“If you genuinely love what you do then you’ll be successful at it and the money will follow,” advises BG Capital Group Founder and Chairman, Bobby Genovese, as his secret to good business.

“I wrap so much of my personal life into my working life that they are actually one and the same,” explains the serial entrepreneur whose personal and professional lives have intertwined since he was 25 years old.  That’s when the Canadian-born businessman founded his first company and, over the years, recognized a natural ability for identifying opportunities that grew into huge winners.

Genovese went on to create one of his many companies being the highly successful BG Signature collection of retreat destinations and polo teams. The collection’s flagship property and Genovese’s personal pride and joy is the 100-acre BG Ocala Ranch, which combines his love of horses and nature with his passion for land preservation and protection of natural resources. 

“My passion for Ocala and its surrounding horse country began the moment I visited the area in 2010. I was stunned by the natural beauty of this precious landscape that is home to some of the world’s most famous racehorses.”

After purchasing the 100-acre farm, Genovese spent the next several years restoring the property to the elegant equestrian retreat that it is today where he enjoys playing polo on his own fields or horseback riding with family and friends.

The 100-acre ranch is undergoing an ambitious refresh of guest accommodations and stables for the upcoming season. 

“Our Great House, guest cottages, farmhouse, and equestrian facilities are all being renovated so that we can welcome the next generation of guests, and we look forward to providing them with the kind of unique equine experience they are looking for,” says Genovese of the improvements.

But the advent of COVID has slowed the ranch’s most recent renovation as well as other projects in the BG family of companies.

“Never before in my lifetime has the world experienced a more significant crisis than the one we are facing now — especially with this scale and breadth, such dire consequences,” says Genovese.

“I want to give personal thanks to those doctors and nurses, caregivers and first responders — people working on the front lines and putting their lives at risk every day to help others — and scientists and researchers working around the clock to find a cure. All of their efforts cannot be celebrated enough. I urge everyone to support their local community in any way they can.”

The BG team has been utilizing this time to reflect and shed light on new opportunities and creative strategies for improvements. As they move through their annual refresh of facilities and infrastructure at BG Ocala Ranch they have taken inspiration from the neighboring World Equestrian Centerthat is slated to open next year. An unprecedented milestone for Ocala, this 1,000 acre, indoor/outdoor, world-class equestrian sports venue will be the United State’s largest and feature state of the art amenities that can accommodate numerous disciplines within the equine Industry.

“The anticipation of the grand opening of the World Equestrian Center in Ocala is something that we are extremely proud of and can’t wait to share our vision with horse enthusiasts around the world,” says Genovese. 

The expansive undertaking will have a huge impact on the Ocala, Florida economy, creating hundreds of new jobs, increasing the value of Ocala real estate, and offering up one of the country’s top competitive equestrian venues to Ocala’s already vibrant horse community.

The event grounds will feature a six-story, 5-star hotel, located at the heart of the equestrian resort. The hotel will feature 254 extra-large suites, some equipped with balconies where guests can take in world-class equestrian events, and will also feature retail space, where guests and visitors will find a high-end boutique experience just minutes from the competition rings and barns.

“But, as bright a future as this signals, we are living in one of the most trying times in modern history that is compelling us to face this challenge with intelligence, compassion, and faith,” says Genovese. “Until the end of this pandemic, we must continue to support one another, stay strong and safe, and never lose hope. That, I believe, is our greatest strength.”