Equestrian art and artist
Bradley Chance Hays makes Ocala debut by painting live at local gallery.
Bradley Chance Hays works on his painting “Sarasota,” an acrylic, at Equestrian Fine Art on North U.S. Highway 27 in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
It’s not every day that a famous cowboy artist does a live painting performance in Ocala. But that’s what happened on Feb. 16 at Equestrian Fine Art at 6384 N US Highway 27.
Gallery director Shannon Locascio announced the event as the “debut Ocala showcase” for Bradley Chance Hays.
The son of a professional rodeo cowboy and an art educator, Hays grew up immersed in horsemanship and creativity. From an early age, he balanced roping with drawing, developing a visual language rooted in independence, precision and movement. His career spans coast-to-coast exhibitions, partnerships with leading Western brands and live painting showcases at major national events, including the National Finals Rodeo, according to information provided by Locascio.
“Known for his dynamic brushwork and large-scale compositions, Hays approaches painting as both discipline and motion—an extension of a life shaped equally by the rodeo arena and the studio. His work arrives in Ocala, a city globally recognized for its equestrian heritage, as a natural and resonant pairing,” the news release noted.
“I’ve always chased the spirit of the horse,” Hays said in the materials. “In Ocala, that spirit isn’t symbolic — it’s lived. You feel it in the land, the rhythm of the place and the people who understand what the horse represents. It’s the kind of environment where my work makes sense.”
During the evening event in Ocala, Hays created an acrylic equestrian painting titled “Saratoga,” in his signature bright colors and bold strokes.
“My work is about motion,” he offered. “I want people to feel the horse — not just see it. The breathing, the tension, the power right before release. Live painting lets that energy stay intact.”
“Ocala honors the horse as a way of life,” Hays added. “Bringing my work here feels less like a debut and more like bringing it back to the source.”
To learn more, go to equestrianfinearts.com
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