BY SARAH WELK BAYNUM
Before her now 25-year-long career with Seminole Feed, (a corporate sponsor of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association), Sales and Marketing Coordinator Angie Crawford spent more than a decade in the veterinary industry in Florida.
“My introduction to the Thoroughbred industry began when I worked for Dr. Johnny Mac Smith—he is the ‘Smith’ of Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital [+ Complete Care] here in Ocala. I started working for him about six months after the clinic opened and I was his assistant for almost 13 years,” Crawford said.
During breeding season, Crawford visited various Thoroughbred farms assisting Smith. During the off season, she worked in the clinic under Dr. Donnie E. Slone.
“That’s how I got to meet all the people in the industry that I’m still friends with today. That friendship and guidance led me to my now career with Seminole Feed,” Crawford said.
Seminole Feed celebrated their 90th anniversary in 2024 and has its own long-standing relationship with The Horse Capital of the World®.
“Seminole was the first feed company here in Marion County and we were the only feed company here until the early 1980s,” she said. “So, we grew with the Florida Thoroughbred industry here and as the industry grew, so did we. As the FTBOA came online to support the owners and breeders in the area, we stepped up. We try to be a very strong supporter of what originates out of our own community.”
Seminole supports the FTBOA and Florida Thoroughbred community each year as a sponsor of the Association’s annual Awards Gala and the annual golf scramble benefiting the Florida Thoroughbred Political Action Committee.
“We started out with our customers being primarily in the Thoroughbred industry. So, many of our customers, of course, became a part of the FTBOA. We started doing these events to support our customers and to say thank you for what you give us,” Crawford said.
After spending many years supporting the Florida Thoroughbred industry, there were two Thoroughbreds’ careers she helped support nutritionally that are still memorable even today.
“Holy Bull and Silver Charm still stand out to me pretty dramatically. It’s pretty darn cool to be able to say that we were a part of his life,” Crawford said. “Seminole fed him all the way up until he went into the major races, because at that point in time, our feed wasn’t available at those racetracks like we are now. Not many people get to come in contact with these really great horses and we were able to help give Silver Charm his nutritional foundation. It’s very special to be in the presence of that kind of dedication to the industry.
“We are the Horse Capital of the World® and the Thoroughbred is the breed that put us on the map. They say, ‘pick a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.’ I love horses, especially Thoroughbreds—that’s my passion. I found something that allows me to share my passion—because I’ve been around some really terrific horses and I’ve been around some really great owners. To be able to be a part of that behind-the-scenes team of Eclipse Award winners, horses of the year, owners of the year—that’s pretty significant. To be a part of that and to be trusted that way—I don’t ever take that trust for granted,” Crawford said.
Return to the January 21 issue of Wire to Wire