by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 17, 2025
In the age of Social License to Operate, some equestrians are nervous about how expansion of the federal government’s Horse Protection Act will affect competitions and horse sales.
Others haven’t even heard about revised regulations going into effect Feb. 1, because there has been little publicity. But any time the government gets involved with sport, it raises questions.
At HPA’s inception in 1970, attention focused on stopping the soring of breeds such as Tennessee walking horses and racking horses with a variety of caustic substances. That practice, in conjunction with the use of action devices, has led to horrific abuse by some in creating the “Big Lick” type of striding valued in walking horse competitions. But as U.S. Equestrian Federation CEO Bill Moroney pointed out, even the original act covered soring in all types of horses, though equestrians involved with other breeds may not have realized it.
Now, however, “there have been some amendments (to HPA) that require a little more work by people,” he said.
The amended act is so broad-ranging that it has “really raised everyone’s attention” about regulation of all “covered breeds” at “covered events,” including shows offering everything from hunters to costume classes, dressage and polo. Competitions based on speed, such as show jumping, eventing cross-country, horse racing or rodeo, aren’t subject to the HPA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture summarizes that “The Horse Protection Act makes it unlawful for any person to show, exhibit, sell, or transport sore horses, or to use prohibited equipment or substances in these activities.”
The USEF issued a press release in October that included information about the regulations, but Moroney thinks many people may not have read it. The federation has been proactive in dealing with the amendments, as has the American Horse Council.
A national association representing the horse industry in Washington, D.C., AHC has a variety of member organizations including USEF. the American Quarter Horse Association, the American Paint Horse Association and many others. It has asked for a 60-day extension in activating the revised HPA, in order to eliminate confusion in several areas, including the scope of the regulations. AHC has yet to receive an answer from the USDA, according to its president, Julie Broadway. The USDA also did not reply to an inquiry from this website on the status of the extension request.
Broadway said AHC is reconsidering its support of the revised regulations, noting USDA “is not cooperating” as the council tries to get things clarified “and make certain we are comfortable with what they are trying to do.”
There’s not as much overreach in the old regulations as the new regulations, Broadway observed. At the moment, she added “it’s just an absolute mess.” AHC has been in touch with the transition team for the new presidential administration about the issue. She said at this point, USDA can’t withdraw the revised HPA, and Congress doesn’t have the power to turn it around, but the new secretary of agriculture could withdraw it.
“We’re continuing to work every possible angle that we can,” Broadway commented.
She said some show organizers are “really frustrated, really anxious. They’re calling us and asking us, `What do we do?’” She suggests the shows just go ahead and notify USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Information Service as required that organizers will be holding their events. Broadway noted APHIS hasn’t gotten more money or personnel to enforce the act, and that the concentration remains on Tennessee Walking Horses.
“So the chances of them coming to a quarter horse show near you are really, really slim.”
USEF is handling notification of APHIS for all of its licensed competitions, which means their managers don’t have to deal with it. Concerns have been raised about other facets of the regulations, including the requirement that Horse Protection Inspectors have free access to show records, sale records, event information, barns, tack rooms, horse trailers, stables, stalls, arenas, and other areas on the showgrounds.
That sounds ominous, but Moroney’s conclusions are similar to those reached by Broadway. He maintained, “The immediate reaction has to be measured against the reality of the resources of the USDA/APHIS with regard to enforcement of the act. They have a limited budget and historically have gone to about 50 events a year.”
USEF has 2,100 licensed competitions (none of which are walking horse shows), and there are thousands more shows connected with other equestrian organizations across the country.
“There is no way for them to get everywhere,” said Moroney of the inspectors.
“They have historically gone to places where they feel this action is happening; the propensity to sore horses is the highest,” he said.
“We’re feeling as good as we can feel about it from a USEF perspective, because we have rules and regulations. We have a regulatory system that will penalize people for doing things outside the rules. We have a system of stewards, technical delegates, judges etc. where horses have a level of oversight over them.
“Come on, people out there,” he said.
“Do the right thing and you won’t have to call on regulation at the end of the day. The best way for something to not affect you is to do the right thing.”
Derek Braun, who runs the Split Rock Show Jumping Tour, isn’t worried about the expanded regulations.
He said he needs to look into them further for the details, but noted the provision that horses should be examined before they go in the ring and after they leave sounds to him like FEI (international equestrian federation) requirements.
If they have their own people coming in and inspecting, he continued, “that would be a little more concerning,” but he thinks inspection similar to what is done for FEI horses would be okay, “as long as it’s used for a good reason.”
Braun added, “I think the intention is probably correct for extreme circumstances. I think it’s no problem holding these trainers and exhibitors accountable if there is an extreme circumstance. While that’s what the show stewards, “are there for,” as far as having an inspector also take a look, “I can’t see that as a bad thing if it’s warranted.”
Joe Norick, the HITS’ show series chief customer officer, said that self-policing means “if we see something that looks inappropriate, we’ll bring it up.”
He added, “I think you have to employ good staff at the show, people that are educated, from the horse show vet on down. Depending on who these individual (inspectors) are and how they are coming to look at this, education is a big factor. That’s why a strong steward, horse show vet or manager is going to have take the lead, to be proactive on this. I also do think we have to think of the care, the quality of the barns, that’s why we have enough emphasis that horse care is a good place to start. I think we’re going to be fine.”
Meanwhile, however, the Western Justice Legislative Fund has taken an aggressive stance against the revised HPA with a petition drive. It cites many concerns, contending animal rights extremists are “seeking to expand the definition of `soring’ to encompass as much of the horse industry as possible. The recent revisions to the law are the result. The lead USDA veterinarian, Dr. Aaron Rhyner, even went so far as to say that he could see how just riding a horse could be considered to be a type of soring.”
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller is another voice against the revised HPA. He maintans, “This rule isn’t about protecting horses; it’s about federal bureaucrats grabbing more control over an industry they clearly don’t understand. The United States Department of Agriculture’s new rule is so absurd that it makes using fly spray on a horse a potential violation. That’s not a joke—they can’t be serious!”
The Federal Rule for the Act specifically states “soring” is defined as:
- An irritating or blistering agent applied, internally or externally, by a person to any limb of a horse;
- Any burn, cut, or laceration inflicted by a person on any limb of a horse;
- Any tack, nail, screw, or chemical agent injected by a person into or used by a person on any limb of a horse; or
- Any other substance or device used by a person on any limb of a horse, or a person has engaged in a practice involving a horse and as a result of such application, infliction, injection, use, or practice, such horse suffers, or can reasonably be expected to suffer, physical pain or distress, inflammation, or lameness when walking, trotting, or otherwise moving, except that such term does not include such an application, infliction, injection, use, or practice in connection with the therapeutic treatment of a horse by or under the supervision of a person licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State in which such treatment is given.
click here to read about the revised HPA from the Federal Register.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 16, 2025
Just before the Wellington, Fla., Planning, Zoning and Adjustment board was going to vote on the Isla Carroll housing project late Wednesday night, the developer asked for a 30-day postponement to address issues raised at the hearing—and by the Equestrian Preserve Committee as well last week.
The EPC unanimously voted down the project, and it looked like the PZAB was headed in that direction when the request for a delay was made.
“I don’t believe in the concept,” said Michael Drahos, a board member and former councilman, who mentioned “the only comparison I have is Equestrian Club Estates, which failed.”
The 79.171-acre Isla Carroll property, adjacent to the National Polo Center included polo fields. After being purchased by Frank McCourt, a plan to build 40 homes there with Discovery Land Co. needed an equestrian element, a requirement because developers were seeking a Planned Unit Development in the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District. It called for 35 houses on one-third of an acre, rather than two acres, and five properties of 1.5 acres where horses could be kept, with room for a paddock, stalls and a sand ring.
The master plan for Isla Carroll.
The equestrian portion of the club community involves 14 acres for paddocks, an indoor arena, an outdoor ring and a 24-stall stable that would be renovated inside, while keeping the character of the exterior. The presentation to the board stated stalls would be occupied by rescue horses in transition to permanent homes, and retired horses. The activities envisioned at the site included a mish-mash of everything from vaulting to hunter/jumper, dressage, trail riding and Pony Club.
School trips would be hosted at the stable so children could learn about horse care, and for club members, lessons would be available with the idea that beginners could get some instruction before heading for a private stable if they wished to continue in the sport.
Skepticism about whether that concept is realistic was expressed at both hearings. (Click here to read about the first hearing).
Homeowners’ horses could only get a stall on site if there were vacancies among what amounts to school horses. There would be a club for 300 families, with approximately 260 coming from outside the community, raising concern about traffic. Other amenities planned include two swimming pools, a pickleball court, a fitness center and several restaurants.
Several members of the advisory panels and residents who spoke during both meetings were skeptical about the plan, and it was suggested more than once that the equestrian aspect existed only to justify the zoning change in the Equestrian Preserve. When the Village Council last year approved building a golf community in the Equestrian Preserve at the site now being used for dressage shows, a number of people warned that this would pave the way for more development in the preserve. There were those on the council who contended the circumstances of the first project were so unusual that no one would try for more development in the preserve. And then came the Isla Carroll proposal.
“The precedent that this Village is attempting to establish is that these are compelling decisions. We have to be convinced this is an equestrian amenity and that this isn’t just a housing community with an equestrian label on it,” said Drahos.
“It sounds good today, but how are we going to guarantee that this is forever? And I think forever is the standard we should be living by, because you’re asking us to remove EOZD protections forever, and once that’s done, you can’t return it. If it’s left to the homeowners or another company, there are no guarantees. There should be remarkable evidence to insure that what we’re doing is worth the sacrifice.”
Commenting on social media about building in the EOZD, area resident Jill Renick Townsend stated, “It just keeps getting easier with each property removed. If this goes through, all land between Pierson and Lake Worth Road east of Southshore will eventually become developments.”
Over and over, Wellington residents have expressed concern that continuing development will erode the equestrian character of the village, billed as the Winter Equestrian Capital of the world and home of the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Wellington International showgrounds.
When PZAB member Jeffrey Robbert said, “I don’t think the equestrian club plan can succeed,” that was the final straw for the developers, who said they needed more time to work on the concept.
“It’s something we ought to take under advisement and perhaps come back to you with a clear understanding of how this is going to be operated in perpetuity, put those guaranties in place.”
The PZAB is scheduled to hear the matter again on Feb. 19. The Equestrian Preserve Committee and PZAB play only an advisory role in land use decisions. The Village Council is the body that decides whether to approve such projects.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 14, 2025
Mark Bellissimo hasn’t always been the most popular person in Wellington, Fla. That’s the case even though he revitalized the Winter Equestrian Festival when he bought and improved its showgrounds, and established a special venue for dressage nearby.
Resident Ann Schneeberger explained on social media a year ago why some in town are bitter about him: “After years of ignoring restrictions, bending & breaking rules, lack of maintenance on his properties, accumulating fines…and dismissal of anyone who challenged him, many of us are not willing to forgive and forget.”
So when plans were revealed for removing Equestrian Village, home of the Global Dressage showgrounds, from the Equestrian Preserve and changing the zoning to allow development of The Wellington, a high-end golf community, residents expressed concern about the extent of Bellissimo’s involvement.
During hearings about the development, it was maintained more than once by Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ CEO Doug McMahon that Bellissimo was not playing a major role in the entity seeking the development. Yet many were skeptical.
Mark Bellissimo with FEI President Ingmar de Vos and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
At a session on the project in January 2024, Councilman John McGovern asked McMahon about the “10,000-pound gorilla in the room: Is this going to be a project run and operated by Mark Bellissimo?”
“No,” McMahon replied firmly. But during more than 70 hours of hearings on the project, Bellissimo’s daughter, Paige Bellissimo Nunez, was often in evidence, answering questions and supplying information.
In November 2023, after the Wellington Village Council voted to take land out of the Equestrian Preserve for the golf development, former Councilman Micheal Drahos (now a member of the Village Planning, Zoning and Adjustment board) contended with what turned out to be a startlingly inaccurate insight, “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.”
How far from the truth that turned out to be. Hardly out of gas, Bellissimo is operating on high-octane, accomplishing everything he set out to do.
On Tuesday, it was announced the Wellington Lifestyle Partners, branded as a real estate development and hospitality company, has expanded its partnership as its portfolio grew to include the Wellington International showgrounds and operations, and the Wellington, its new private residential club community developed by NEXUS Luxury Collection. Bellissimo, who had sold the showgrounds three years ago to Global Equestrian Group, bought it back last fall in conjunction with some of the original partners.
Jeff Skoll, the first president of eBay and a shareholder in WLP with Bellissimo, Marsha Dammerman, Lisa Lourie, Roger Smith and NEXUS, has made another significant investment in the partnership. He is an active horse owner in support of Olympic-caliber riders.
Also joining WLP is Michael Smith, a former president of the Upperville, Va., Colt and Horse Show. Smith, who ran the second-largest independent rendering operation in the U.S. before retiring, is an amateur rider and owns several horses being ridden by Olympic multi-medalist McLain Ward.
“We are thrilled to have the support of our existing and new shareholders as we invest broadly in the Village, creating The Wellington club community with NEXUS and expanding the showgrounds,” Bellissimo stated in a press release.
“Ensuring Wellington is the quality standard for equestrian living is our goal.”
The Wellington, the new 400-acre luxury residential club community featuring 253 residences, along with championship golf and an array of sporting and wellness amenities, offers five types of housing, from custom estate homes and equestrian villas to four-acre equestrian farm estates.
The community’s golf course and amenities are being designed by golf architect David McLay Kidd of DMK Golf Design, known for his work at Bandon Dunes, Mammoth Dunes and Fancourt. The community’s master plan and core amenities are being designed by noted architecture and design firm Workshop/APD.
WLP will be launching a Founder’s program this month, inviting the first families interested in joining the club community and establishing a home in The Wellington, and will be staggering the release of its real estate offerings.
In addition to The Wellington, the company’s Village of Wellington portfolio includes The Wanderers Club, other land holdings and now Wellington International, the showgrounds home of the Winter Equestrian Festival and other horse shows.
“Speaking for all the shareholders, we are committed to Wellington long-term and creating assets here of the highest quality,” stated Skoll.
“The Wellington will be a world-class lifestyle community within Palm Beach County and will enhance Wellington’s position as the premier horse sport community in the world,” he contended.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 13, 2025
Do you know how to handle an emergency involving your horse?
You can get some helpful tips at “Emergencies, Pasture and Pain…Oh My!” the Horse Management Seminar hosted by the Rutgers Equine Science Center and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. The seminar is scheduled from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb, 1. It also will be available on line. A virtual series is set for Feb. 11, 18 and 25.
“This year, I have looked back at a few years of previous seminar evaluations and selected a few of the common requested themes,” said Dr. Carey Williams, extension equine specialist and associate director of extension for the Rutgers Equine Science Center.
“We have so many experts in these fields surrounding us, I am very excited to be able to have them share their expertise with you. Our goal for this face-to-face seminar is to bring in the leading experts in each of these topic areas. This includes emergency preparedness, small farm pasture management, evaluating pain, saddle fit and caring for the senior horse,” she explained.
Presenters who are recognized as the leading experts in their field will offer perspectives and personal insight. The morning will start with “Emergency Preparedness: Many Teams…One Mission” by Eric Martin, Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management’s operations and training office. Also in the morning, Laura Kenny, a Penn State cooperative extension educator, will present “Small Farm Pasture Management”.
The last talk before lunch will be on “Evaluating Pain in Horses” from Dr. Kris Hiney, the equine extension specialist from Oklahoma State University.
“Dr. Hiney has some great information from some research she has done on behavior in horses,” stated Carey.
The afternoon will start off with Dr. Hiney’s second talk, “Evaluating Pain in Horses while Riding”, followed by certified saddle fitter Beth Rera, who owns Journeyman Saddle Solutions. Her talk is titled “Basic Saddle Fitting to Reduce Pain in Horses”.
Closing out the day will be a presentation on “Health & Management of U.S. Senior Horses” from Dr. Alisa Herbst of Rutgers University, with her latest research information on the older horse population.
In addition to these presentations, the seminar will feature informational displays, networking opportunities with industry companies and area organizations, ample time for one-on-one discussions with the day’s presenters and door prizes.
The complete program, registration information, and seminar brochure are posted on the Rutgers Equine Science Center website at esc.rutgers.edu, as well as the registration site at: https://go.rutgers.edu/2025HMSLiveReg
For any questions, contact Carey Williams at 848-932-5529, or carey.williams@rutgers.edu.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 9, 2025
During a four-week competition-free window at the Wellington International showgrounds in Florida, a lot of improvements have been accomplished—but more are to come once showing is over for the season.
Murray Kessler, Wellington International’s CEO, gave a report on progress at the facility to the Village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee Wednesday night.
The retired executive and former U.S. Equestrian Federation president took his post last fall because he was “concerned with the direction it might go” following the showgrounds’ purchase by its former owners. Since then, more investors are joining the group.
The venue, the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival, employs 500 people during the height of the show season, when 2,700 horses are competing weekly. The “root problem” of the horse show is that the grounds were built for a third of the number of horses that are there today, Murray said.
He believes Wellington International, formerly known as the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, is “the anchor of this community and it can’t be a healthy community unless the horse show is healthy. I care about the horses first and I care about the sport first and everything else good that will happen to Wellington will happen on that basis.”
Murray Kessler addressing Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Committee.
His vision is “to keep Wellington International the premier horse sports destination in the world.”
Murray noted that is not to say it’s the best horse show individually in the world, pointing out there are some great ones. But “there’s nothing like Wellington anywhere else in the world where there’s 1,000 horse farms in close proximity.”
A key improvement will be the addition of additional land from “Pod F” to expand Wellington International and enable dressage to move from its current home at the Global grounds a half-mile away, where a golf community will be built. Murray doesn’t expect that to happen before 2027 and it could be 2028. That’s the deadline for completing work on Pod F, as it becomes an operating part of the showgrounds and takes 1,000 horses off the area of what is the current facility, leaving room for dressage and hunters to have their own space.
In the meantime, three rings have been built on Pod F to give riders a place where they can work their horses away from the crowded main showgrounds. FEI stabling is set to expand to 14 acres.
There will be a better opportunity to grow sponsors and hospitality when there is a better design for a unified showgrounds. Murray noted at the moment, there is no hunter VIP, and he criticized the VIP arrangement for dressage at Global, where the food must be driven to the site from a small kitchen at Wellington International.
“Believe it or not, we don’t make money on entries,” he stated. “We make money on sponsors and hospitality.” While the existing grounds is profitable, money for improvements is self-generating.
There has been a flurry of cleaning, painting and landscaping at the showgrounds, where 3,000 stalls were power-washed. Bathrooms are being cleaned around the clock, eight tractor-trailer loads of junk have been taken off the premises.
“While we still have a long way to go, the property is in better shape than it’s been in a very long time,” Murray reported. He has appointed an advisory committee with reps from hunters, jumpers, dressage and para-dressage to be his “eyes and ears” about what is needed at the showgrounds.
The entrance to the International arena at Wellington International.
Improvements that have been installed at Wellington International since he came on board include new stadium LED lighting, which makes the setting in the International Arena as bright as daylight, and offers flexibility in terms of special effects that can be created. With the old vapor lights, once they were turned off, it took a half-hour to get them going again, and the illumination they offered was “gray,” which Murray deemed to be getting unsafe. A new jumbotron will do split screens and replays with graphics that are “terrific.”
As Michael Stone, Wellington International’s president pointed out during a Thursday press conference, production values are being improved “so it becomes much more like any sort of major sporting event. By increasing the level, you’re going to enhance the sport, and enhancing the sport is going to attract more people to come. That’s why we need enhanced production, to show people this really is a top class sport, like the U.S. Open or the Masters.”
The last grand prix at WEF in March will be worth $750,000, a record for the show. It is the finale for a new series from Rolex, a longtime sponsor of Wellington International.
Still to be accomplished are more improvements to wi-fi, refurbishment of footing in the rings and other details that will happen during a break in the schedule.
Murray pointed out that equestrian is the biggest sport in Palm Beach County, with $400 million in economic impact. The next biggest sport in the county is minor league baseball at $60 million. Wellington International is the big time–there are 35 Olympic riders who will be showing at WEF and Global dressage, with eight of the world’s top 10 in show jumping scheduled to be on hand.
Murray is pleased at the feedback he’s getting for what has happened in a short amount of time. In the past, there has been an over-promise and under-deliver situation at the showgrounds, which didn’t have the resources or leadershp to fix things. Murray is operating on the opposite basis, and it’s working.
“I feel a sense of excitement from the community,’ the CEO said, stating the reaction is, “Wait a minute it’s turned a corner and the uncertainty is behind us.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 9, 2025
Allegations of horse abuse “involving numerous horses over an extensive period of time” has prompted the FEI (international equestrian federation) to provisionally suspend American eventer Andrew McConnon and open disciplinary hearings in his case. The suspension is reciprocal with the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
He finished twenty-seventh with Wakita 54 at the Burghley 5-star in September and seventeenth with the same Dutchbred mare in the Kentucky 5-star last May. McConnon also rode Ferrie’s Cello on the U.S. team in the eventing Nations Cup at Strzegom, Poland, in 2023, when he was twenty-sixth.
McConnon is not allowed to participate in any competitions or activities related to the FEI or USEF while on suspension. The FEI declined further comment on the case.
In order to ensure the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings, the FEI will not provide further comment on this case at this time
