Agent Stories | Career Best – Beckie Cantrell

You may remember when we told you last year about Indian Prairie Ranch – an idyllic, sprawling training facility built and developed by the legendary Clyde D. Rice. After nearly forty years in the family, they decided to sell the property and engaged Beckie Cantrell at Showcase Properties to facilitate the process. Cantrell closed the deal on January 23 with Brooklyn Farms for $3 million. It is one of the top ten sales of large equestrian properties in Marion County in the past year, and one of two Showcase agent career bests in the past month.

“It’s fantastic. We knew it might take a while to sell it; it’s a large property and it really needed a buyer who was prepared and right for the place,” Beckie says. “The people at Brooklyn Farms appreciated the property for what it was and its serenity. It’s close enough to the World Equestrian Center that their granddaughter can compete, and far enough from the hustle and bustle that they can gather and enjoy the peace and quiet.”

A graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Agriculture, Beckie is also a seasoned thoroughbred farm owner of 25 years, giving her a specific and integral insight about equestrian properties like this one. Her ability to understand a property’s needs and requirements is an important element in assessing the right buyer for the right property, and she was pleased at Brooklyn Farms’ interest. 

“They’re really wonderful people who want exactly what the Rice’s intended: A place to go and work with the horses and be around other horse people,” she says. “It’s close to the event venues and far enough away that there’s plenty of privacy. I think they’ll be very happy there.” 

Indian Prairie was the culmination of a long, substantial career for Rice. A renowned training expert, he was regarded as a natural and singularly talented horseman with an innate understanding of equine behavior and potential. The ambition of not only creating a top-notch training farm, but also a legacy for his wife Jean and their children was realized when they relocated to Ocala and bought the estate. 

“We kind of discovered Ocala was a perfect fit for breaking and training young thoroughbreds. For one thing, the weather is a lot kinder,” explained his son Bryan. “It’s a lot easier when you can lean into the year-round warm weather and train straight through.” 

The main house has over 5000 square feet of space, with an enormous kitchen and fireplace where the family could gather for meals and celebrations, plus a backyard saltwater pool, pergola, and an in-home sauna. 

Spread across four parcels, the farm has four barns, including the large main training barn with a fly spray system, wash racks, and an office, a total of 24 stalls – plus large tack, feed, and equipment storage. There’s a eurocizer, two round training pens, a half-mile irrigated dirt track and starting gate for workouts, multiple paddocks and literally miles of hiking and riding trails. 

Cantrell was excited to find a new owner for the farm and realized instinctively that the property needed someone who shared Clyde’s core intention and vision. Her experience in commercial lending for thoroughbred farms and properties, as well as her career as a REALTOR? created and built solid relationships in the industry. 

“If you know the lay of the land and what it has to offer, you’re better able to offer people something they might not have considered before,” she says. “That’s why they come to you for help.”

The Rice family lived at Indian Prairie for decades, with the children going on to storied equestrian careers of their own. Sons Curt and Wayne were top competitive jockeys and trainers. Bryan, a trainer, and his wife Holley, a jockey, established Woodside Ranch as a training and pinhooking operation, and Clyde’s daughter Linda is arguably one of the most successful race-winning trainers in the business.

It wasn’t an easy decision to put the property up for sale after Clyde’s passing in 2017, but Jean met the moment with equanimity, saying “We had our story, our children have their own to write, and it’s time for the farm to begin a new story.”

Meet the People Behind the Properties

Behind every great real estate deal is a great agent. Our team isn’t just about buying and selling homes—they have unique stories, insights, and passions that make them stand out. Dive into our collection of Agent Stories to learn more about the people who make it all happen.