Roberts Family Receives 2026 NSBA Jack Benson Award
All photos credit to Shane Rux Photography, courtesy of NSBA.
The National Snaffle Bit Association presented the Roberts Family of Ocala, Florida, with its 2026 Jack Benson Award during the Championship Show on Friday, September 18, at the World Equestrian Center-Ocala.
The Roberts family began their horse journey showing at horse shows around Ohio. The family started Roberts Quarter Horses as buyers and breeders of some of the top horses in the industry. They purchased AQHA Stallion A Sudden Impulse in 1999. Mary, her son, Roby, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer, are all NSBA money earners, having participated in futurity events around the country, often promoting horses the family bred.
The family soon turned their farm into Roberts Arena, a show venue in Wilmington, Ohio. The location became the site of a number of NSBA events, including the Whistle Stop Futurity from 1997-2001, hosted by the Roberts family, as well as the Big Cheese Futurity from 1994-1996. Through the generosity of the Roberts family, the NSBA annual awards banquet was also hosted at the venue on multiple occasions during those years.
In 2015, the Wilmington property received a significant facelift, refocusing on Hunter Jumper events. Meanwhile, the Roberts family purchased acreage in Marion County, Florida, where they developed Golden Ocala Gulf and Equestrian Club, and later the World Equestrian Center. The Ocala show venue opened in 2020, and the newly renovated Wilmington location was rebranded under the World Equestrian Center name.
Through their venues, the Roberts family has promoted Hunter Jumper, Dressage and many other equestrian events. The family’s NSBA futurity shows hosted in Ocala, the Orange Blossom Circuit, A Sudden Impulse and the Championship Show have awarded millions of dollars to NSBA exhibitors.
In 2020, the Roberts family was instrumental in the promotion of NSBA to the Hunter Jumper community when the first Hunter Jumper circuit at the World Equestrian Center-Ocala became the first Hunter Jumper shows to receive NSBA approval.
Photos courtesy of Shane Rux Photography.
About The Jack Benson Service Award
Named after the late NSBA member Jack Benson, the award is presented to an individual who unselfishly gives of his or her time to promote NSBA and its mission, and create greater interest in the pleasure horse industry. The award has been presented annually since 1989.
