Indy

Indy 120831

We were driving around Fernandina Beach and passed the Old Towne Carriage Company at 115 Beech Street. As we passed we noticed a large horse being groomed by a lady. Seeing a photo opportunity, we hopped out of the car.

Indy and Rita Jackson 120830

What we saw was probably the largest animal on Amelia Island, Indy, the Belgian Draft Horse. The groomer turned out to be Rita Jackson, owner of the company. She told us that Indy weighed in at about 1800 pounds. You can see from the photo that Indy is quite muscled. Rita mentioned that Belgians are well suited for carriage pulling and this particular horse was a champion puller from the Michigan State Fair. She had tried a Clydesdale previously and found it to be not strong enough for the job. There are a couple of write-ups (1, 2) in local media about the carriage company and Indy.

Rita showed us the three carriages she had. One is for regular touring around Fernandina Beach. The second is a white one for weddings. The third is stored in an office and is the 100+ year old carriage from the Carnegie's on Cumberland Island. On the inside wall of the building are five or six black and white photos of carriages.

I asked about other horses on Amelia and Rita said there were not many ... maybe 7 or 8. Indy is the biggest.

Rita told us that she didn't mind us taking photos. About that time two couples arrived for a ride before the late afternoon thundershower started. So, we said goodbye ...

-CR
Photos by RS