WEC is for everyone: Ocalans invited for dining, dog walking, shopping and shows

At the World Equestrian Center (WEC), leadership makes it clear: Horses are No. 1. There are air-conditioned indoor arenas, nearly 3,000 stalls with fans and mattresses, special types of footing to prevent injuries, you name it.

With a newly opened hotel, many non-horse events on the calendar and an open invite to the public to visit 24/7, however, people may be a close second.

And if you had to round out the top three, dogs are clearly next in line.

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A place for more than horses

Once upon a time in the 1960s, Ocala was almost home to Disney World. It didn’t pan out, but decades later the city has ended up with what many people are calling “the Disney World for horses.”

The World Equestrian Center has hosted numerous horse shows since its opening in December, welcoming many breeds from Arabians to Gypsies to Paso Finos to compete in a variety of contests. There are four indoor arenas, one grand outdoor arena and one stadium on the grounds.

“First and foremost, it’s all of the equine events, whether it’s our hunter/jumper series or quarter horse championship series," Rodney Gutierrez, director of sales for WEC, said. “We’re not discriminatory against any type of breed. We just want to bring the equine community together as a whole.”

The developed portion of WEC sits on 387 acres. In addition to the barns and arenas, there are two column-free,132,000-square-foot expo centers and various other buildings, so Gutierrez says horse organizations may choose to have conventions, trade shows and annual meetings at the facilities, as well.

But with multiple uses for many of the buildings and arenas, the equestrian center is for far more than equestrians.

“It was always built as an equine facility, and then once the two expo centers started coming out of the ground, they realized there was other potential that how great would it be to blend multiple events at the same time,” Gutierrez said.

He noted that many people drive through Ocala to get to large convention centers and facilities in other Florida cities but that WEC may now fulfill some of those needs.

The center has already hosted events ranging from proms to father-daughter dances to concerts to car shows, and there’s plenty more in store. Six Marion County public high schools will host their graduations at WEC. Ocala Comic Con is slated for September, and the Florida Marching Band Championships state competition is coming in November.

Canine shows featuring golden retrievers and German shepherds are also on the “robust event calendar” of events already booked between now and 2025.

“This was built as an atmosphere to welcome everyone,” Gutierrez said.

He believes WEC is “just really scratching the surface in terms of our capabilities” and will be able to host indoor sporting events like basketball, volleyball, dance and cheerleading competitions soon.

Other events at the complex provide something for the athletes, parents and siblings to enjoy in their downtime rather than going back to the hotel like at typical tournaments.

“With our ownership and leadership team, they’re always looking at the future,” Gutierrez said. “First and foremost was to open this facility, start getting some horse events, getting some events here and some conventions and trade shows and social events.”

With horse events coming first, Gutierrez sees WEC growing the industry by engaging young horse people. Beyond that, WEC can boost Marion County's economy as visitors will spend money on flights, car rentals, meals, attractions and other purchases.

WEC also has a chapel and is preparing to host weddings, for which it offers event planners and a banquet staff.

"I think it's wonderful for Ocala," resident Robert Salat said while watching his twin grandchildren eat macarons from Emma's Patisserie in the hotel on a recent day.

"To have somebody like the Robertses have the foresight to invest in Ocala like this is incredible. I think it’s going to be an economic boon. It’s helped the real estate market around. It’s bringing a lot of people to Ocala for different types of shows," he said.

Creating an 'approachable luxury' for equestrians and the public

The latest building to come online at WEC is The Equestrian Hotel, which started hosting guests on May 18. The lobby features several elegant sofas, animal print upholstery, ornate gold chairs and tables, wall-to-wall paintings and several crystal chandeliers.

Director of Hospitality Operations Justin Garner is aware that such fancy and expensive décor can appear stuffy, but he said that WEC maintains the elegant appearance while still being approachable.

“The people have just been in awe as we are every day when we come in,” he said. “It’s just a really special place, and as we start building the hospitality piece it’s trying to blend that luxury with an approachable luxury and a comfortable luxury.”

Garner says people in shorts, flip-flops and riding boots are all welcomed in just the same and that the friendly staff helps eliminate any perceived stuffiness.

Salat, who has visited WEC over a dozen times, confirmed that he and his wife have been welcomed in just the same when they are wearing workout clothes or golf gear.

"It’s very nice but very open," he said. "If you look at the people opening the front door, they’re very accommodating, and the toy store, which is a very high-end toy store. But everybody is extremely accommodating."

According to Garner, this kindness and hospitality from the welcome staff help create the "approachable luxury."

“We’re in Ocala, and the primary customer is the equestrian,” Garner said. “There’s a lot of places in the world that people who are really enthusiastic about a certain sport gravitate towards, and we think this is really going to be that for the equestrians.”

She recommends the coconut cake

Beyond equestrians, leadership emphasized that WEC grounds are open and free to the public essentially 24/7, apart from a few events with fees.

“We’re open seven days a week,” Media Director Brenden Martin said. “You can come out here any time and park and walk your dog or ride your bike or hit the trails."

Martin and Gutierrez have also seen regulars coming in for their daily coffee or ice cream.

“Whether it’s to grab a bite to eat, to visit our chapel or just take a stroll around our show grounds, that’s what we’re here for,” Gutierrez said.

After the pool and bar open the first weekend in June, WEC will have eight eateries, including fine dining restaurant Stirrups, upscale cowboy bar The Yellow Pony and more casual options for Mexican, Italian, American and sweets.

"I like how they open it to the public," Ocala resident Candace Almers said. "We've walked through some of the stables. Everything's open and available. We've eaten at Ralph’s a couple of times — I recommend the coconut cake — but everything is just first class. They've done an awesome, awesome job at it. We'll definitely be back."

Food is locally sourced and made from scratch as much as possible, but hospitality staff has been careful about adding to Ocala’s dining scene rather than competing with it.

“We understand that this is going to be an economic generator for the region, and even when we were doing the restaurant menu planning for Stirrups, we wanted Stirrups to be a compliment to what’s happening in Ocala, not a competitor,” Garner said, noting certain twists that make the eateries unique.

Creating a bigger pie for Ocala

In addition to the newly opened hotel, there are nearly 300 RV slips with power and sewage, as well as a laundromat for guests, a general store and a gas station open to the public. There are 70 extended stay “Home Away from Home” units.

Garner echoes Gutierrez’s sentiment that bringing people to WEC will help the whole county.

“We see this as a rising tide effect for everyone,” he said. “It’s not how do we get more of the pie. It’s how do we get a bigger pie for Ocala, for Marion County.”

There are around 450 people on the hospitality payroll alone and around 50 open jobs currently posted on WEC’s website, ranging from line cooks to security officers to hair stylists.

“Now that the hotel is done, that’s our centerpiece,” Martin said. “Now that we have the rooms open and people can start staying here, it really brings alive a lot of other things.”

The hotel is also why one might assume dogs are close behind horses and humans at WEC. Though actual dogs are not allowed in the hotel because of the luxurious furniture and décor, they are immortalized in paintings on nearly every wall of the first floor.

With the dog portraits hung and hotel open, Director of Operations Vinnie Card hadn’t really stopped to smell the roses yet.

“It’s exciting to come in every day and to see what was created in an empty field as we embarked on this project four or five years ago,” he said. “It’s something new every day when you come onto the property, but it brings a smile to my face every time you drive through the front gate.”

Next on the development agenda for WEC is filling some boutiques in the hotel, finishing a private meeting room and completing one last barn to finish the alphabet of barns A-Z.

WEC and Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, also owned by the Roberts family, sit on 6,000 acres, with Golden Ocala on around 1,200. The developed portion of the equestrian center is 387 acres, but another 300 is set aside for future construction, the details of which will be determined by the need of WEC’s two- and four-legged patrons.

Coming Monday: A look at the WEC's newly opened hotel.

— Contact Danielle Johnson at djohnson@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: World Equestrian Center in Marion County offers more than horses