[ad_1] Show Caption Hide Caption Destination: World Equestrian Center Of the 6000 acres that the Roberts family owns, WEC sits on 387 acres that has already been developed and 300 undeveloped. There are eight different eateries and a general store. There is 248 room hotel and 25 barns with almost 3000 stalls. Doug Engle, Ocala
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Destination: World Equestrian Center
Of the 6000 acres that the Roberts family owns, WEC sits on 387 acres that has already been developed and 300 undeveloped. There are eight different eateries and a general store. There is 248 room hotel and 25 barns with almost 3000 stalls.
Doug Engle, Ocala Star-Banner
The World Equestrian Center in Ocala is known for its horse shows and state-of-the-art equine facilities first and foremost, but with a luxurious hotel, dozens of retailers and restaurants and other human-focused amenities, there are new things to learn about the WEC every day.
Most of WEC’s restaurants also have catering menus available for larger groups to call ahead and pick up.
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Bar stools shaped like English saddles are one of two pieces in the hotel that lead designer Ric Owens branded to bring to his equestrian line. Owens has partnered with other vendors to produce and sell the saddle bar stools, he told the Star-Banner in May.
There are Western saddles at the bar, too.
Check WEC’s calendar for The Yellow Pony’s live music schedule.
Anyone who has stepped inside the Equestrian Hotel knows that dogs have a prominent place at WEC. Dozens of commissioned paintings of dogs line the walls, and more appear in the rooms because Mary Roberts loves dogs, according to Owens.
Though dogs are not allowed in the hotel because of the expensive furniture and upholstery, they are allowed elsewhere on the property. WEC leadership invites people to walk their dogs around the grounds, and numerous cleanup stations are located throughout the plaza.
Canine shows featuring golden retrievers and German shepherds are also on the calendar of future events.
Parking at WEC is free, as are most of the equine shows. There are also over 20 retail shops at WEC selling apparel, art, jewelry and more.
A public gas station sits on the northeast portion of the property near the RV park and general store.
WEC even has its own chapel, located southwest of the hotel, open for worship and weddings.
There’s also a secret garden on the west side of the Equestrian Hotel, to the right of its entrance, that can be seen from the window of a seating area in the lobby and from the Calluna Spa on the second floor.
Given the luxury of the Equestrian Hotel and its shops, it’s no surprise that celebrities and other icons have started to come through.
According to Owens, the granddaughter of Frederick August Otto Schwarz, founder of the famous toy store FAO Schwarz, has visited Mr. Pickles & Sailor Bear Toy Shoppe at the hotel. Owens says she “blessed” the toy store in a way, saying it felt just like the way the original FAO Schwarz started in New York City.
The grand Yamaha concert piano in the hotel’s lobby has also drawn celebrities.
“We’ve had a lot of famous people come in here and already play on it,” Owens had said.
Jonathan Cain, keyboardist for the rock band Journey, is one of the icons who has tickled the ivories at WEC so far.
Need help navigating WEC? There’s an app for that. Labeled “WEC Ocala” in the app store, the app provides information on staying at WEC, visiting, dining and attending events. It links to restaurant menus and a map of the grounds, too.
Staff Sgt. Reckless, a horse who served in the Korean War, is considered the greatest equine war hero in American history, according to WEC’s website. She was a member of the United States Marine Corps 1st Division, 5th Regiment and transported ammunition.
She made 51 trips — almost all of them solo — in one day alone from the ammunition supply point to firing sites, according to a website dedicated to Reckless. She carried 386 rounds of ammunition weighing over 9,000 pounds on her back and walked over 35 miles through no man’s land and up mountains through enemy fire.
She was wounded twice and received two Purple Hearts. She has been the only animal to ever be designated a staff sergeant.
Room rates at the Equestrian Hotel fluctuate based on the season and day of the week. WEC officials say it is cheaper to book a room at the hotel earlier in the week than later, so try your luck on a Monday or Tuesday and don’t hold off on booking until the weekend.
You can also ask to book a room facing the grand arena and watch an entire horse show from your window at the Equestrian Hotel.
Among other future additions, the World Equestrian Center’s website shows a vet clinic and more retail plazas as “future expansion.”
The clinic is slated to be a 41,000-square-foot dog and cat boarding facility, small animal hospital and equine hospital. There will also be animals up for adoption, according to the website.
Boarding and grooming facilities will include 23 dog suites, 20 small dog holding pens, 14 cat boarding homes, 24 outdoor dog runs, four bathtubs, three grooming tables and an outdoor splash pad.
The small animal hospital will include eight exam rooms, two surgical suites, two recovery ICUs and equipment for X-rays, CT scans and MRIs.
The equine hospital will offer routine checkups, therapy and more intensive procedures. It will have 10 regular stalls, three ICU stalls, a farrier room, ultrasound and X-ray stations, a therapy pool and aqua equine treadmill, a salt therapy room and a dedicated surgical area.
Celebrity chef and author Art Smith, of Jasper, Florida, will host an evening of tasting and entertainment with food and drink from over 50 local restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries. Smith, whose expertise is in Southern cuisine, was Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef and has also worked for Florida governors Bob Graham and Jeb Bush.
The festival will include live music, cooking demonstrations and a cooking competition. VIP admission from 4 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 21 costs $100, and general admission from 5 to 8 p.m. costs $75. The event will be held at WEC’s Expo Center 1. Online ticket sales begin Aug. 1.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation’s ProStart program, which provides culinary opportunities for 30,000 students in 215 schools, including Belleview, Dunnellon, Forest and Lake Weir high schools.
WEC is currently accepting applications from local restaurants who would like to participate. Registration fees are waived for the inaugural event.
Contact foodandwine@wec.net for vendor information and ticket pre-sales.
Contact reporter Danielle Johnson at djohnson@gannett.com.
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