by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 21, 2023
We have an ancient dog-eared Advent calendar, made out of paper, that is decades old. How many I couldn’t tell you exactly, but it has the traditional numbered windows that count down until Christmas.
Each day, you open one of the windows and see a picture of a doll (most definitely not a Barbie!), a baseball, a wrapped gift or something similar that harks back to a less-complicated era.
Because this calendar has been with us for so long, I haven’t paid attention to the advances in Advent calendars that in many cases these days, seem not actually to be calendars, but rather, a set of gifts.
I saw one that offered exotic chocolates (it sold out long before Thanksgiving when I checked on it) and another that offered different types of whiskey. Then there was the Advent calendar for cats from Trader Joe’s (didn’t see a dog Advent calendar). This one featured salmon and dried seaweed treats. Yum.
The cat Advent calendar.
But what really got my attention was the Breyer model horse Advent calendar.
The Breyer horse Advent calendar. (Photo courtesy of Breyer)
You know Breyer models. What horse lover hasn’t collected them at some point; it’s not just children, plenty of adults have a Breyer collection or hobby.
Stephanie Macejko, vice president of marketing at Reeves International, Breyer’s parent company, noted the calendars containing little model horses “are popular, because the kids get to open up something every day leading up to Christmas.”
The items include tiny riders, a jump and a hay bale, among other accessories. They’re all sized to fit in with the horses, which are called Mini Whinnies, about an inch and a half high.
There’s also a unicorn Advent calendar, with not only the horned equines, but also fanciful accessories, sparkly water troughs and buckets in fantasy colors, to coordinate with their fairy tale image. The Breyer calendars are available at Amazon, tack stores and independent toy stores.
The unicorn calendar. (Photo courtesy of Breyer)
“What’s fun is that it offers kids, or adults, an opportunity to get a little surprise that they open every day,” Stephanie pointed out.
“Even once the holidays are over, the kids have a set they can play with all year round. It provides a lot of ongoing value and they have a set that would travel.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 19, 2023
After an eight-year absence, the FEI World Equestrian Games in effect will be back, coming to Aachen, Germany, in 2026, in all but name.
The FEI awarded world championships in jumping, dressage, para dressage, eventing, driving and vaulting to the renowned European facility Aug. 10-23 2026, with only endurance out of the mix. That will be held in Saudi Arabia that October.
The Aachen championships will be a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Games in the Olympic sports and para. Buy your tickets starting Monday Nov. 20 at https://www.aachen2026.com/
Aachen was the only site bidding for all the sports but endurance. Both Burghley in England and Boekelo in the Netherlands lost bids to hold eventing separately.
Aachen hosted what is generally accepted as the best of the WEGs in 2006, attracting 576,000 spectators. Those Games also included endurance, and reining, which is no longer an FEI sport.
The WEG began as a compilation of FEI world championships in 1990, ostensibly a one-off, but that competition in Sweden was so successful the concept continued through 2018. Other WEGs were less wonderful than their debut or Aachen’s rendition, and organizers became reluctant to bid for the whole thing because of the expense and the complications of staging that number of disciplines. So in 2022, the world championships were hosted separately in several nations.
“Following the outstanding FEI World Championships 2022 organized in Denmark, Italy and the UAE (which ran the endurance),” FEI President Ingmar de Vos said after bids were received in August, “we are confident this flexible approach with single and multiple bids serves not only the sport, but also the fans and the development of equestrian around the world, allowing different nations and venues to bid to host a major FEI event.”
And then three months later, Aachen gets awarded practically the whole shebang.
Aachen knows how to do pageantry, as it demonstrated in the 2006 WEG. (Photo © 2006 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We thank the FEI for their trust,” CHIO Aachen General Manager Michael Mronz said.
“We feel honored and pleased to host, together with the German Equestrian Federation, the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026…We would like to invite the entire world of equestrian sport to Aachen so that we can celebrate an unforgettable event together in 2026.”
The awarding of the sports to Aachen and Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, “is a significant decision for the future of equestrian sport,” De Vos maintained.
“We examined every aspect of the bids we received and especially the sporting infrastructures, the conditions for the horses, accessibility and sustainability,” he said.
“The FEI is delighted to have secured such outstanding hosts for our most prestigious championships three years in advance, which allows plenty of time for preparation and planning.
“I would like to congratulate the winners, who submitted outstanding bids. We are all well aware of Aachen’s unique track record of organizing extremely successful large-scale events. We were impressed with Al Ula’s proposal, which not only contains all the components of a successful event but seeks to showcase the heritage and potential of an entire region.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 17, 2023
Dressage trainer Michael Barisone is writing a book, and now it has a happy ending—except it’s also a beginning.
The first line of the book, he explained, is “I have lived two lives.”
Barisone was given another chance today in court, following more than four harrowing years that started with a shooting, being charged with attempted murder, then ran through a high-profile trial, time in jail and stays in psychiatric institutions.
After getting good reports from psychiatric professionals, Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor in Morristown, N.J., authorized Barisone’s discharge from Greystone Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, N.J., with certain conditions.
They include having him remain in New Jersey, living at the home of a friend in Whitehouse Station; getting regular treatment from a psychologist in Clinton, no possession of firearms, only an occasional alcoholic beverage and a return to court in three months for an update.
Perhaps most important, Barisone was ordered to have no contact with dressage rider Lauren Kanarek, who nearly died after being shot twice in 2019. Kanarek and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, were tenants at Barisone’s horse farm in Long Valley, N.J., where they clashed with ever-increasing intensity, resulting in the shooting when Barisone thought she wanted to kill him.
Barisone was charged with second-degree attempted murder. A jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity last year and he was remanded to the Anne Klein Forensic Center for evaluation before being transferred to Greystone.
The 2008 U.S. Olympic dressage team alternate, who appeared at the courthouse in a brown Stetson and cowboy boots, had more than a dozen supporters accompany him to the courtroom. Some had known him since he first came to New Jersey in 1996.
Michael Barisone and Lara Hausken Osborne with legal team members Andrew Gimigliano, Chris Deininger and Ed Bilinkas. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Barisone briefly seemed dazed by the decision at his Krol hearing. That is a proceeding to find whether it is still fair to keep those judged not guilty by reason of insanity out of society, while determining how dangerous they are to themselves and others.
“I don’t really know what to say. I’m sort of on my heels. I don’t know what to expect anymore. I’m out of words,” Barisone said after Taylor’s decision, praising his team of lawyers, Ed Bilinkas, Chris Deininger and Andrew Gimigliano.
Then he quoted a line from rock band Shinedown’s song, Daylight: “It’s amazing what the hard times can reveal; like who shows up, who walks away and who’s for real.”
One of those who is for real is his partner, Lara Hausken Osborne. She had tears in her eyes as she said, “I’m shell-shocked. I’m still holding my breath. I can’t believe it actually happened. I’m so glad. I need him home in Florida.”
She is running a farm that Barisone owns there.
Michael Barisone hopes to be riding again soon. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Deininger said, “I believe that the court has reached the correct result. These are very complicated matters, trying to balance society’s interests with an individual’s interests. I don’t think it’s an easy task, and we struck the right balance.”
Taylor listened to testimony from Greystone psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Sheikh and psychologist Dr. Lucas Rockwood about Barisone’s progress since he started working with them and their team at the hospital this year.
Sheikh called Barisone “stable and highly functional,” so he could “step down to a less restrictive environment.” He already spent 21 days out of the hospital, when he was able to go to shops and restaurants, as well as seven nights in a friend’s home.
Patients are taught coping skills about how to handle adverse situations and healthy ways to get their needs met. When Barisone was dealing with Kanarek, he suffered from delusional disorder and believed she was trying to kill him, Lockwood said.
He noted that while Barisone remembers what happened before and after the shooting, he cannot recall anything about the so-called “index incident.”
When certain needs are not met during childhood, Lockwood said, it develops a defeatist perspective. Barisone was abused as a youth, and “made to feel worthless as a child.” He handled that by overcompensating with perfection to counter underlying feelings of inferiority. But at the time of the incident, he didn’t have the coping skills he needed to deal with his issues involving Kanarek and Goodwin, whom he wanted to evict.
Being obsessive-compulsive or having an excessive focus on work are simply character traits, noted Sheikh, saying Barisone is empathetic and has “good impulse control.”
As an example of how Barisone had progressed, Lockwood mentioned when another patient got in his face, he used the “stop skill—stop, take a step back and proceed mindfully,” and then summoned Greystone staff to handle the problem.
Barisone’s delusional issues are in remission now, and he no longer thinks he was acting in self-defense when he encountered Kanarek.
“He says he feels horrible for what he did. He’s glad she survived and wishes the best for her,” Lockwood reported.
When asked what might happen if Barisone would encounter Kanarek, Lockwood replied, “He does not want to see her ever again.”
Queried on the stand whether he saw any risks if Barisone is not held in a secure setting, Lockwood replied, “Not at this time.”
He agreed with Sheikh that Barisone should be released and continue treatment with the private psychologist, since “he does not need the level of treatment from Greystone.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 17, 2023
With Wellington, Florida, “at a turning point,” the Village Council faced some hard truths and voted 4-1 Thursday night to take land out of the Equestrian Preserve, the key to enabling development of an expanded showgrounds that would replace the current cramped facility.
“This is a game played in four quarters and overtime,” said Councilman John McGovern, “and we are a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter.”
The Wellington International showgrounds is the focal point of the Village’s reputation as the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World,” but it needs more land to spread out and offer the amenities necessary to upgrade its standard.
Developer Wellington Lifestyle Partners, headed by Doug McMahon, has agreed to build the badly needed showgrounds expansion on its Wellington South parcel, but only if WLP is permitted to construct a golf community on 96 acres of its Wellington North parcel down the road. That property is designated as part of the 9,000 acres of Preserve that is spread throughout the village.
Many residents who attended council meetings on the development plans over the last three nights consider the Preserve sacrosanct, and felt removing any of the acreage had the potential to create a domino effect precedent that eventually would unravel it.
But the showgrounds situation was made more dire by the revelation Wednesday that Global Equestrian Group, which owns the home of the world-famous Winter Equestrian Festival, is for sale and its future with the facility is a question mark.
An illustration of the expanded showgrounds, complete with derby field and indoor arena.
The vote isn’t the last word on the development situation, because this was only the first reading of the ordinances. The second reading is set for some time in January, when four of the council members must vote in favor of removing land from the Preserve if that is to go forward.
Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone was the lone nay vote on taking land from the Preserve and a change of zoning for Wellington North, but voted with the rest of the council in a unanimous decision involving rezoning land on Wellington South to Equestrian Commercial Recreation where the showgrounds will be expanded to include dressage. That discipline runs at Equestrian Village on Wellington North, and will continue there until work is finished on the expanded showgrounds, with a deadline of Dec. 31, 2028 to complete the project.
While Napoleone noted everyone agrees the horse show needs improvement, he wasn’t comfortable voting for the changes on Wellington North.
“At this time, I still have too many questions about what that future horse show is going to be,” he commented.
“I don’t have enough information about the capital, where the money’s coming from, how this is going to happen.”
He wonders, “Is it the right product? Is it sustainable? Does it make sense for the community? And if it does, then we revisit this, but today I don’t have the information I need to do that.”
A formal application for the showgrounds has yet to be filed, and it will have to go through the hearing process to seek approval.
Addressing those at the meeting who were upset about taking the Wellington North land out of the preserve, Councilman Michale Drahos reminded the crowd, “We don’t own the land that we’re all here talking about.”.
Wellington North not only is the home of dressage, but it also has a grass derby field that is highly regarded by show hunters and jumpers.
“It is owned by a private entity; it is not Wellington’s land,” Drahos pointed out about the North parcel.
“If they decide to shut it down tomorrow, we cannot stop them from doing that. My approach to doing this is not from the standpoint of a hostage, it’s from the standpoint of an opportunist.”
He explained, “If I have a deal on the table that says to me, you have to take out less than 1 percent of the Equestrian Preserve area land to guarantee the future success of equestrian sport, I’m taking the deal. Because that’s what I believe puts us on the most stable ground and not just today, but 50 years into the future.”
There are those who have expressed concern that Mark Bellissimo is involved with WLP, because some felt they had been burned by him in the past.
Drahos gave credit where credit is due, saying, “My kids grew up going to showgrounds that Mark Bellissimo built. It’s not a popular thing to say in a room like this, to speak favorably of what Mark Bellissimo accomplished for our community.”
Drahos referenced a comment by Murray Kessler, the former president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, made during a hearing on the development issues that Mark Bellissimo is responsible for the explosion of the sport in Wellington.
But Drahos acknowledged, “Mark Bellissimo is out of gas. To his credit, I think he has recognized that what he wishes to accomplish in this town he can’t get done. He’s gone to somebody he thinks can. If we are determined to rely upon the past, we are destined to become an afterthought.”
Council member Tanya Siskind said there is time to make further adjustments, but noted “the applicant has made many concessions, has listened, has made a less dense project. Those who oppose this and those who support it all have at least one thing in common, and that is the show must improve and/or expand. This is the vehicle to get there. I think is protecting our equestrian lifestyle.”
Mayor Anne Herwig likes to say that without the equestrian element, “We’d be Boynton Beach without the beach. This is what sets us apart.”
She added about the showgrounds, “I don’t know a way to save it without some investment. None of this was our investment, it’s all been private investment, but we are the stewards.”
For the previous columns about last week’s hearings on Wellington development, click on this link for the second story and here for the first story.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2023
At the very end of a five-hour Wellington, Florida, council meeting on the controversial Wellington North and South development proposals, Councilman John McGovern raised a key question Wednesday night.
At the heart of all the conversation about the development is the need for an expanded showgrounds at Wellington International, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival. Developer Wellington Lifestyle Partners has agreed to put money toward the project on Wellington South under a scenario that would allow them to build housing and recreational amenities on Wellington North, now the home of the Global Dressage Festival at Equestrian Village.
That property and the neighboring White Birch polo fields are part of the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District, commonly known as the Equestrian Preserve, a designation which is supposed to mean it is safe from being overtaken by major housing developments. But remarks during a public hearing Wednesday and in a comment period Tuesday night raised the issue of how much the showgrounds project would cost to build, and where the funding would come from.
So a concerned Councilman McGovern asked Wellington International President Michael Stone, “We’ve heard a great deal about GEG (Global Equestrian Group, Wellington International’s owner)…and we’ve heard GEG is foundering, is not going to do any maintenance on the showgrounds. We’ve heard any number of things. And the most substantive of those that we heard, and we heard it several times tonight, is that GEG is up for sale and has been up for sale for two years. So I want to give you a chance to address whether GEG, Wellington International, any of that is currently up for sale today.”
Stone responded, “GEG has spent close to $12 million since they bought it (the showgrounds, in 2021). So for people to say they’ve invested nothing in the property is nonsense. GEG is owned by private equity, Waterland Group in Denmark, which has its headquarters in the Netherlands.
“I think most people involved in that level of investment businesses know most private equity is run on a five-year turnaround. So they try to improve the product and then they want to sell the whole thing. This is pretty typical of that sort of investment. So sure, it hasn’t been for sale for two years, but if someone wants to come and buy GEG, I’m sure Waterland will sell it. It’s not a secret and never has been.”
Michael Stone. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
The council faces a big decision on whether to take 96 acres out of the Equestrian Preserve so WLP can build its project on Wellington North. WLP has the land for a showgrounds expansion on Wellington South, just down the road, but without permission to build on Wellington North, the property needed to improve the showgrounds won’t be available.
To repeat a comment printed here yesterday from a spokesperson for WLP: “If the residential units in our application are not granted on the North Parcel it simply does not make economic sense to give up the residential development rights we have on Pod F (acreage on Wellington South) in addition to the incremental investment of approximately $25mm+ in new equestrian facilities that we are committing to build on Pod F.”
When it comes time for a final vote, four of the five council members, a super-majority, would have to say yes on removing land from the Equestrian Preserve. That has many Wellington residents upset; more than 7,000 signed a petition against that action, and “Horses Not Houses” T-shirts were in evidence among those in the crowd at Wednesday’s meeting.
Scores of people either spoke against removing the land from the Preserve or wrote in on comment cards that they were opposed. Only a minority who appeared during the public hearing were for allowing development on Wellington North, because they felt improving the showgrounds is so important to the future of Wellington as the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.”
If the showgrounds is expanded, dressage would move there from Equestrian Village. The issue has been raised, however, that dressage riders don’t like the idea of being among the hunters and jumpers of WEF because that could distract their horses.
Olympic dressage rider Ashley Holzer said she originally was opposed to the project, but after conversations and consideration, she is in favor of it.
Ashley Holzer competing at the Global Dressage Festival. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Of WLP, she said, “They have changed their initial format. They are working with us. They really do want us to have a home for dressage. My fear is we could lose dressage. Period. The End.
“Before Global, there was not this world-renowned facility that we have. If dressage has no home, we’re moving to Ocala,” she continued, referring to the World Equestrian Center there, the facility with a 5-star hotel and the equivalent for horses in the stables.
However, Equestrian Village is private property, and the owners are under no compulsion to offer dressage shows there past Wellington International’s 2024 lease. If Equestrian Village and White Birch are not taken out of the Preserve, the owners could have a riding school there or open a restaurant, office building or “personal care” facilities, such as a nail salon or a chiropractor’s office on 45 percent of the property, according to municipal staff.
Drew Martin, who appeared on behalf of the Sierra Club in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties, told the council, “We oppose this project. I have not heard a single solid argument why you would approve this.” Of the developers, he said, “There’s a question of whether they have the ability to finance this project.”
He believes there is enough in the way of assets in Wellington to improve the showgrounds without approving the Wellington North project.
“You don’t need to sell out to a developer to make it happen,” he contended.
“You cannot maintain a town as successful as Wellington if you don’t preserve something. I look at your logo and you have the horse and the trees. And I’m thinking if you approve this, you’ve got to change the logo. You’ve got to get rid of the horse and get rid of the trees. I don’t know what you’re going to put there, maybe a picture of a traffic jam.”
The derby field used by hunters and jumpers would be a huge loss in the view of some speakers at the Wellington meetings, as very few grass fields are available in the U.S. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Councilman Michael Napoleone was pondering the whole situation during the meeting.
“If the applicant wasn’t suggesting expanding the showgrounds onto Pod F, would staff have still recommended taking this land out of the EOZD to build this development,” Napoleone asked Tim Stillings, the village’s director of planning, zoning and building.
“I don’t believe so,” he replied.
Napoleone continued, “We wouldn’t be here today but for the fact that they’re promising to build an expanded showgrounds on Pod F. So maybe we should start talking about what that’s going to look like and what’s really going to happen, versus the Phase I we’re being guaranteed in Condition Seven (of the developer’s application) which really is just moving what we already have to a different footprint so they can build what they’re not allowed to build on the Equestrian Village/(White) Birch footprint with the hope and promise someone’s going to come in with a couple of dump trucks full of cash to build out the rest of it.
Horses not Houses T-shirts were worn by those like Drew Martin who are concerned about taking land out of the Equestrian Preserve.
“If they don’t build out the rest of it, we’re not really gaining anything, right?” Napoleone continued.
“This is not an easy yes or no. I’ve struggled with a lot of this But for getting the expanded showgrounds, I can’t envision why anyone would vote to take property out of the EOZD. I don’t know that I’ve heard anything in the months leading up today that I know I’m getting anything more than Phase I. So maybe we can hear more about how do we know we’re getting all of the equestrian expansion versus just Phase I, which you (WLP) said you’re going to put in $25 (million) to $30 million” which other people said at the meeting is not nearly enough to complete the project.
Traffic concerns and environmental issues involving the Wellington South parcel also were discussed, with conflicting information in comments from both sides.
The meeting will continue Thursday night, but that won’t be the end of it, as there needs to be a second reading and January was mentioned for more meetings in that time frame.
To read a previous story about the showgrounds, click here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 21, 2023
The equestrian portion of the Pan American Games in Chile this autumn was quite remarkable–some even called it the best ever, rising to a new, higher standard.
The delivery was coordinated by Cesar Hirsch, who has been re-elected to the presidency of the Pan American Equestrian Confederation. Out of 26 votes, 25 were in favor of the 51-year-old Venezuelan. He was unopposed for his second term, which runs through 2027.
Cesar Hirsch
Venezuelan National Federation Secretary General Maria Fernanda Faria said in a letter of support for Cesar that he “has led PAEC with exceptional dedication and vision, which has translated into remarkable success for our organization.
“We take immense pride in recognizing the significant achievements that PAEC has attained under his astute leadership. With full confidence, we believe he will continue to uphold the highest standards and deliver exemplary performance that has become synonymous with his tenure.”
Cesar commented, “I am truly humbled by the level of support I have received from our national federations and I pledge to devote myself to working tirelessly for the betterment of the sport in our region, with a laser focus on equine well-being.
“The quality of the sport at the recent Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, with its pathway to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, could not have been a better endorsement of the incredible improvement in standards throughout the Americas.
“Working together as a team, not just within the PAEC Board, but with all our national federations, we will face up to our challenges and build on the successes we have achieved over the past four years. We have a lot of work to do, and a lot to look forward to as well.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 15, 2023
They wore red T-shirts with white lettering that said “Vote No,” part of an overflow crowd which showed up for the Wellington, Florida, Village Council’s five-hour Tuesday night meeting on development plans that would affect the equestrian community.
The council drew no conclusions at the meeting, which will continue Wednesday evening. The session drew prominent figures in the horse world to speak on both sides of Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ plans for developing an expansion of the cramped Wellington International showgrounds. It is linked to taking more than 96 acres out of the Equestrian Preserve so WLP can build housing on a nearby parcel that now hosts dressage shows at Equestrian Village. In order for a property to be removed from the Preserve, four of the five council members must vote in favor.
A view of development plans for the North parcel.
This has been a long-running saga. It began when Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners, a major landholder in the village, announced his plans for the Wellington 3.0 development in 2022.
That went nowhere, and this year, a new iteration of his vision emerged under the banner of Wellington Lifestyle Partners, with Bellissimo stepping back and Doug McMahon taking over as WLP’s CEO. The plans for development were christened “Wellington North” for what is now the site of the dressage shows, and “Wellington South,” where the nearby showgrounds used by the Winter Equestrian Festival of hunters and jumpers would expand.
A view of development on the South parcel.
McMahon, managing director of developer The Tavistock Group and co-founder of the Nexus Luxury Collection, kicked off Tuesday’s meeting by offering a mea culpa, saying WLP’s original plan was “too grand.”
He explained, “Honestly, we were too big; we were too bold. I think we got it wrong.”
The application originally had too many condominiums and was too dense, he said, and what would happen with the showgrounds was “confusing.” A case in point was that several people who spoke to the council Tuesday night came up with different figures for how much land actually would be added to the existing showgrounds under the expansion plan.
A series of revisions by WLP has reduced the amount of housing to be built, from 447 to 210 units, and removed a number of condo buildings, coming up with plans that are “greener, more open.” But most important, WLP “has taken responsibility for a new showgrounds” that would include “a new home for dressage” and a new derby field on Wellington South, McMahon said. WLP will manage the funding and pay an estimated $25 million to $30 million toward building the showgrounds.
Although originally the parent company of Wellington International was going to buy the land and build the showgrounds, if all the approvals are in order, WLP will be building the showgrounds and leasing the facility to Wellington International. Since the showgrounds expansion concept surfaced, the economic climate has changed and financing is difficult
If WLP does not fulfill what is known as “Condition Seven,” McMahon said, “we do not get to build houses. It’s clear—a new showgrounds first, then we get to build houses.”
Most of the evening was taken up by comments from “interested parties,” representing residents with a stake in the community. There are those who worry that allowing a housing development on even a small portion of the village’s 9,000 Equestrian Preserve acres would open the door to other developers taking more land from the preserve.
Jane Cleveland, chair of the village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee that unanimously voted against taking land from the Preserve for development, wondered how you say yes to one developer “and no to the next.”
She called the development plans “the first domino. It’s not just 96 acres, it’s the first 96 acres,” cautioning that a precedent would be set for more property to be removed subsequently, she contended, comparing the possible future to what happened in now highly developed Boca Raton, south of Wellington.
The “Horses not Houses” movement has gathered more than 7,000 signatures on a petition against the WLP project. Residents campaigning against it, like those in “Vote No” T-shirts, see the proposed development as a threat to the equestrian ambience that makes Wellington “The Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.”
Prior to the meeting, WLP spokesperson Juliana Ferre explained to me that “If the residential units in our application are not granted on the North Parcel it simply does not make economic sense to give up the residential development rights we have on Pod F (Wellington South) in addition to the incremental investment of approximately $25mm+ in new equestrian facilities that we are committing to build on Pod F.”
The prominent Jacobs family, which owns Deeridge Farms just down Pierson Road from Equestrian Village, has previously clashed with Bellissimo. They were represented at the meeting by land use attorney Harvey Oyer, who revealed the family is “cautiously neutral” on the application, which had its first reading Tuesday.
Oyer noted that even so, his clients had “significant concerns that these applications threaten the character of Wellington’s equestrian community and the Jacobs family remains reluctant to support proposals, even though it is clear that the applicant has not only heard our concerns, but also adjusted their applications to address many of the concerns.”
The way that traffic would be affected by Wellington North is another question raised by the Jacobs.
The family does, however, support such concessions as presentation of more detailed plans for horse show grounds improvements, conditions that require they be completed in five years and “most importantly,” prior to any development or construction, Oyer reported. The family will continue to monitor the project so it can determine before the second reading if the project is in the best interests of the village of Wellington.
He said the Jacobs also want to see the Equestrian Village and adjacent White Birch parcel in the Preserve revert to their current restrictions if “the horse show improvements are not completed as represented” by the end of 2028. That land is privately owned, and even without taking it from the Preserve, a certain amount of building would have to be allowed there.
Oyer also mentioned “the history of failed promises by parties affiliated with the applicant has left our community feeling victimized time and time again. So the skepticism from our community is easy to understand as there have been too many empty promises and incomplete projects in the past.”
Others who spoke mentioned problems at the Tryon, N.C., International Equestrian Center, another Bellissimo project where a planned hotel never was built and elements of the facility were left unfinished when it hosted the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.
Former U.S. Equestrian Federation President Murray Kessler, a 47-year resident, pointed out, “Many of the great facilities and developments (in Wellington) faced various levels of resistance” before becoming an important part of the community.
Former USEF President Murray Kessler speaking at the Nov. 14 Wellington Village Council meeting.
He smiled when he said Bellissimo could be “a pain in the butt,” but added he had to “give credit where credit is due.” For one thing, investments directed by Bellissimo “put U.S. dressage on the map,” he mentioned. Bellissimo holds all but one of the licenses for the dressage shows held at Equestrian Village.
Explaining that the Wellington International horse show grounds are overcrowded and “sometimes unsafe,” Kessler said there was a danger that the facility could become landlocked with no room for expansion. He feels the process has worked as it is supposed to in refining the application.
Although he objected to the original proposal, WLP has stepped up with major concessions to produce a “win/win proposal.” And, he pointed out, “Doug McMahon is not Mark Bellissimo.”
Lynda Farrington, mother of world number three-ranked show jumper Kent Farrington, and Robin Parsky, who owned several horses ridden by Kent, are concerned about loss of the grass derby field at Equestrian Village, which was part of the original polo development.
Robin Parsky, left, with Kent Farrington and Gazelle.
“This is not replaceable,” Parsky said of the deep-rooted grass, an asset vital for training top international horses to compete at such celebrated grass fields as those at Aachen, Germany, and Spruce Meadows in Canada, she maintained, calling it “priceless.”
Lynda Farrington told the council, “We feel you’re turning your backs on us. We don’t need more houses; we don’t want to become Royal Palm Beach.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 11, 2023
For the first time, show jumping enthusiasts had the opportunity to bet on the FEI Longines World Cup qualifier class at Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Bookmaking firm Fitzdares, which offers odds on everything from snooker to ski jumping, was running the book at https://www.fitzdares.ca/sportsbook/SPECIALS/. When the betting was ongoing, you could have cllcked on “equestrian” to see who was in the running.
The only hitch was that you had to be in the Canadian province of Ontario to open an account and place a bet. Fitzdares has been operating there since the beginning of the year.
The Saturday night feature at the final competition on the North American Fall Indoor Circuit offered an obvious favorite in Kent Farrington of the USA, ranked number three in the world, who has been a big winner at the Royal on Creedance. But he was aboard the less-experienced Greya for her first indoor show and first World Cup qualifier, so that was something different in the equation for that class.
It turned out to be important, as Kent’s time of 34.32 seconds for a clean round in the five-horse jump-off proved only good enough for third over the course designed by Kelvin Bywater. Still, he said, “I’m thrilled with her progress. She’s answering every question.”
Her next stop likely will be the International Jumper Riders Club Top 10 competition in Geneva during December.
Daniel Bluman and Gemma W.
Israel’s Daniel Bluman has loads of mileage with Gemma W, who sped to victory in 33.28 seconds as he raced to beat Kent’s time.
“She was magical tonight,” he said.
“When you’re riding in an event that has this type of atmosphere it’s extra special,” observed Daniel.
“These indoor horse shows are very traditional horse shows in North America. We grew up watching them, and we grew up watching great names win these classes, so I certainly was a little bit upset last year that I couldn’t put my name on that trophy,” noted Daniel, who was second in 2022.
“I don’t know how many chances you get to win a grand prix like this one, and when you are given the chance, the minimum you can do is beat the time of the rider that went before you, so I’m happy that things went my way tonight and we ended up winning the class.”
Daniel, however, nearly got edged by the last to go, Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza on I-Cap CL Z, who was clocked in 33.60 seconds.
Jessica, attired in a rose-colored jacket from Animo with bling on the collar (she said it will now be her lucky jacket) reported that she “played it safe” starting out and could have done one less stride to the third jump, but she really turned on the jets “and let it rip” in the last part of the course.
I asked Bobby Burns, Fitzdares’ director of clubs and partnerships, how the decision to offer odds on the Royal came about.
He said that after taking bets on a pickleball tournament, the people in his office thought, “Why don’t we try it for the Royal?”
As Bobby explained it, “All we needed from the Royal was the name of the contestants and a sort of vague idea of their ability and we were able to sort of draw a book up on it.”
On the website, it’s a different style of betting than I am familiar with, but I’m not a big gambler. It’s what they call “American odds,” which means Kent was at plus 188 on Saturday afternoon, while McLain Ward was at plus 225. Sadly, McLain didn’t make the jump-off with Callas after she had a rail at the first element of the triple combination.
Canadian Tiffany Foster was at plus 400, which translates to 4-1 in the style most people in the U.S. would know. This website–https://theallstar.io/betting-odds-converter/–can translate the odds into whatever style you’re comfortable with. There’s also a way to do that on the Fitzdares site, though you have to join to use it.
I wondered if there will be more show jumping to bet on with Fitzdares, and Bobby said of the Royal, “I can’t imagine it will be the last one. It will be definitely interesting to see an appetite for the market.”
By Saturday afternoon, more than $20,000 had been wagered on the class. Wagering was limited to people in attendance at the show for the first time that betting was permitted. Next year, Bobby forsees more betting on other classes during the week at the Royal.
Kent Farrington, third on Greya in the 4-star Longines FEI World Cup qualifier, won the Royal’s Leading International Rider award for his success throughout the show. (Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography)
A $200 bet on Daniel at 5-1 odds paid off with $1,200, said Bobby.
“It was a great evening.” (And especially for anyone who placed that bet!)
The U.S. Equestrian Federation this year came out with a formal policy on sports betting and preventing manipulation of competition to regulate athletes when betting is involved in their discipline. Last month, I wrote about how betting is being considered for 2024 for the MARS Maryland 5-star.
Reader Sam Campbell, a native of Australia, spotted that article and asked, “Does anyone remember what happened the first day the Brits introduced betting on show jumping?”
He explained, “It is ‘rumored’ a handful of top British riders got together (at Hickstead) and beat the bookies. Betting on showjumping lasted 24 hours. Circa 1969, to the best of my memory.”
I had no luck looking up details of this alleged incident, so I queried Bobby about it.
He had never heard that story, but chuckled and noted, “I wouldn’t be surprised if that was completely true.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 11, 2023
Heather Mason and Lincoln RTF won the Open Grand Prix for the third consecutive time during the US Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan® at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and wrapped up the 18-year-old horse’s career with their third victory in the Grand Prix Freestyle as well.
It is the final show together for the winners, who earned 69.203 percent in the Grand Prix to finish 0.8 percent ahead of Shelley Van Den Neste and Eyecatcher. Nora Batchelder and Faro SQF were third on 68.007 percent.
In the Saturday Freestyle, Lincoln was marked at 74.942 percent (loved the one-handed pirouette). Shelley and Nora switched places from the Grand Prix, Nora was reserve champ in the Freestyle with 74.733 percent that came close to Heather’s total; Shelley got 71.525 percent.
Of Lincoln, Heather said after the Grand Prix, “He was a little bit tricky to ride but very good and did what he needed to do.
“It was a nice last Grand Prix for him. He was getting a bit hot at times and a little bit normal at times, switching back and forth, so when he does that, I have to be really tuned into him.”
She really enjoyed his last victory pass, letting him go in an uncharacteristic way.
“I’m happy because he had two really good rides at the show, and it’s nice to go out while he’s strong,” said Mason.
“I finally let him do what he’s always wanted to do in the prize-giving, which is run. I’ve never done that before because he always gets really hot and then I’m worried about the next test, but this time I didn’t have to worry about that. He’s really been amazing.”
Heather Mason and Lincoln on their way to Grand Prix glory. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle.com)
That comment cover a lot of ground.
“He can be many different ways in a test,” the Lebanon, N.J., rider explained.
“I’ve been riding this horse for a very long time, and I have no idea what makes him one way or the other. He can start dead quiet and then rev up, or start hot and then calm down — there’s no telling. I just have to be ready to ride eight variations at all times; it’s like having eight grand prix horses in one.”
Mason bought Lincoln as a foal, then sold him. She kept in touch with the owner and ended up buying him back for $1 when the new owner had to have a hip replacement.
She has built a relationship with the quirky son of L’Andiamo, carefully managing him with longeing, patience and custom-built thigh blocks on her saddle to help withstand his lightning-fast spins.
Another New Jersey rider, Lauren Chumley of Pittstown, was a winner with Leeloo Dallas in the Open Prix St. Georges championship, the only one among 21 starters to score more than 70 percent–on a mare who is just seven years old.
“My horse is awesome. She’s just a baby but she’s absolutely amazing,” said Lauren, marked at 70.833 percent.
She warmed Leeloo Dallas up for just 15 minutes before the test and then thought, ‘Let’s go!’ and she went. She rocked on.”
Lauren’s mare is by the Ravel son Gaspard De La Nuit DG and out of a Negro dam. The professional trainer selected her from a video when she was a foal.
“I bought her because she was little and black with four white socks, and I could afford her,” said Lauren, who trains with Michael Bragdell.
“She is born, bred, and trained in America. All the horses out of her dam are so rideable. They’re easy, smart, and sensitive but not stupid.”
For all results from the show, click on this link. For just the Grand Prix Freestyle Results, click here
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 14, 2023
“Is there anything I can do to prevent pregnancy loss in my mare?” That is a question too often asked, and the answers are elusive. But the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is offering a webinar this month that should be helpful for those seeking to realize their dreams of a successful breeding.
Dr. Mandi de Mestre, professor of biomedical sciences at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, will discuss the possible reasons why a mare suffers pregnancy loss, including which are the most commonly found in clinical cases of pregnancy loss and what the signs are.
She will highlight new findings on novel genetic reasons a pregnancy might fail and how such cases can be identified. The talk will end with how this information can be used in the management of mares to avoid or minimize the impact of pregnancy loss on mare fertility.
This seminar, part of the Cornell Equine Seminar Series, will be presented Nov. 21, from 6-7 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom. Please register in advance: https://bit.ly/ESS-Nov2023
Dr. de Mestre’s clinical and basic research focuses on the immunobiology of the maternal-fetal interface with a particular interest in pregnancy-related conditions in the mare. She came to Cornell University from The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, and previously earned a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from the University of Sydney, Australia. She earned her Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Australia.
The Cornell Equine Seminar Series is presented by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Hospital, the New York State 4-H Horse Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Held monthly, equine experts present on important equine health and management topics. The event is free and open to the public.
