Boarding, Sales Prep and Training Services

BROODMARE/WEANLING/ YEARLING BOARDING
Boarding your mares and young horses at Journeyman Farm’s state of the art facility, among the majestic oaks, lush pastures, and temperate climate of Ocala, Florida leaves you with the peace of mind that your horses are receiving the finest care available. Staffed by owner/operators Brent & Crystal Fernung  your horse’s care is assured by over 50 years of combined experience.

Whether you are looking for a year round facility to board your mares and/or young horses, or if you are just looking to get your mare through foaling and breeding season in fine order, Journeyman Farm’s team has knowledge unsurpassed anywhere to accomplish your goals.

Brent & Crystal personally attend each foal delivery and use the skills they have developed over the years that have led them to be in high demand to hold foaling clinics around Marion County. The veterinary care is headed by Dr. William Russell, a senior partner in Peterson and Smith P. A., the second largest equine field practice in the United States. During breeding season Dr. Russell attends to Journeyman’s veterinary responsibility 7 days a week.

SALES PREP
Over the past decade, Journeyman’s fine staff has prepped innumerable sales toppers at the Ocala Breeder’s Sales Company including sales topping yearlings, weanlings and broodmares. The Journeyman crew has also prepped the sales topping yearling at the 2001 Fasig Tipton, Kentucky July Sale and the 2002 sales topper at the Fasig Tipton Mid-Atlantic September Yearling Sale. In 2004, the Journeyman crew prepared and Brent Fernung sold as agent, I’LL GET ALONG, who at $5,000,000 was the highest priced mare to sell in the world that year.

Headed by Cirilo Figueroa, the sales prepping crew takes advantage of the individual turn out paddocks and the state of the art European style free walkers to get just the right amount of finish on the sales horses. Brent Fernung always says, “Sales preparation is more art than science and Cirilo has perfected his art”.

Although limited in the number of horses that Journeyman can prepare in any one year, we always accept a number of outside yearlings to prep for the fall sales. Contact either Brent or Crystal if you are interested in learning more.

BREAKING / TRAINING
Headed by Brent Fernung, this division of Journeyman Farms has prepared for racing and/or the 2 year old sales a large contingent of graded stakes performers.

YOU, a Grade one winner five times over with earnings of over $2,000,000, was prepared for the races by the Journeyman methods. 2008 Florida 3 year old filly champion, BSHARPSONATA, a grade 2 stake winner, who is already grade one placed in 2009 was also prepared for the races by the Journeyman staff. SMOKE CHASER, stake winner over $324,000, stake winners CHECK IT TWICE, VOUS, RAPID PROOF and many more were also sent to the races after learning their craft from the Journeyman crew.

Journeyman’s results with auction 2 year olds are also impressive. In 2007 alone, Grade 2 winners, CROWN OF THORNS, 2nd in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita  and BEHINDATTHEBAR were both prepared and sold by Brent Fernung. Both horses were prominent on the Triple Crown trail in 2008. Stake winner and multiple graded placed FAMOUS PATRIOT was also broke and sold by Fernung in 2007.

Journeyman begins the breaking process on the farm, trail riding the horses through the fields, among the grand daddy oaks and eventually onto the small jogging track. Each horse has his personal training schedule prepared according to his level of maturity and needs. After sufficient time is given to getting a good mouth on the yearlings and gaining their trust, they are then transported to the Ocala Training Center located on the Ocala Breeder’s Sales Company grounds. This state of the art facility has perhaps the finest training track in the United States. It is at OBS that they learn the lessons that lead them to become racehorses.