‘The Legacy of Black Horsemen’

Harriet Daniels, Mr. and Mrs. Phil Hansen, and Gus Gray. [Photo by Tammy Gantt]

The Friends of Marion County Black History Museum presented “The Legacy of Black Horsemen” on Feb. 28 as part of local Black history month programming.

Four local horse industry members shared their life journeys with horses. The speakers, led by moderator Harriet Daniels, were Stephen Hope, a thoroughbred horse seller and trainer; Willy Jones, an 86-year-old lifelong horseman with thoroughbreds and gaited breeds; Carla Carter, a retired thoroughbred owner and racetrack advocate for the Women’s Thoroughbred Action League of South Fla;  and Lugusta ‘Gus’ Gray, a Marion County Agriculture Hall of Fame member with more than 60 years working legendary Florida thoroughbred farms including Hooper Farms and Double Diamond Farm.

The panel was followed by a showing of a documentary by Kentucky PBS, “Legacy of Black Horsemen.” Candace Shelton introduced the movie, which shared the importance of the rich history of Blacks in the early days of the horse racing industry in America and how that legacy is still impactful today.

Audrietta Coleman Izlar and Barbara Brooks honored the family of the late Melvin James of Affirmed fame, including brother Bobby James, during the program recognizing Melvin’s legacy as the first licensed Black trainer in Marion County.

Brooks introduced and concluded the event with Corey Edwards, who held drawings for one-of-a-kind posters representing the racing silks worn by Black jockeys who won the Kentucky Derby. The artist, Julie Struck, worked with students from the University of Kentucky and William Wells Brown Elementary, which stands on the land that was formerly the Kentucky Association Racetrack, and many of the jockeys featured in the Legacy project lived and worked in that area.

The Black History Museum of Marion County is located inside the Howard Academy Community Center at 306 NW 7^th Ave., Ocala.

To learn more, go to fb.com/people/Friends-of-Marion-County-Black-History-Museum/61582691195796/