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There are plenty of good deeds and much good news in Marion County and many of the announcements are featured on the Star-Banner’s online Applause blog. Here are recaps of a few recent entries. To view the entire announcement, visit http://applause.blogs.ocala.com.

Equine excellence

A number of locals were among the nearly 1,800 horses and 7,200 exhibitors, owners, trainers and support staff from 44 states and six countries competing in the recent Arabian Horse Association’s Arabian and Half-Arabian U.S. National Championship Horse Show.

The event, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, crowned nearly 200 National and Reserve National Champions across a number of disciplines. Local winners were:

Rohara Arabians – Orange Lake

Double Or Nuttin’ — Owned by Linda Musso; National Champion Half Arabian Country English Pleasure Open Trained, shown by John Rannenberg; Reserve National Champion Half Arabian Country English Pleasure Amateur Owner to Ride (55 and over), shown by Linda Musso

Captain Jack — Owned by Shannon Feinroth; Half Arabian National Champion Native Costume, shown by Shannon Feinroth; Half Arabian National Champion Country English Pleasure Select Rider, shown by Shannon Feinroth; Half Arabian Top Ten Native Costume Open, shown by John Rannenberg

Nuttin’ But Hart — Owned by Brooksley Sheehe; Half Arabian Top Ten Country English Pleasure Amateur Owner to Ride Maturity, shown by Brooksley Sheehe

Rohara Seraphim — Owned by Rohara Arabians; Reserve National Champion Half Arabian Halter Mare Stock/Hunter Type, shown by Les Sichini

Rohara Katana — Owned by Rohara Arabians; Reserve National Champion Half Arabian 2-Year-Old Fillies, shown by Les Sichini

Espirit of Jericho — Owned by Don and Connie Copeland; Top Ten Arabian Futurity Fillies, shown by John Rannenberg

Everella — Owned by Magnum Arabians and Rohara Arabians; Top Ten Arabian Yearling Sweepstakes Fillies, shown by John Rannenberg

Rohara Bocelli — Owned by Rohara Arabians; Top Ten Arabian 2-Year-Old Colts, shown by Les Schini

Beijings Falcon — Owned by Robert and Judy Burton; Top Ten Arabian 2-Year-Old Colts, shown by Les Sichini

Sichini Training — Ocala

BII Canadian Grace — Owned and shown by Bill Sonamaker; Top Ten Park Amateur Owner to Ride

SF Top Shelf — Owned and shown by Lian Oteiza; Top Ten Half Arabian Park Park Amateur Owner to Ride

Noble Ffyre — Owned and shown by Sydney Landers; National Champion Arabian Native Costume Open; Top Ten Arabian Native Costume Amateur Owner to Ride

Divvinci — Owned and shown by Sydney Landers; Top Ten Half Arabian Native Costume amateur Owner to Ride; Top Ten Half Arabian Native Costume Open

HS Liberty — Owned by Lian Oteizo; Reserve National Champion Half Arabian Costume Open, shown by Lou Sichini

Colonial Downs Training Center

MK Gold Rush — Owned by Renee and Morgan Pelzman; National Champion Half Arabian Side Saddle Open, shown by Laurie Long

Goldd Standard — Owned by Morgan Leigh Runyon; Reserve National Champion Half Arabian Saddle Pleasure Halter Geldings Open, shown by Joe Alberti; Reserve National Champion Half Arabian Saddle Pleasure Halter Geldings Amatuer Owner to Handle, shown by Morgan Leigh Runyon

Fly Me to Rome — Owned by Sarah Lohbauer; Top Ten Half Arabian Ladies Side Saddle, shown by Sarah Lohbauer; Top Ten Half Arabian Western Pleasure Amateur Owner to Ride 19-39 Age Group, shown by Sarah Lohbauer; Top Ten Half Arabian Halter Geldings Stock/Hunter Type Open, shown by Fernando Poli; Top Ten Half Arabian Halter Geldings Stock/Hunter Type Amateur Owner to Handle, shown by Sarah Lohbauer

KOA honors

Kampgrounds of America has announced that the Fort McCoy/Lake Ocklawaha KOA Holiday Campground has earned the 2019 KOA President’s Award and KOA Founder’s Award. The awards were presented Nov. 14 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The founder’s award, named in honor of Dave Drum, who founded KOA in Billings, Montana, in 1962, is KOA’s highest service award. It is awarded to campground owners and managers who attain high scores in customer service and on a KOA Quality Review.

The president’s award is presented to campgrounds meeting exceptional quality standards and which receive high customer service scores from guests

Ocalan recognized 

Brandon Reitz of Ocala was recognized recently by the Florida College System Activities Association. Reitz is a student at Tallahassee Community College and a baseball player.

The association recognized 49 TCC students for their outstanding work in and out of the classroom. The students achieved a minimum of a 3.30 GPA in the 2017-2018 academic year and also participated in extracurricular activities or sports.

Donation presented

The Rotary Club of Ocala Southwest donated the proceeds from the North Central Florida Pickleball Doubles Tournament at On Top of the World to the Ocala Domestic Violence Center at its meeting on Nov. 13. The tournament raised $2,780 for the center.

Interfaith event

More than 200 congregants of the Christian, Islam and Jewish faiths gathered Nov. 17 at The First Congregational United Church of Christ in Ocala to celebrate an Interfaith Thanksgiving service and meal.

The spiritual heads of the religious organizations explained the philosophies of their faiths in words and music. The Islamic call to prayer on video started the service and the more than 200 guests heard messages from the Rev. Harold W. McSwain, Rabbi Ze’ve Harari, Imam Zafer Sabawi, Rabbi Karen Allen, the Rev. Sue Corley and Dana Knapp.

At the communion table, signs showed the word “Peace” in three languages: Latin “Pax,” Hebrew “Shalom,” and Arabic “Salaam.”

The event included performances by Cory Alexander; Mohammed Murad; Steven Vargas; Jennifer Foster; Rabbi Allen, with Judi Siegal, Judy Hague and Judy Lankas; First Congregational UCC Chancel Choir and the Central Florida Master Choir.

Allen invited attendees to sign a letter for the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh to show support. The spiritual leaders lighted 11 candles, one for each of the deceased in the recent tragedy there.

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