The farm’s dedicated team will work tirelessly to create a brighter future for both children and equine partners, harnessing the unique power of this relationship to enrich lives and unlock human potential. Through their efforts, Fresh Start Farm stands as a beacon of hope to the many local youth who will be impacted by their equine companions. Our co-founders, Chester and Becky Gregory, graduated from the University of Florida. Becky with a degree in Recreational Therapy. They married in 1981 and began teaching and coaching at North Marion High School in Ocala, FL.
Chester developed the baseball program at North Marion. He noticed there were many kids who struggled due to poverty and a tough home life. The program and the facilities needed attention. The field had no lights, limited seating for fans, no concession stand or restrooms, small dugouts, and a need for a cultural change. The young men on the field were much like the field – unnurtured, undeveloped, and unsuccessful. But Chester did not leave the field or the boys as he found them. With a firm hand and a kind heart he transformed the ground and lives into something of beauty and dignity. The young men on his team had their lives challenged and changed. Chester furthered his career in education as the Principal at Forest High School and Assistant Superintendent of Marion County Schools under George Tomyn. After the 911 tragedy, Chester (Chief of Security Forces at Jacksonville. Florida Air National Guard base) was called to Washington DC to support the Crisis Action Team at Andrews Air Force Base.
Becky taught Math including AP Calculus The therapist in her developed a meaningful connection with her students. In the classroom, she too noticed how many of them struggled with poverty and difficult home situations. She worked diligently with her students; they achieved some of the county’s most successful AP scores. After she left teaching, Becky had a tutoring/riding lesson business. Here she worked with many kids individually and was able to have a more in-depth view of their struggles and abilities. She learned much from having one-on-one time with these kids and knew that helping kids learn their potential is what she wanted to do.
During their years at North Marion they had a daughter, Kelly. When she began school, it soon became clear they needed to do more for her. They agreed and Becky began home schooling. This allowed her the time to expand her lifelong passion for Thoroughbreds as she entered the arena of reclaiming off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTB). In 2000, their family moved from Sparr to a farm in south Ocala. By then they had 2 sons. The older, David, born at Vanderbilt University so he could undergo in utero surgery to help diminish the effects of spina bifida and the younger, Jacob, born prematurely and needing to be transferred to Shands with a collapsed lung. Both boys started life with struggles that would have lasting effects in different ways. As time went on, Becky began teaching Science and math at Redeemer Middle School. Redeemer had an excellent preschool the boys could attend but it became apparent that school was not going to lead to success for either boy. In 2003, she again began homeschooling, but this time it was boys and special needs ones at that.
David’s needs, due to his spina bifida, meant many hours of therapy each week. This helped Becky hone new skills. Working closely with her sons, both of whom had significant processing issues, deepened her heart for the struggles that kids face in daily life. Her empathy for underprivileged kids, whether emotionally, scholastically or financially challenged gave her a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.
In 2019, the Gregorys entered a new arena. All the years of horses and therapy began to make sense. Their daughter, Kelly, a licensed mental health therapist with her Master’s Degree from University of Florida and many specialty certifications had developed a business, Arena Counseling and Wellness and was ready to add Equine Therapy to her client offerings. From years of horses in the pasture, she knew the healing power this modality would open for her clients.
Another thing the Gregorys knew from their years of owning horses (something most people know without owning them), horses are expensive and reclaiming horses is more so. Even the extra money from equine therapy couldn’t come close to covering the cost of maintaining and restoring their horses. Meanwhile, clients were driving an hour or more as Kelly’s practice and most clients are in Gainesville. A better vision began to coalesce. These horses and at-risk youth could be the answer to each other’s struggles.
Deciding to put their current farm on the market and expand to a property north of Ocala…Fresh Start Farm, a 501(c3) Corporation, was born.
