Atteberry, Bayer, Brennan, Heysek Join Board
BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Ocala, FL—The FTBOA announced today that George Isaacs, general manager of the historic Bridlewood Farm located in Ocala, was re-elected president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association at a board meeting following the annual member meeting.
“Having served many years on the board of directors for the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, I have witnessed great dedication from the staff, board members and membership in making our organization flourish,” Isaacs said. “I am grateful to our entire team for being vital to the association and the industry as key stakeholders and leaders.”
New FTBOA board members are Dr. Tiffany Atteberry of Ocala, Beth Bayer of Ocala, Colin Brennan of Ocala and Richard Heysek of Morriston.
They will each serve a three-year term that will run through October 2027.
Leaving the board because of term limits as outlined in the FTBOA by-laws were Paul Bulmahn, Laurine Fuller-Vargas, Nick de Meric and George Russell.
The board also selected the remaining executive committee officers for 2024-25 with Isaacs as president while Valerie Dailey, a small breeder and operator of Showcase Properties in Ocala, was named first vice president; Francis Vanlangendonck, who operates Summerfield Sales in Williston, was named second vice president; and Joseph M. O’Farrell III with Ocala Stud, will serve as treasurer. Beckie Cantrell, a breeder in Ocala, was elected as secretary.
Isaacs has a long history serving the Florida Thoroughbred industry as an FTBOA officer and serving seven terms on the FTBOA board with intermissions as required by bylaws.
He became stallion manager at Arthur Appleton’s Bridlewood Farm in Ocala in 1989 before becoming the general manager for Allen Paulson’s Brookside South Farm in 1992. In 1996, Isaacs returned to Bridlewood as general manager and currently manages operations there for John and Leslie Malone since they purchased the farm in 2013.
During his tenure at Bridlewood, more than 100 Florida-bred stakes winners and 12 Grade 1 winners have been bred and raised by the farm.
Isaacs chairs of the Equine Studies Program at the College of Central Florida, is a Horse Farms Forever board member and an AdventHealth Ocala Foundation board member. Isaacs additionally chairs for the FTBOA Ocala Downtown Thoroughbred Walk of Fame committee and serves on the FTBOA Farmland Preservation Work Group.
Atteberry operates an Ocala-area mobile veterinary practice and is a Thoroughbred breeder and racehorse owner, with an emphasis on pinhooking. She is a competitive endurance rider with her OTTB homebred Nudl and participated in the 2022 Mongol Derby against 45 riders from across the world.
Bayer owns Fogg Road Farm and is annually one of the top yearling consignors at Ocala Breeders’ Sales. In 2023, she led all consignors of yearlings and short yearling for sales in the Southwest, selling 58 head for $1,165,700 and an average of $20,098. She also breeds several of her own mares for the commercial market at Fogg Road Farm.
Brennan is a third-generation horsemen and the owner of Colin Brennan Bloodstock and Sales, specializing in yearling sales consignments and the formation of juvenile pinhooking partnerships. He is a graduate of the Darley Flying Start management and leadership training program and currently serves on the CF equine studies advisory board and the Marion County 4-H Foundation board.
Heysek and his wife Cathy operate Caperlane Farm where they bred 2023 FTBOA Horse of the Year Speed Boat Beach. Caperlane consists of three broodmares including Congarette, who was their first purchase together at the 2013 OBS August Yearling Sale. Congarette is the dam of graded stakes winner and 2024 Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint-contender Federal Judge. The Heyseks were honored by the FTBOA with 2023 Needles Award, presented annually to an accomplished small breeder in Florida.
Other returning FTBOA board members include Jerry Campbell, Marilyn Campbell, Brent Fernung, Mike Hall, Mary Lightner and Milan Kosanovich. Lonny Powell enters his thirteenth year at the Association helm as the CEO and executive vice president.