BY TAMMY A. GANTT

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association is participating in the Southeastern Youth Fair in Marion County, Fla., which kicked off Feb. 22. The Association set up a Florida Thoroughbred history display and information table for 4-H youth, Future Farmer of America participants, students of all ages and the general public.

The Youth Fair runs for two weeks as part of Ag Ventures programming. Winner’s Circle, a book about the history of the Florida Thoroughbred industry in the county written by JoAnn Guidry, is also distributed. 

During Ag Ventures, elementary school students are engaged with Florida’s 12 major agriculture commodities. They can pet a pony while learning about the equine industry, squeeze oranges by hand, enjoy fresh Florida orange juice and enjoy an ice cream cone as they learn about dairy production.

Julie Wall of the Marion County Farm Bureau notes the Florida Thoroughbred display is one of the most popular photo spots and both parents and children alike, attendees are encouraged to take time to read the history timeline of the Thoroughbred industry.

Ag Ventures is organized and funded by the Marion County Farm Bureau, Marion County Public Schools, the Southeastern Youth Fair and the local agriculture industry.

On Feb. 24, FTBOA’s Steve Koch presented at the fair an equine economics talk for the 2025 Leadership Ocala Metro Youth class, a program for students entering their junior year of high school. LOMY is modeled after Leadership Ocala Metro for adult business leaders. The nine-month program seeks to develop young individuals to be the next generation of community leaders, preparing them for constructive and responsible involvement in community affairs, while also thinking seriously about career pathways in Ocala and Marion County. Annually, FTBOA management is asked to speak to the cohort while they are on the fairgrounds showcasing the equine industry, which is 22% of the county GDP and contributes to one in five jobs.

Founded in 1978, the Southeastern Youth Fair is the oldest all youth fair in the country without a midway and the largest all youth fair event in Florida.

Return to the February 25 issue of Wire to Wire