The “Jumping under the stars” $25,000 Grande Prix shows
on Fridays begin in January and run for eight weeks. All shows
are open to the public. Admission to the event is $10, which
includes parking. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with the fi rst horse
on course promptly at 6:30 p.m. Attendees can enjoy live music
while watching the show, and food trucks are also onsite. Dogs
on leashes are welcome.
A portion of the proceeds are given to local charities – a
different one each week. Some of the charities that have
benefi ted so far are InStride Therapeutic Riding, Sertoma Club,
and the Venice-Nokomis Rotary Club.
“This year we will be extending our winter show horse
circuit to eight weeks,” Birnbach said. “It’s an exciting time.
Attendance continues to grow at all of our events.”
Misty Nabers Nichols, a woman whose family has been
on Gasparilla Island for generations and who is the executive
director of the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement
Association, has been riding and competing at Fox Lea for
several years. She said it’s a terrifi c equestrian facility.
“As an adult amateur who enjoys showing both western and
traditional dressage, it is wonderful to have such a nice show
venue so close to home,” Misty said. “Fox Lea has a friendly
and helpful staff, is well maintained and has multiple show and
practice rings, plenty of parking and lots of stalls.”
Misty received most of her points toward her 2017 Amateur
Select Dressage Training Level at Fox Lea.
Birnbach said almost 70 percent of the horse show competitors
are not from Florida. Many travel from Canada and
northern states, and some come from as far as South America
to attend the shows. She grew up in the Midwest and moved
John Corcoran jumping with his horse,
Knightshade.
FOX LEA FARM
What’s behind the name?
David and Linda Aldrich purchased 46
acres of undeveloped land in Venice in
1983, with the vision of building a
family-friendly equestrian facility. There
were several families of foxes that lived
on the property. Linda was an avid
crossword puzzle fan, and in one of
the puzzles, the word “lea” was a clue for
pasture or meadow, thus she decided to
name the property “Fox Lea Farm.”