Ocala Stud and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (FTBOA) have joined Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. in committing to donate $10,000 to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation’s Ocala Initiative. The support signals a growing interest among area organizations in advancing equine health and welfare through this important initiative.

“The FTBOA and Ocala Stud are two cornerstone institutions of Florida Thoroughbred horse racing,” said Garrett Gleeson, director of development and major gifts at the foundation. “Their support for the Ocala Initiative shows their commitment to putting equine health and welfare first. We’re excited to have them as partners in this growing collective of equine organizations.”

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is working with companies in the equine community in Ocala and throughout Florida to raise $100,000 and will then solicit matching funds from individuals. The funds will be earmarked to support equine research at the University of Florida. The initiative is designed to give those in the equine business the opportunity to give back to the horses that give so much.

Past Grayson-funded research developed vaccines for equine influenza and viral arteritis, defined Colitis X, and developed the field of biomechanics in horses, among other significant accomplishments. Current priorities include laminitis, foal pneumonia, and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging, as well as the full range of health and soundness issues that can affect horses.

“The FTBOA is proud to partner with the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation to fund critical equine research at the University of Florida,” FTBOA CEO Lonny Powell said. “Thoroughbred breeding and racing is what our members do, and we are all committed to research to improve equine health.”

“When I think of the formative days of Ocala Stud and my father’s investment during the 1950s, I know he would be proud of the Ocala area collectively supporting the horse in this way,” said Michael O’Farrell, president of Ocala Stud. “He would also be proud of how the University of Florida has developed into, and remains, one of the leading institutions in furthering the soundness and health of the horse.”

For more information about how you can support the Ocala Initiative or any of Grayson’s research projects, please contact Garrett Gleeson at ggleeson@jockeyclub.com or 212.521.5310.

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation’s leading source of private funding for equine medical research that benefits all breeds of horses. The foundation has provided $22 million to fund more than 322 projects at 41 universities since 1983. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.