Historical marker to be dedicated at old Gables Riding Academy site

Historical marker to be dedicated at old Gables Riding Academy site
Coral Gables Riding Academy (historic photo)

Did you know that back in the 1930s there was a horse riding academy complete with a stable and a show ring that brought the beauty of horses to Downtown Coral Gables?

The City of Coral Gables and the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables are joining efforts to unveil the Coral Gables Riding Academy & Show Ring historical marker on the 65th anniversary of its closing.

The free event takes place on Tuesday, June 6, 11 a.m., at 2320 Salzedo St., in front of Ruth Chris Steakhouse.

From 1930 to 1952, the Gazlay family managed the Coral Gables Riding Academy, bringing the beauty of horses and the excitement of horse shows to Coral Gables residents. The Academy played an important role in the local equestrian community and offered breakfast rides on Sundays which were very popular.

Some horses at the Coral Gables Academy were well known. Silver, a pure white Arabian stallion, famous as the mount of the Lone Ranger in the movies, was the star at local events and parades. Silver was shod in special rubber shoes to provide for surer footing on pavement.

The Academy’s Sunday breakfast rides were a weekly social event during the 1930s and 1940s. The rides wound through the Gables’ trails.

When the riders reached “open country,” now the Riviera section of Coral Gables, they ate breakfast under the trees.

The Coral Gables Riding Academy included an office, stable, and show ring. The original Gables location was on leased ground and moved outside Coral Gables in 1952.


Connect To Your Customers & Grow Your Business

Click Here

13 COMMENTS

  1. I also learned to ride there in the early 70’s. One horse I thought I wanted to buy was a mare named Shamrock. I also remember the bay gelding named Brother. Great memories even when I fell of and was too afraid to get back on. I’m sure that Robin was one of my instructors. We used to climb up on the stacks of hay bales and play hide and seek. Oh, and the geese would chase us if we went up by the house.
    To this day I still have horses and ride a few times a week.

  2. I rode with John gazley when I was a young child in elementary school and I will never forget him in the summer he had a camp and he would pick all of us kids up 15 or 20 of us I need to take us out to the stables which was out in force country that it was still Coral Gables riding Academy and we would spend the day he would take us out to lunch and then he would take all of his kids back home he was a magnificent writer and such a gentleman I will never forget him…. My friend In elementary School Carol Tillenger introduce me to Coral Gables Riding Academy… I have never stopped loving horses and I have the most wonderful quarter horse in the world and he allows me to compete with him still at the age of 15 reining.

  3. I so remember Gladewinds and often rode at the Riding academy when it was way out on sunset road. would love to see your book I’ll look on Amazon

  4. I have a letter from a Mr John Gazlay to a Rob Cobb, of Silver Springs, Fl.,asking that he see a Jim Goe, who was my grandfather, to see about getting some horse shoeing tools returned. The letter is dated April 9, 1945. The letter is typed on Coral Gables Riding Academy and Club.

  5. My Aunt Mary (Marilee Hill Gazley) was married to John Gazley and took over the Riding Academy after Uncle John became to ill to manage it. They lived in a cool old house on Red Road, one block South of Bird Road (next to Allan’e Drugstore). Sometime in the early 50’s they moved to Riding Academy to somewhere nest Sunset Corners.

    Aunt Mary and her Daughter-in-Law, Kathy Gazley, would drive around Coral Gables in their station wagons and pick up kids for the Summer Day Camp at the stables. Aunt Mary would usually take several of her nieces and nephews along, so we all got to learn to ride. Many weekends Aunt Mary would gather up as many of her nieces and nephews as wanted to go, and bring them to her house on Red Road, take them all to a movie, and let them all stay the night in the two upstairs bedrooms (boy’s room and girl’s room). Saturday, we all went to the stables for the day.

    Aunt Mary passed on a few years ago. While she and Uncle John never had any children of their own, Aunt Mary was like mother #2 to dozens of kids and was greatly loved by all.

    I sure miss those days.

  6. My brother, sister, and I used to ride at Coral Gables riding academy out in Kendall in the 60s. Mr. Gazlay would pick up kids that lived in Coral Gables in his station wagon on Saturdays and drive them out there for the day. Those are some of my happiest childhood memories . John Gazlay taught so many Miami horse people how to ride. I’m so happy that they are placing a historical marker where it all started,

  7. Used to ride there with my older sister in the late 1940s. Black Diamond, Red Roan, Black Betty, Misty Dawn were the horses I remember! We’d ride past the Coral Gables golf course, down the Country Club prados and even past our own house on Sevilla Avenue. In the summertime after our ride, we’d all pile into a flatbed truck and drive out to Tahiti Beach, singing songs all the way. It was THE most wonderful riding academy. So happy to see it being honored and remembered!

  8. I’m not sure my last comment went through, but I am so excited to hear of this historic marker in Coral Gables history! My parents met and rode at John Gazlay’s stable, married, then started their own farm on North Kendall Drive in the early 50’s. Glade winds Farm was there for decades as a riding stable and boarding facility.

  9. My mom rode there also her horse was jet black called ” Dixie Echo” he was a saddle bread horse
    She said she use to ride down miracle mile lol

  10. My parents met at Coral Gables Riding Academy in the 50’s, married, then opened a farm on North Kendall Drive called Gladewinds. A riding stable and boarding facility, it was popular for many years. I’m so glad that this stable is being honored and a historical marker has been created. I often heard my parents speak of John Gazlay. I may have a photo or two of my mom there, if interested.
    As a side note, my parents raised us (3 girls) on our family farm, Gladewinds. They have passed away, and I now live in Pennsylvania. I’ve written a children’s book based on my life on our farm, which was recently released, called Mulberry Dreams.

  11. My mom kept her horse ” Dixie Echo” there
    He was jet black saddle horse
    She use to ride down miracle mile

  12. .My Mother and Aunt learned to ride with Mr. Gazlay Sr.,My Grandparents owned a Candy and Ice Cream Shop on 27 th and Coral Way(Staleys),my Mother caught the Horses that lost their Riders and returned them to C.G. Riding Academy .I believe that I have some Photos from the Farm, I would be glad to share

Comments are closed.