Triple Crown

Happy Campers

As we are staying at Grand Oaks, a 400 acre equestrian resort, it seemed appropriate to sign up for the on-premise Sunday brunch, Florida Carriage Museum tour, and a horse-drawn carriage ride around the property, a/k/a The Triple Crown.

Meet Bud and Weiser

On the property, we saw a few of the 3,000 Buddha statues which were uncovered in China. They are on loan from a collection in Mexico and could be up to 1,500 years old.

Buddha Statues

In the Austin Carriage Museum we saw a collection (160 carriages) that reminded us of the Remington Carriage Museum (270 carriages) in Alberta, Canada.

One of the International Carriages

The Grand Oaks Carriage Museum has one of the world’s largest private collections of carriages and equine artifacts. Gloria Austin's collection includes.

Replica Wells Fargo Stage Coach

The Golden Chariot

The exquisite 1850 Armbruster Dress Chariot was once owned by the Emperor of Austria, Franz and Elisabeth Joseph. 

Wooden Carousel Horse

Fire Chief's Phaeton

Replica of King Tut's Chariot

Hansom Carriage

Fruit and Veggie Stand

Nicolette, A Rare Poitou Donkey

The Poitou donkey is a large breed of donkey originated from the Poitou region of France, about 300 miles south-west of Paris.  It has a thick matted and tangled coat and a white underbelly, nose and rings around its eyes, The breed is rare as there are only about 100 of them in the world.  For hundreds of years, this French donkey was bred solely to be used for agriculture.  They nearly became extinct after WWII as motorized vehicles took over and the mule demand collapsed. Grand Oaks keeps Nicolette shorn, otherwise she would have dreadlocks to the ground.

Nicolette's Partner is Izzy, a runt Clydesdale