The central Florida city of Ocala proudly lays claim to the title "Horse Capital of the World." And since 1997, the year the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that surrounding Marion County led all others in the United States in total number of horses and ponies in residence, it has become increasingly hard to argue.

Hundreds of luxury estates and magnificient Ocala horse farms, with lush pastures set amid gently rollling hills and shaded by graceful oak trees, line the roads out of the city.

With more horsemen relocating to Marion County by the day, drawn by the area's temperate year-around climate that makes the area ideal for training, prices of Ocala horse farms -- while still viewed by many as a bargain -- have moved up considerably. Many of the country's leadng horse breeders now have operations in the Ocala area, turning the region into the center of a $2.2 billion horse industry.

From mid-January to mid-March, "horse fever" builds to a pitch as Ocala becomes the scene of literally one horse show after another. At the center are the live thoroughbred auctions held by Ocala Breeders Sales. The climax comes during the Week of Champions in March, when Florida-bred horses compete in the Champion Stakes.

During this same period, one of the largest hunter-jumper shows in the country is staged at the beautiful HITS Post Time Farm to the west of the city off Route 27. The events that make up the "Horses in the Sun" HITS Ocala Winter Circuit extend over a period of five weeks from mid-February to mid-March, drawing competitors from around the world.

For those whose equestrian interests center on riding, the city is surrounded by hundreds of miles of horse trails. The Ocala National Forest to the east of the city features more than 100 miles of horse trails permitting exploration of the world's most extensive scrub community. A little further away to the southwest of the city, the Goethe State Forest features more than 100 miles of marked trails through tall pine forests.

Lest one conclude,. however, that Ocala is only for horse people, it should be noted that Marion County's many spring-fed lakes and rivers provide tremendous fishing and canoeing. And for golfers, the area features more than a dozen fine golf courses incluing Golden Ocala Golf & Country Club, with its eight replica holes from world-famous golf courses like St. Andrews, Augusta National and Royal Troon.

While the nearest major commercial airport is in Orlando approximately an hour away, Jim Taylor Airport (Ocala Municipal Airport) has a 7,000-foot runway and is capable of handling large private jets.

Ocala:

Part of the charm of Ocala is found in its redeveloped city center, where a block-long central park with its white gazebo conveys the image associated with the city's 1995 designation as an “All American City."

"Fine Arts for Ocala" each year holds an annual autumn art show on the grounds of the Ocala City Hall that attracts more than 50,000 people. FAFO also sponsors a "Symphony Under the Stars" that features guest orchestras and conductors.

The Appleton Museum of Art, located in an elegant neo-classical building on the eastern outskirts of the city, is one of the largest art museums in Florida and has a permanent collection that includes 18th and 19th century academic art from Europe, Canada and the U.S., Pre-Columbian art, African art, Asian art, and Antiquities.

Ocala' s community theatre, second largest in Florida, offers live, professional-quality musical and dramatic productions.

Jumbolair:

Located in Anthony, just north of Ocala, is Jumbolair, an exclusive fly-in community with a 7,550-foot-long runway capable of handling Boeing 707 jetliners.