PRESS RELEASE
OCALA, FL — The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association today unveiled an all-new brand and logo for Ocala, Marion County, Horse Capital of the World® — the federally registered trademark it has owned and managed since 1997. The Association also opened its Official Partners program, inviting brands and organizations that build the region’s community and equine industry to align with the mark.
At the center of the new look is a ‘shoe and pointer’ logomark, a clean and modern horseshoe with a deliberate second meaning built in. The new brand and Official Partners program reside online at FTBOA.com/HCOTW.
“This mark carries a global reputation, and we are being deliberate about who carries it with us,” FTBOA Chief Executive Officer Lonny Powell said. “Our partners program is grounded in meaningful relationships with brands and organizations that build both our community and the equine industry alongside us. Those conversations are open now, and we look forward to getting the first partners out of the gate with us.”
“This brand was built to lift an entire business region as well as a key industry,” FTBOA administrative vice president Steve Koch said. “The horse is at the center of everything we do, but the success belongs to the entire region: every breed, every discipline, every Marion County farm and industry, and every job we create.”
To bring the new identity to life, the FTBOA turned to designer Jayne Chapman. Her ‘shoe and pointer’ logomark fuses reputation and geography in a design that rewards a closer look.
“The logo works on two levels: it had to be instantly identifiable, while drawing on a sense of community and place. Everyone recognizes a horseshoe, but the map pointer doubles as the frog of the equine hoof, a detail that speaks to equestrians. Ocala is the Horse Capital, and now the lifeblood of the horse points right to it,” Chapman said.
The Horse Capital of the World® designation rests on real numbers. Marion County, Fla. is home to an estimated 75,000 horses, the largest single-county equine population in the United States. The equine industry accounts for about 20 percent of the county’s jobs, GDP, and landmass.
Companies and community organizations interested in Official Partners or Horse Capital of the World® licensing opportunities are invited to explore the full brand reveal and partner details at FTBOA.com/HCOTW or contact Steve Koch at SKoch@FTBOA.com.
Return to the August 12 issue of Wire to Wire
