Vote yea or neigh for whinnying plate

OCALA - The Florida Horse Park is asking residents for help in selecting a specialized equine license plate for drivers.

The nonprofit Ocala organization has narrowed its search to seven potential plates, but is asking that people vote at the park's online site for which design the organization should send to Florida motor vehicle officials for production in 2010.

Voting will end after Sunday and the plate with the most votes will be sent to the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee for approval next year.

The process will cost the Florida Horse Park about $100,000. Money from the sale of the plates will go the help fund building projects and pay for operations at the 500-acre Horse Park.

Between Wednesday and Thursday, more than 1,600 people voted for their favorite license plate on the Horse Park's Web site.

"I was surprised at how many people voted," said Margaret Rowell, Florida Horse Park director of development. "It's really exciting and shows us people really want a horse license plate."

The facility hosts mostly hunter, jumper and dressage events which attract some of the best riders in the world. It also hosts a variety of other equine events, including quarter horse demonstrations and polo games.

During the past several months, Horse Park officials asked volunteers to submit plate designs.

Rowell said the Horse Park wanted a design that would match most vehicle colors, could be identified several yards away and reflect the horse industry throughout Florida.

The person whose design is chosen will win $1,000.

For the past two years, Florida Horse Park executives and volunteers have raised millions of dollars for the facility on South County Road 475. But most of that money has come from donations. The park's numerous equine events generally break even financially. Currently, the Horse Park is raising money to build hundreds of stalls to rent during equine events and generate revenues for new construction and salaries.

The specialty Horse plate is one more way Horse Park operators are trying to raise money.

Fred Hiers can be reached at fred.hiers@starbanner.com and 352-867-4157.