by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 30, 2023
The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association’s decision to stop offering classes for alumni had been coming for a while.
“They’d been thinking about this for years,” maintained Lena Andrews, a former member of the Lehigh University IHSA team who was active in the alumni competition formerly offered at IHSA shows.
Members of the executive team that makes the alumni organization run; Lena Andrews, chairman; Jessie Ann Green, treasurer; Andrea LaManque, secretary; Erica Green Wheeler, co-hunt seat chair; Jess Benner, co hunt-seat chair; Christa Bramberger, sponsorship chair;Katherine Bacolas, points chair; Meg Gennings, co-western chair; Tammy Cranouski, AEE national director; Jamie Windle, vice president. (Skylands Photography photo)
At those shows, riders draw their mounts by lot from English and Western school horses owned by the host colleges. During Lena’s conversations with IHSA officials, “It kept coming up that they want to focus on the undergrads, and that the alumni take horses away from the undergrads, in their opinion.”
Lena believes, “they didn’t really see the value of alumni,” noting there also was a geographic issue.
“Apparently, there are more alumni in the Northeast than in other parts of the country,” she explained.
The IHSA felt “alumni want to come show and go, so they didn’t believe alumni were giving back enough.”
Lena had other ideas about how the alumni could operate.
Finally, IHSA came to the organizers of the Alumni Tournament of Champions, a separate fixture that began in 2012, and informed them, “alumni is done” at the end of the 2022 season.
“We’re not going to have alumni at Nationals,” Lena and other alums were told.
As Lena noted, “You could have done something nice to end it. Instead, there was nothing, it ended in zones (competition). How horrible would it be if the first time you made it to Nationals, there was no Nationals?”
Lena and her fellow alums weren’t going to let that happen. They wound up putting on their own version of Nationals this year, with the idea that it needed “to look and feel as similar as possible” to IHSA Nationals, with prizes and the same kind of ribbons.
Tammy Cranouski, the IHSA’s national alumni director, joined in with the new effort, under the banner of Alumni Equestrian Events (find it on Facebook and Instagram), as it was applying to be a non-profit. She became one of five members on the reformulated board. Their first jobs included developing an alumni-specific rulebook with concepts geared to strengthen alumni riding going forward. Like IHSA, it is open to both men and women.
Jamie Windle and Lena Andrews with Tara Mathews.
The concept of regions was dropped by the AEE series; they are sticking with zones, for one less layer of administration. Although riders have to declare a home zone, unlike undergrads they can ride anywhere, with points counting for the home zone.
“You can make it a fun thing and travel and see the country if you want to,” observed Lena, noting participants may ride in 15 shows in a year, with the 10 best scores to count toward earning the 28 points needed to participate post-season.
Robert Cacchione, who founded IHSA with the late Jack Fritz, noted how the evolution of the IHSA affected the alumni classes.
“As the IHSA grew,” he explained, “we started to put alumni classes at the end of the show to save the horses for the undergrads,” who rode earlier in the day.
He mentioned riders were saying because of the length of the shows and the growth of the teams, the alumni classes didn’t work anymore.
“They’re trying to use the horses only so many times, as they should,” said Robert, who serves on the IHSA executive board and holds the title of Founder Emeritus.
Dropping the alumni competition was the result.
While he noted some of the regions, such as those in the Northeast — New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New England, for instance, had sufficient horses to continue alumni competition, there weren’t enough throughout the country for that to happen everywhere.
“So the alumni came to an agreement with IHSA to do their own thing and save the horseflesh, properly, for undergrads,” Robert said.
Even so, “There is still a dialogue with the board of IHSA and the alumni,” he continued, explaining Tammy remains on the IHSA board.
“She has a lot of input; we always know what’s going on with the alumni and where we may be able to help out throughout the country in different ways.”
The alumni competitions, he mentioned, give former team members a chance to continue riding after graduation, “when they may not have wherewithal to own a horse at this moment in time. It still gives them an opportunity to ride and compete.”
He speculated, “This may enhance the alumni to grow even more. When they were under IHSA, they had to go by IHSA rules. They could only show at our horse shows, and it was tough for them to take off seven or eight times from work during the school year. Here, they can organize four shows on a weekend in different places in the country and people could show at all four shows. That makes it more flexible for alumni. We’re hoping this will help grow the whole alumni organization–I support them.”
Jamie Windle, the AEE vice president, went to Delaware Valley University and used to ride against Lena in the IHSA shows. Asked what she missed about the alumni not being part of the IHSA shows, Jamie observed that in the past, “We were at all the IHSA shows, so you were getting to know the kids from the time they came in as freshmen, to seniors to become friends with them and continue with them and show them how much fun we had.”
Those students are, after all, candidates for alumni classes after they graduate. At Nationals, graduating seniors can ride in the “Future Alumni Cup” in an effort to “entice them to come to this horse show to become alumni,” as Jamie put it.
The Tournament of Champions and Nationals will be held June 1 and 2, 2024 at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts. The same colleges that belong to IHSA can host an alumni show, just not at the same time as IHSA. It has to be either before or after an IHSA show, or on another date for insurance reasons, Lena commented.
With the new rules, Lena pointed out, “We hope it creates more shows, more interest, more alumni and more competitiveness in the post-season and even better nationals going forward,” said Lena.
“It provides a way for people who potentially could never make it to a finals this size. Someone riding once a week or every other week doesn’t have money to haul a horse to a show, get stabling, pay for a trainer.”
With this group, “You’re just paying your entries or maybe a hotel one or two nights. It’s an accessibility outside of college.
“You may be lessoning, but how are you horse showing? We think it provides another avenue for people to ride that’s not the A circuit. If you look at what’s thriving in the horse industry right now, the middle is going away, it’s either local shows or AA horse shows. You do schooling shows with your lesson barn or you want to go to Wellington.”
Membership is $45 for the year, with an option to pay a $20 one-time fee for those who don’t want to commit for the year. They can upgrade it to a full-time membership within 30 days.
Barns will pay a portion the same way IHSA does it now. For instance, if a barn hosting a show wants to charge $50 an entry, the alumni group will get $5 of that. A U.S. Equestrian Federation licensed judge isn’t required, just someone with judging experience; it could even be an IHSA coach.
The alumni shows are doing well, though they are so new there are no metrics on them yet. While AEE is on both Facebook and Instagram, it is baked into the Alumni Tournament of Champions website (https://www.alumnitoc.com/). That tournament, which drew from more than 20 states and Canada, took place at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J., for three years.
Its origin was as “a once-a-year show for fun for anyone who ever showed as part of IHSA,” Lena said.
“You could be a current IHSA alum or not have shown since you left college and thought it would be fun to do a catch ride, show, get together, meet new friends, see old friends: Because we all rode on the team together 10 years ago, we’re going to come to New Jersey and do a show.”
Riders have to qualify for Nationals, but not the Alumni Tournament of Champions. It takes 40 to 45 hunt seat horses to run the show, with up to 24 riders/class. Some reunion classes go up to 40 riders. The weekend is split between western one day, hunt seat on the other day.
Organizers begin brainstorming in August for the Tournament.. A problem was how to get a sufficient number of western horses, “they have to come from far away. (The area around the USET Foundation is primarily devoted to English riding.)
Western is a big pa. rt of the alumni shows. Kimberly King Storey and Allison Erkman Rassinoux are happy winners. (Skylands Photography photo)
“We were absolutely scrambling,” Lena recalled.
She is into having riders win something by which to remember the competition.
“USHJA (U.S. Hunter Jumper Association) will happily clean out their closet for me,” she said.
“They sent us probably 40 silver mint julep cups left over from the Silver Stirrup Cup (a discontinued competition). I can repurpose them and make better prizes than some people have ever seen.”
Other backers in that regard have included Alliant Private Client, Perri’s Leather, Essex Classics and Success Equestrian. There were 61 supporters this year.
“When you win a class with us, you go home with something cool,” said Lena, noting that for western riders, that means the treasured belt buckles.
Unusually, when someone wins a perpetual trophy with the alumni group, they get to keep it for a year. (At most horse shows, the winner gets a photo taken with the trophy, then the show engraves it and hangs onto it until the next year.)
The alumni shows have taken off in a way that is encouraging for the concept.
“I can only hope it keeps growing,” said Jamie, “and that we are seeing even more new faces, not just retaining our old alumni faces.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 23, 2023
Hundreds of people turned out as the Essex Fox Hounds gathered for their Thanksgiving hunt, adding to a decades-old tradition that many consider the perfect appetizer for a turkey dinner.
Each year, attendance grows for the occasion at scenic Ellistan in Peapack, N.J., where the backdrop of autumn leaves showcased gleaming horses, manes braided for the occasion, and the huntsman’s scarlet coat as he organized the hounds for their work. It’s a nostalgic scene that could be interchangeable with one set in the English countryside of another era.
The Essex Fox Hounds extend a welcome at Ellistan. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The meet offers an opportunity for everyone not only to tailgate and enjoy the fellowship of the occasion, but also to get close to the horses, often reaching out in delight to pat a soft nose when one is near.
A chance to pat a horse delights one of the spectators. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“I cannot believe how many people have come to help us celebrate hounds, horses and the land,” said Essex Joint Master Jazz Johnson, as she thanked everyone for being part of the occasion.
“It’s an annual family tradition. We always look forward to this day and we’re excited to be here,” said Olivia Ford of Tewksbury, N.J., as everyone gathered around a nice display of cheeses.
I asked if attendance at Ellistan means it’s difficult to make Thanksgiving dinner, but no worries; the Ford family has it figured out.
“My husband, Matthew, prepares the turkey a few days before and I’d say it’s more of a potluck. A few family members each bring a dish,” said Olivia.
Matthew and Olivia Ford with Francisco Segarra.
Her father, Francisco Segarra, is a regular too.
“What I like about it most is the people. It’s really special to be around nice people who are friendly. It’s a tradition that makes it the best.”
Mark Pfunke of Chester, N.J., is a first-timer at the Essex Thanksgiving meet and a former horse owner who drove his award-winning 1929 Packard 640 (there are only about 100 of them left).
This one was found in a junkyard in Newark in 1950 by a man who restored it to perfection. The car is not just a pretty face.
“It runs beautifully,” Mark said proudly. He was convinced to come by P.J. Ehmann of Oldwick, N.J., the owner of a 1940 Packard.
Mark Pfunke and his Packard. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
What does P.J. enjoy about coming?
“Meeting all the people. See and be seen. And the hot toddy is good too,” he added.
Sarah Slack (she’s an Essex joint master) and her husband, Hank Slack, Ellistan’s owners, graciously treat the crowd to hot toddies if they are adults; for the kids, it’s hot chocolate. The riders call the drink a “stirrup cup,” but it’s tasty whether it’s consumed on horseback or on foot.
Michael Webb, the genial estate manager, said the toddy is a brew of brandy, rum and sherry, judiciously mixed with apple cider and honey, both produced at Ellistan.
“The original hunt club recipe was literally the alcohol, water and lemon juice,” Michael informed me.
“Twenty-five years ago, I changed it,” (for the better).
The Johnson family’s carriage is always a part of the festivities at the hunt meet. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
As the riders prepared to move off, I chatted with Kate Crauford, an Australian who was riding with the hunt for the first time. A competitive show jumper, she borrowed Castle, a dapple grey gelding, from another Essex joint master, Dennis Sargenti. Since she was new to the scene, I thought I’d tell her why so many people come out.
A festive spread for the tailgating was enjoyed by Nancy Spatz, Dana and Lexi Sendro and Bullet the puppy. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Do you know who Jackie Kennedy was?” I asked, not sure if the fact that she was 23 years old and from the other side of the world might need an explanation about the former first lady.
But Kate knew of her (as someone said to me, who hasn’t heard of Jackie Kennedy?), so I thought she’d appreciate hearing about her role in the Thanksgiving tradition.
I explained Mrs. Kennedy was a member of Essex, and once the media got wind of that, they turned out with their cameras every year for the hunt, to which she was often accompanied by her son, John. Even after she no longer rode on Thanksgiving, and passed away, people kept coming since they had gotten in the habit. Now Kate understands the origin, and so do you.
Jacqueline Kennedy at Ellistan when she rode with Essex (that’s her son John in the left background). (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“I had no idea that so many people came and watched,” Kate told me.
“It’s actually quite nice. It’s a lot more fun, inviting and inclusive.”
Gigi Moynihan, another jumper on a holiday from the show ring, was aboard her off-the-track thoroughbred, Ripley. She rides with the hunt on Thanksgiving every year.
“It’s so great that all the people come out,” said Gigi.
“There aren’t a lot of events like this for foxhunting. It’s really nice to see everyone, all your friends come and all the local people come with the whole family. It’s just great fun.”
The hunt itself ran for more than two hours, ranging around a section of the Somerset Hills dotted with estates and undulating fields.
The hunt takes a check in the middle of an exciting afternoon. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We covered a lot of ground and the hounds have been great,” said Lynn Jones, another joint master.
She was delighted with the number of people who came out to watch.”
“I thought it was the biggest crowd ever,” she said.
(Read my two-part 2022 series on fox hunts in New Jersey via these links. Click here for part one and here for part two.)
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 22, 2023
Operation X: The Secrets of the Horse Billionaire, presented the first part of a documentary that aired Nov. 22 in Denmark on the way horses are trained at Helgstrand Dressage, with information obtained by a reporter going undercover as a groom.
Helgstrand Dressage, which has 290 horses in training, while selling more than 150 elite dressage horses annually, lost a court battle to prevent the program from being televised. Helgstrand Dressage trains about 350 horses a day, with 10,000 rides a month.
International competitor Andreas Helgstrand, who owns the company with his wife, Marianne, is the CEO of Global Equestrian Group, which is part of Waterland Private Equity. In 2021, GEG bought the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The home of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, the facility was renamed Wellington International.
In the wake of the program being aired, the Danish Equestrian Federation will exclude Andreas Helgstrand from the national team and all national team activities at this time. His father, Ulf Helgstrand, had stepped aside in September from his role as head of the federation due to the potential for conflict of interest.
The federation’s board “strongly distances itself from the unacceptable methods of riding, training, and treating horses the broadcasts clearly show. Therefore, it is now clear, that Andreas Helgstrand, based on the broadcasts, can no longer represent the Danish equestrian federation as a national team rider.”
The federation stated that practices revealed on the program are “not compatible with the fundamental values and principles of horse welfare.” It will no longer collaborate with Helgstrand Event.”
This includes national higher level competitions as well as national and international championships for the time being.
Dyrenes Protection (animal protection) in Denmark reported Helgstrand Dressage, Andreas Helgstrand and associated riders to the police as a result of the broadcast.
“At Dyrenes Protection, we are appalled by the documentary. The hidden recordings show that the horses at Helgstrand Dressage have been systematically treated in a way that is deeply worrying and contrary to basic principles of responsible training and animal welfare. We believe that it has the character of animal cruelty,” said Yvonne Johansen, animal welfare manager at Animal Protection and a veterinarian specializing in horses.
In response to the documentary, Helgstrand Dressage stated it needs to correct what has happened.
“What we see in TV 2’s footage makes a big impression on us. It is not okay. It is poor riding and treatment of horses that we do not want to see at Helgstrand Dressage,” the company said in a statement.
“It does not live up to our guidelines and values, and it is not representative of our culture”
It continued, “We can see that there has been a shift in our values, and it is our responsibility as leaders to ensure that our training and treatment of horses are done in the best possible way. We can see in the programs that this has not happened. We can and must do better.
“That’s why we take the content of the programs very seriously. The recordings are from January 2023, and we have thoroughly reviewed our work processes both before and since the recordings and introduced a wide range of measures and improvement points for our animal welfare, business management and conditions for our employees.”
Noting “It is central to our work that our horses are well,” the statement read, “We train elite dressage horses that, together with their riders, should be able to perform at the highest level. We can only succeed if our horses thrive, and there is trust between rider and horse. Elite sports are demanding. But like other athletes, a sports horse needs to feel good to deliver results, which is why we must always be attentive to the way we train our horses.
“Like the experts, we can also see that there is conflict behavior in some of the cases in the programs. This is unacceptable, and we are reacting to this,” the statement read.
“We have 60 professional riders and grooms who work hard every day to train our horses in the best possible way. It is our responsibility to ensure that our guidelines are followed and that training methods are used correctly and always with the health and well-being of the horse as the main priority.
“We can see that some of our training equipment has been used incorrectly in the recordings. It should guide and correct the horse, but it should never be used as punishment. We would like to make it clear that rollkur (over-flexing) and excessive use of whip or draw reins are not accepted by us. The same applies to covering spur marks with colored (shoe) cream.
“Therefore, we have made it clear that no form of colored cream is accepted by us. We acknowledge that our horses may occasionally have sores in the mouth. This can be from biting themselves in the mouth or the tongue or grinding their teeth. That said, no horse should be ridden with sores that require care and rest. We have since introduced a thorough check of our horses every 14 days, where our stable managers assess the physical and mental condition of the horses.
The statement advises, “At Helgstrand Dressage, we have chosen not to participate in the Operation X programs about us because we are fundamentally against TV 2’s use of hidden recordings. But there should be no doubt that we take the content very seriously.”
As a result, Helgstrand said improvements in the business have been implemented.
“What we see in TV 2’s footage makes a big impression on us. It is not okay. It is poor riding and treatment of horses that we do not want to see at Helgstrand Dressage. It does not live up to our guidelines and values, and it is not representative of our culture.”
Helgstrand conceded, “We can see that there has been a shift in our values, and it is our responsibility as leaders to ensure that our training and treatment of horses are done in the best possible way. We can see in the programs that this has not happened. We can and must do better.”
The organization stated, “That’s why we take the content of the programs very seriously. The recordings are from January 2023, and we have thoroughly reviewed our work processes both before and since the recordings and introduced a wide range of measures and improvement points for our animal welfare, business management and conditions for our employees.
“It is central to our work that our horses are well. We train elite dressage horses that, together with their riders, should be able to perform at the highest level. We can only succeed if our horses thrive, and there is trust between rider and horse. Elite sports are demanding. But like other athletes, a sports horse needs to feel good to deliver results, which is why we must always be attentive to the way we train our horses.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that our guidelines are followed and that training methods are used correctly and always with the health and well-being of the horse as the main priority. We can see that some of our training equipment has been used incorrectly in the recordings. It should guide and correct the horse, but it should never be used as punishment. d to complying with current legislation, but strive to set higher standards for the industry — whether it’s our work with horses, our business practices or the conditions for our employees.
“In response to the public criticism, we have conducted an independent legal investigation of our company’s business practices, and we have thoroughly and in detail compared our practices and internal guidelines with the Danish Animal Welfare Act, the Danish Equestrian Federation’s ethical guidelines and the International Equestrian Federation’s Code of Conduct and general guidelines. On this basis, we have introduced a wide range of measures and improvement points for our animal welfare, business practices, and conditions for our employees.”
Based on the internal review of the industry’s legislation and guidelines in this area, Helgstrand has introduced:
- “A stricter self-monitoring of horses, where stable managers inspect all horses every 14 days. This is in addition to daily inspections of horses and 3-5 annual veterinary checks. All horse checks significantly exceed legal requirements.
- An updated Code of Conduct and guidelines in our employee handbook that clearly describe our requirements for all work with and handling of horses. The guidelines are based on both the International Equestrian Federation’s regulations and the Danish Equestrian Federation’s ethical guidelines. Violation of our guidelines will result in a number of sanctions.
- Spreading knowledge of our Code of Conduct and internal guidelines upon employment, and focus on the above has been intensified in our daily work.
- Raising awareness of the whistleblower scheme. Helgstrand Dressage has had a whistleblower scheme since 2022, where investigations are conducted confidentially.
Further training of employees in addition to ongoing dialog and alignment of expectations regarding our requirements for the treatment of horses.”
Based on an independent legal investigation from Bruun & Hjejle from June 2022, the company has introduced:
- New partnership contracts for co-owners of horses with clear guidelines for ownership, costs and commission. This creates greater transparency in our deals.
- Transparency in all aspects of the contractual basis.
- Documented/written communication that is approved by both party owner and H/D as a basis for 100 percent agreement on the contractual basis.
- Transparency in any commission settlements (a new industry standard).
- Introduced a thorough KYC (Know Your Customer) process to ensure the validity of the purchase amount.
A review of working conditions for grooms resulted in significant salary increases effective from June 2022, which Helgstrand contends is now setting the industry A-standard.
There also is an opportunity for industry-leading bonus schemes, while working conditions have been improved with a focus on working hours. A Groom Manager has been employed full-time to ensure the well-being, retention and strengthening of working conditions for the employee group.
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.”
