EQUINE
Horse Fever 20/20’s ‘Giving Collection’ honors Hancock BY BRAD ROGERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENT WEAKLEY
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s part of Horse Fever 20/20, the arts fundraiser’s organizers have set aside three of the latest herd’s beautiful horses – known as The Giving Collection - to be raffled off in honor of Dick Hancock, longtime Florida thoroughbred industry leader and local booster of the arts. “Dick Hancock was a champion for Horse Fever,” said Laurie Zink, chairman of Horse Fever 20/20 and one of the original founders of Horse Fever in 2001. “If it had not been for Dick Hancock, Horse Fever might not have happened.” Hancock, who served as executive vice president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association for 22 years before retiring in 2011, was key in Horse Fever’s success because he convinced the FTBOA to partner with what would become the Marion Cultural Alliance to present the wildly popular original Horse Fever. As we now know, the original Horse Fever spawned two more editions of the public art project, including this year’s version, and has raised more than $1 million to help local artists and arts organizations. “It has engaged the arts community,” said Jaye Baillie, executive director of the MCA. “It has provided support to our arts community. It has been a revenue source for the MCA, and one of our goals is to give away more money through our cultural arts
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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM
Critters
Artist: Bonnie Eads
grants.” So far, MCA has given away around $400,000 in cultural arts grants. The FTBOA is again co-sponsor of Horse Fever 20/20 with the MCA. The two groups will split the proceeds from the Horse Fever 20/20, but money raised from the Giving Collection raffle will go to MCA. The Giving Collection includes three horse from this year’s 16-horse herd. They are Sunny Daze by Ronda Richley, Home Sweet Home by Carlynne Hershberger and Critters by Bonnie Eads. The three horses will be raffled June 4 at the Brick City Center for the Arts. There are 300 tickets available for each horse, at a cost
of $100 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased at the Brick City Center for the Arts or online through the MCA website at mcaocala.org. Baillie said MCA will use 100 percent of the proceeds from the Giving Collection to fund arts organizations and arts programs. Horse Fever has been the impetus for a groundswell of public art throughout Ocala. Horse Fever organizers say the latest round of horses, including those in the Giving Collection, will only add to what the public art series started. Zink said the Giving Collection gives Ocalans a unique opportunity to put one-ofkind artworks in front of their home, busi-
