each-others beliefs. Of course, conflict between religions, many times resulting in wars, has been going on for centuries and that’s not likely to change.

I recently went to the funeral Mass of a friend. I had no idea he was Catholic, he must have been “lapsed”. I stood and I sat, as the priest asked, I sang the hymns from the hymnal, I bowed my head and closed my eyes when he said “let us pray” and I watched the ritual cannibalism that is communion. I don’t “believe”, but it didn’t hurt me one bit to show up for his funeral and all that it entailed, and I was happy to give my respect to him in that church for his sake, and for the sake of his grieving family.

If there is enough demand by Jewish people for a Temple at the horse show, or Buddhists for a Stupa (really? you would expect a Stupa? I doubt Buddhists would worry about that), or from Muslims demanding a Mosque, do you really expect that every and all of the myriad of religions to be accommodated at a horse show?

Perhaps a space for them to do their thing could be found. I suppose it depends on how rigid the Christian owners are in their beliefs regarding people of other faiths.

I’d guess that the current space is aimed more at people who are unable to leave the grounds, rather than the owners, trainers and riders whom, if they are very religious, have no doubt already found churches near the towns that host the AA circuit shows.

Again, I do think it’s odd to have a church at a horse show, but I think I could deal with it, as long as they weren’t trying to recruit me.