by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 25, 2024
With the possibility that the Wellington, Florida, Village Council is on the brink of deciding whether to remove land from the Equestrian Preserve, paving the way for a golf-oriented development, both sides on the question Wednesday were keen to make what could be their final points about the controversial matter.
After more than 50 hours of hearings, in addition to the usual comments for and against the project, several people had a new suggestion. Why not postpone a Council vote on “second reading” of the ordinance at the last of this week’s three hearings on the matter? That would facilitate getting more information about issues raised during the meetings.
But it also could push any resolution of the situation down the road to a Council with two new members, who will be added after a March election. A 4-1 super majority of the Council has to vote to take land out of the Preserve, following a 2016 referendum on that issue. At “first reading” of the ordinance in November, four council members voted to remove the land from the Preserve. Subsequently, a recall petition was launched to remove them. But “second reading” was scheduled this week for a final vote.
The issue is more far-reaching than rezoning 96-plus acres in the Preserve for Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ Wellington North project on the site of the Global Dressage Festival. If WLP is permitted to build homes and sports facilities there, acreage it owns nearby at the Wellington South property would be used to expand the cramped Wellington International Showgrounds, with WLP paying for the initial stages of that work. Dressage eventually would move to the expanded showgrounds from its current Equestrian Village facility at Wellington North.
Questions about WLP’s finances have been raised, a concern that was addressed Wednesday when Lisa Lourie of Wellington Equestrian Partners brought out a letter of commitment pledging $40 million toward improvements necessary for completion of the expansion at the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Lourie, the owner of Spy Coast Farm in Florida and Kentucky, is an associate of WEP’s managing partner Mark Bellissimo, who accumulated the land involved in both projects over the years since he took over WEF in 2007.
Lisa Lourie of Spy Coast Farm.
An already difficult situation has been complicated by the fact that Wellington International’s owner, the Global Equestrian Group, has had a financial setback and is in the midst of what one commenter Wednesday night called an “implosion.”
It has put the showgrounds up for sale. Lourie, who with her two children is the second-largest partner in WEP, said GEG had done “little to improve the showgrounds.” She called dressage “an integral part of our Wellington community and now we want to give it a new improved, safer home.”
Having hunters, jumpers and dressage in one location on the South property, as opposed to two venues separated by busy roads, is a much safer option for horses and riders, as traffic also has been an issue in this debate, along with concern about how wetlands and drainage will be affected by the construction.
{For your convenience in reading this story, here is an acronym glossary: WEP (Wellington Equestrian Partners); GEG (Global Equestrian Group); WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival); WLP (Wellington Lifestyle Partners)}
Among the prominent equestrians who spoke Wednesday was Robin Parsky, known as the owner of top show jumpers for Kent Farrington and McLain Ward. She praised the footing on the derby field at Equestrian Village, which she called “a wonderful venue appreciated by riders who come here,” and sought assurances that there will be a comparable grass field at the expanded showgrounds.
While the field is being used at Equestrian Village until expansion of Wellington International is completed, she wanted to make sure that not only would there be no construction of housing until the new showgrounds is finished, but also that no other work involving construction of amenities or use of heavy equipment would be going on in the interim.
“It terrifies everyone we’re going to be surrounded by construction,” she explained.
Robin Parsky.
“Is there a reason that we’re rushing this? This is creating huge anxiety and fear.”
She said people are concerned, but “there is also an under element saying, `Let’s come up with a better solution’.”
Several speakers dug deep to do research on a situation that is “super confusing,” according to resident Pam Wildman. She is concerned that market conditions will have changed by 2028 when the Wellington International showgrounds expansion is scheduled to be finished and WLP can start building houses. That time frame could lead to a request for changes in what the builder is planning, similar to what happened with Wellington’s Lotis development near the medical center.
Jill Townsend, who built her Wellington home in 1985, moved to the Village from North Palm Beach after it became landlocked and there was nowhere to ride.
She found Wellington to be an “exceptional area.”
“I knew that even when everything was developed eventually, I could get on my horse and go ride, that was something I thought had so much value that we didn’t have anywhere else in Florida.”
Townsend, who, interestingly, had worked for Nexus in the Bahamas with her daughter, praised the work there of that developer (which is a partner in WLP).
Jill Townsend.
But she contended that in Wellington, “a solution isn’t going to be found by pushing through this project right now.”
She believes part of the thought process might be that it is time for the owner of the Preserve property to get something.
But she pointed out, “He has something. He bought land that has development rights. He owns that land where he can build houses that fall within the outline and zoning for the community as designed Another beautiful Mallet Hill or Paddock Park.”
(Six houses total are allowed on Equestrian Village and neighboring White Birch. A number of businesses, from a nightclub to riding school and nail salon also can be located on the Preserve property, just not more housing. Since the land is private, the owner is under no compulsion to stage equestrian competition there.)
What’s most important, she said, is that “the ownership of the horse show has to be figured out first and foremost. If it continues to be held by a private individual for profit or hedge funds, we in Wellington will always be held hostage. You can help this community navigate with the interested parties who are willing to buy the horse show.”
She suggested the Village could help with perhaps a land conservatorship or a non-profit, “so revenue from the horse show could go back to horse show. Let’s put our focus on reviving the horse show.”
Richard Sirota, a real estate developer who was chairman for six years of the Battery Park City Authority in New York, suggested consideration of the horse show expansion (which is not being voted on as such at this time) should be part of a separate process when deliberating what to do about the Preserve.
“Let the person who buys it (Wellington International) make the deal. We all want the horse show to survive, prosper and get better. The point is how you’re running the process, and it’s sort of a little backwards from my point of view,” Sirota observed.
“Because the person who buys it, give him the opportunity to deal with Wellington Lifestyle Partners, to determine if he may need more land, want to modify it, then go to you for the final decisions. That’s the way it should go. Not now–…you’re making it complicated.”
Well-known equestrians, such as dressage Olympian Ashley Holzer, show jumpers Andrew Welles and Andrew Bourns and retired jockey/trainer Tommy Skiffington, all emphasized the need for a bigger and improved showgrounds if Wellington is to stay on top of the equestrian scene.
Also speaking was Michael Bellissimo, son of Mark Bellisimo. He was succinct in his appraisal.
“Wellington is not geographically a special place,” he commented.
“The thing that makes Wellington special, that we can all agree on, is the world class horse show. So it’s in their (the developers’) best interests to keep that at the highest level it can possibly be.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 23, 2024
Pointing toward “Victory in Versailles,” the venue of this summer’s Paris Olympics, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation raised $2 million for its efforts at a weekend party hosted by Zacharie and Louis Vinios at their Five Rings farm in Wellington, Fla.
Bruce Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, entertained at the USET Foundation gala. (Jump Media Photo)
The co-chairs of the gala, Bruce Springsteen and his wife, Patty Scialfa, performed and put up for auction two trips to concerts on their band’s plane. Their daughter, Tokyo Olympics team show jumping silver medalist Jessica Springsteen was on hand as well. Another big ticket item also purchased twice at the auction was a vacation at a Tuscan villa donated by Glen Senk and Keith Johnson.
James McNerney Jr., the USET’s president and CEO, explained that unlike the situation in other countries, equestrian sport in the U.S. does not receive government funding and relies primarily on the USET Foundation to raise money needed for training and international competition. He was given the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award for his service.
The setting for the gala summoned Paris. (Photo by Luxeciné)
Other awards presented during the party went to Olympic show jumping multi-medalist McLain Ward, who received the Whitney Stone Cup, while a representative of the younger generation of show jumpers, Zayna Rizvi, took the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 17, 2024
Those non-riding days present a good opportunity to clean out the tack room. Collect your unneeded items and donate them to Mane Stream (adaptive riding and therapy services), which is seeking donations of horse-related items for its Nov. 17 tack sale in Oldwick.
Mane Stream has a contactless drop-off for unwanted bridles, saddles, blankets, tack boxes as well as out-grown boots, breeches, jackets, and any horse-related jewelry, models or knick-knacks. Donations support Mane Stream;s mission to improve the quality of life for children and adults with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine assisted activities, therapy services and educational initiatives.
This event is an important part of the yearly fundraising plan with all proceeds to benefit Mane Stream’s horses, adaptive riding program, therapy services and other equine assisted programs including “Horses for Healing: Cancer and Parkinson’s Disease”.
All donations can be dropped off at the stable at 83 Old Turnpike Rd. Oldwick during office hours. If you would like to make a donation or have any questions, contact Alex Willard at alex@manestreamnj.org, 908-439-9636 or visit www.ManeStreamNJ.org.
Want to learn more about Mane Stream?
Come to its open house March 23 from 12-2 p.m. You can get an in-depth look at therapy services, as well as a free program called Horses for Healing, geared to people living with Cancer and Parkinson’s Disease. Several openings are available for therapy services and the upcoming Horses for Healing program, which starts in April.
Meet the staff, take a tour of the facility and learn about the physical and emotional advantages of interacting with horses.
Bring a pair of shoes to help Mane Stream keep shoes out of landfills, provide affordable footwear to people in developing nations and raise funds for farrier costs for the Mane Stream herd.
If you know someone who might benefit from one of the programs Mane Stream offers, be sure to let them know about the open house and encourage them to visit.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 24, 2024
Will the Wellington, Florida, Village Council vote this week on whether land should be taken out of the Equestrian Preserve for the first time, as part of a trade-off around expanding the cramped Wellington International showgrounds?
The answer was still unclear following Tuesday night’s “second reading” of an ordinance that would remove 96-plus acres from the protection of the Preserve designation, so housing and various non-equestrian sports amenities could be built by Wellington Lifestyle Partners at their Wellington North project. The community adjacent to a golf course would be constructed on what is now the site of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and nearby property.
In turn, acreage contiguous to the showgrounds a short distance away at WLP’s Wellington South project would be rezoned from residential to equestrian commercial for expansion of the facility that would accommodate dressage competition, as well as hunters and jumpers. WLP would pay for new facilities that would include a 3,000 seat international ring, a covered arena, a new derby field, 220 permanent stalls and 272 temporary stalls.
Beginning in June, there have been 45 hours of public debate and discussion on the development issues by the Village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee, the Planning Zoning and Adjustment Board and the five-member council, with more meetings scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
To remove land from the Preserve, a super-majority of four of the five council members would have to vote in favor. They did that on “first reading” of the ordinance in November, but since then, a group opposed to removing the land started a recall petition against all the council members except Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone, the only one who voted against the move.
The Adequan Global Dressage Festival grounds.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The recall group also is highlighting contributions council members received from entities related to the development, asking why those who got such money did not recuse themselves from the vote.
Feelings run high about the land deal. Equestrians who feel betrayed at the prospect of losing property from the Preserve, which includes 9,000 acres Village-wide, showed up at the meeting wearing their signature “Vote No” and “Horses Not Houses” red T-shirts. More than 8,000 people have signed a petition against taking land from the Preserve.
Others who spoke during the packed meeting contended removing land from the Preserve is worth it if that affords more space for the show in the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World” to expand and compete with new venues in Ocala to the north and the Sarasota area to the west.
Global Equestrian Group, the owner of the Wellington International showgrounds, is part of Waterland Private Equity, which has put the showgrounds up for sale. Wellington International holds all the licenses for the hunter/jumper shows at the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival, while Mark Bellisimo holds all but one of the dressage licenses for the Global Dressage Festival.
John Ingram, a businessman and Wellington farm owner who spoke Tuesday night, said “the horse show needs to grow and expand. What I see has been proposed here is a practical solution that would be good for the equestrian community and the overall Village. If we mess around and don’t take advantage of this unique opportunity, I think we stand a very strong chance of waking up in five to 10 years and finding Ocala, Thermal (Calif.) or somewhere else has taken over the top destination spot.”
The best horses and riders from the U.S., Europe and Latin America are “what gives Wellington the aura it has.” He said if they don’t come because the facilities are lacking, property values will fall, leading to a lower quality of life for residents.
In 2017, Ingram led a successful effort to bring major league soccer to Nashville, Tenn., an initiative that has been “wildly successful.”
Along those lines, he pointed out that “opportunities come when they come…I see this current moment as a really important one and if we don’t take advantage, we will dramatically affect the future of the whole Village.”
He warned that if the opportunity is missed, the Wellington South land that could be used for showgrounds expansion will be developed with houses.
The whole development situation has become ever-more complicated, with its parameters, costs and numbers changing many times, making it difficult to follow or understand for many observers, who also are concerned about traffic and environmental issues.
There are a variety of conditions attached to the process of Wellington North and South approval. The most important measure is Condition 7, which keeps dressage at its current location until the expanded showgrounds is finished and dressage can move there, with a deadline of Dec. 31, 2028. Until that happens, no houses would be built at Wellington North.
A late starter was Condition 12, which calls for WLP to give the Village 55 acres of a former golf course (land WLP doesn’t own, but which is under contract) for use as a public park a few miles from Wellington North. The developer also would pay $2 million for improvements, while having the right to remove up to 30 percent of the land area for fill.
Andrew Carduner, a homeowner in the Village’s venerable Palm Beach Polo community, called the park an “obfuscation,” while emphasizing that the “equestrian community is the lifeblood of Wellington.”
Doug McMahon, the CEO of WLP and co-founder of luxury developer Nexus, said plans for development in Wellington have been modified to make them better, a process that “has been hard and been passionate” resulting in a request for 201 residences at Wellington North. (The neighboring Coach House property, which is not in the Preserve, already has been approved for 50 residences.)
Doug McMahon of WLP.
If Wellington North is not approved, six homes can still be built on the Equestrian Preserve and White Birch properties, along with a number of businesses, such as a riding school or offices. There is no requirement for the landowner to present dressage shows.
The developer has cut back on the number of housing units it seeks at both North and South, while McMahon said the project has improved as a result of the input received from residents by WLP.
He reminded those in attendance that “none of these lands are public lands” unlike national parks such as Yellowstone.
But Maureen Brennan, a leader of the recall movement, said of the Preserve “this is our Yellowstone.”
Although she suggested that the homes on Wellington North might become timeshares, renting to people who are not part of the community, similar to a Nexus project in the Bahamas, McMahon said in Wellington “we’re not doing residence clubs.”
Maureen Brennan at the podium.
He maintained the “vast majority” of the homes would be primary residences. A club model, he said, is based on real estate sales initially, a joining fee and annual dues that would allow the club community to be maintained. He noted WLP would have nothing to do with running the horse show.
The development saga has been running since the summer of 2022, when Bellissimo proposed “The Estates at Equestrian Village” project on the dressage showgrounds as part of his “Wellington 3.0 project.” Bellissimo, who took over the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2007, built the dressage showgrounds in 2012, but has lost the trust of some in Wellington with projects presented by his ownership group of Wellington Equestrian Partners over the years.
The Estates project was withdrawn and replaced last year with Wellington North and South, and WLP became the entity presenting it. Bellissimo stepped back as a principal of WLP in favor of McMahon as point man and has not been heard from at the meetings on Wellington North and South. His daughter, Paige, is WLP’s executive vice president.
The speakers Tuesday included Cynthia Gardner, who opened the first stable in Wellington in 1977 and was the first chairman of the equestrian committee. She recounted some history, saying the committee was asked to create an Equestrian Overlay District (the Preserve) “so we would never have to worry about the protection and preservation” of the Village’s equestrian properties. “The highest and best use of property in the Equestrian Preserve is not for housing development.”
She warned that encroachment could wind up with formerly equestrian properties being developed along the lines of what happened to Royal Palm Polo in Boca Raton, south of Wellington, where 10 polo fields became housing.
Land use attorney Harvey Oyer, representing the prominent Jacobs family, said that while his clients originally had a “cautiously neutral view” of the development proposal when he spoke during a meeting last year, “the family remembers well the history of past failed promises by other developers over the years.”
The Jacobs, whose Deeridge Farms is on Pierson Road, are among a group of landowners within 500 feet of Wellington North who should have the right to enforce the covenant of what can be done by the developers, Oyer said, and “not just hope that some future Village Council will do so, because we are the ones adversely affected.”
Part of the arrangement sought by the Jacobs would involve the Village manager making an annual inspection of the progress of work on the expanded showgrounds and reporting it on the Village website “so we all know what is going on there.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 3, 2024
John Nicholson, the former executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park, next month will succeed Michael Blowen as president and CEO of Old Friends, the thoroughbred racehorse retirement operation.
John ran the Horse Park in Lexington from 1997 to 2014. It hosted the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010, the first WEG to be held outside of Europe. He went on to become CEO of the Virginia Horse Center from 2015-2021.
Old Friends, with its main campus in Georgetown, Ky., near Lexington, began with Michael and his wife, Diane White taking a golf cart around to feed the horses in a low-key operation. On its 20th anniversary, it is now a multi-million dollar corporation on 240 acres with 300 horses.
It also has two satellite campuses; Old Friends at Cabin Creek: The Bobby Frankel Division, which opened in 2009 in Greenfield Center, N.Y., and Old Friends at Ashton Grove, a senior retirement community in Georgetown, where senior citizen humans can interact with senior citizen horses.
Michael Blowen and John Nicholson with Old Friends’ resident Red Knight.
“I started looking a couple of years ago for someone to take over as president,” said Michael.
“The most important thing I was looking for was someone that really, really, put the horses first. It’s not like they’d just be saying it, but that they really have to think about the horses first.
“Then maybe about six months ago,” Michael continued, “I ran into John and we started talking, and I said to him, ‘You know, I’m really looking for somebody to take over Old Friends because I’ve really taken it as far as I can take it. It needs a really good CEO that has managed a much bigger facility than we have, and the only way that we can improve is to get more space for more horses, which means more money, more donations, and an executive CEO that knows how to handle big business.’ ”
After 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand was sent to slaughter in Japan, where he had stood at stud, Old Friends, along with help from some others, became the first organization to repatriate Thoroughbreds from Japan to the United States. The first two horses to arrive home were Sunshine Forever and Creator.
Since then, six more Thoroughbreds – Fraise, Ogygian, Wallenda, Silver Charm, War Emblem, and Charismatic – were repatriated to the United States from Japan thanks to the efforts of Michael and Old Friends.
Old Friends has also repatriated a horse from Italy, Geri, and in 2022, he opened the door to returning horses from South Korea with the arrival of Any Given Saturday.
John noted, “I have always had a deeply felt respect and appreciation for Michael’s vision and tenacity. What he has accomplished is beyond remarkable. I have treasured our friendship over the years, especially having had a great collaborative relationship between Old Friends and the Kentucky Horse Park. He and I have always shared a spirit that the horse has given far more to us than we could ever give in return.
“Old Friends is making an important and vital contribution, not only to the racing industry, but most importantly to the lives of the horses who have given so much to us. I have been fortunate in my career to be a part of some meaningful endeavors, but Old Friends offers all of us who love the horse a unique opportunity to serve the animal who has served us so well.
“It is also very gratifying and reassuring that Michael will remain a part of the daily world of Old Friends as the founder. We are blessed that he is in good health and his passion for the mission of Old Friends is undiminished. I plan to sit at his knee in the weeks and months ahead to listen and learn. I know for certain that working with him and the Old Friends team will be exhilarating and rewarding.
“And, at this stage of my life and career, having had much experience in the equine, tourism, and non-profit worlds, I believe I am in a position to help assure that Old Friends will remain a strong and viable force for all the good things it does for decades and generations to come.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 15, 2024
McLain Ward accepted the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s International Equestrian of the Year title and the International Horse of the Year title for stellar jumper HH Azur this weekend during the organization’s annual meeting in Louisville, Ky., while John French took the National Equestrian title and the trophy for Paradigm, the hunter who took National Horse of the Year.
The awards were voted on by USEF membership. Although standouts from a wide range of breeds and disciplines were nominated for the honors, the winners were not surprising, considering not only their accomplishments, but also the fact that hunter/jumper members are the biggest component of the federation.
McLain, who also was International Equestrian of the Year in 2017, rode 11 horses at the international level during 2023.
At the beginning of the season, he won the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva and the Rolex Grand Prix of ‘s-Hertogenbosch at the Dutch Masters with HH Azur, better known as Annie. She is owned by McLain and DoubleH Farm. They were only the second combination ever to win two consecutive legs of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping since its inception in 2013.
McLain Ward and HH Azur. (Photo © 2017 by Nancy Jaffer)
Annie, McLain’s ride for victory in the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup finals, retired after Aachen, but Ward kept going. He helped the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team to a win in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup in San Juan Capistrano aboard Contagious and secured another victory in the Grand Prix aboard Kasper van het Hellehof. He rode Callas to a top result for the team in the Mercedes-Benz Jumping Nations Cup at CHIO Aachen, followed by another strong performance for the pair at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona.
He rode Contagious in the Pan American Games,helping the team secure the USA’s qualification for the Paris Olympics with a team gold, and earned individual bronze as well.
“We are very honored to receive this award because it is chosen by our US Equestrian community. It is a reflection of our team’s hard work, and how that work is having a positive impact,” said Mclain in his acceptance.
“You might ask why I started this speech with the word `we’ instead of `I’. The reality is that [it is] because of the individuals and professionals around me, both past and present, that any of our accomplishments have been possible. The people around me have been some of the most brilliant and knowledgeable minds who have not only been the reason for that success in the sport, but have also, more importantly, made sure our horses have had a wonderful quality of life because of the care they receive.”
He gave special acknowledgement to his associate of more than 35 years, Lee McKeever.
“My first thought was that I was not truly the horseman behind our success,” said McLain.
“My job in this operation has always been to ride, train, and compete, but Lee is the true horseman,” McLain contended.
“I believe that true geniuses don’t often realize they are a genius, and that is true for Lee. He wakes up every morning thinking about the horses, and he spends his days figuring out what they need to be the best in the sport and, much more importantly, in their lives.”
John French added the National Horse and Horseman trophies to a resume that already included a long list of achievements, among them the 2012 WCHR Lifetime Achievement Award and a place in the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.
In 2023, John won three major events on three different horses, all of whose hunter careers he started himself. He added to his list of career successes by topping a field of 83 competitors to win the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Rolex Stadium with Meredith Lipke’s Paradigm.
John French and Paradigm.
He also won the $100,000 WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular on Kent Farrington LLC’s Milagro and the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge on Marnell Sport Horses’s Babylon — his third consecutive WCHR Pro Challenge win. He also received the inaugural Jeff Wirthman Memorial Trophy as the Winter Equestrian Festival’s Leading Hunter Trainer by money won in 2023.
“I would like to really thank Kent Farrington,” John told his audience, “because four years ago, I pretty much thought I was going to wind down. I don’t think I would have had the success without the team that I have. I couldn’t do this on my own and I don’t see myself doing it on my own. These last few years with having a team and having someone like Kent; hopefully, now maybe I can go on for several more years. I really hope so.”
