by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 5, 2023
There were a lot of important questions asked during Town Hall sessions Monday and Tuesday at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s annual meeting, but they all could be boiled down to this big picture concern: “Are we doing the best thing by our horses? Are we doing the best thing by our people and our sport?”
Since USHJA was founded as an affiliate of the U.S. Equestrian Federation 20 years ago, the horse world has changed dramatically. At the same time, the universality of online videos means little goes unnoticed — or unremarked.
One of the biggest challenges involves dealing with “social license,” public acceptance of the way an organization or industry operates.
In that context, USHJA President Mary Knowlton announced she will appoint a blue ribbon commission to examine “integrity and welfare in our sport,” with a report due at the association’s mid-year meeting.
She started Tuesday’s session in Concord, N.C., by “throwing a bomb into the room,” as she put it, recounting the awful story she heard about a horse who collapsed in the stable area of an indoor show. Onlookers said people were beating and kicking the horse, throwing water on him in an effort to get him up. Mary said he had suffered an “adverse reaction to some drug” that was given to make him quiet.
“People saw this and they didn’t report it,” she said about the incident.
“Does your silence make you part of this? What are we going to do about something like that?”
Mary quoted a comment made to her a while back by Katie Benson, a member of the USHJA’s Competition Standards Committee: “When our love of winning becomes higher and more important than our love of horses, we’re in a bad place.”
Mary agreed, suggesting, “Let’s be willing to look at ourselves.”
Everyone else is looking, and that’s a problem.
Marnye Langer, who has several horse-related businesses in California, said the Los Angeles city council is seeking to ban rodeo, and along with it, use of spurs and standing martingales.
She reminded her audience of the old saying, “How goes California, so goes the rest of the country. It’s a real possibility.”
Equine welfare was discussed on many fronts, with several people mentioning the need for more drug testing at shows.
Veteran trainer Otis Brown believes “probably 30 percent of the winners” are medicated with illegal substances.
“It’s up to us to turn the people in,” he said, or to inform the Drugs & Medication Committee about “what they’re using.”
Jennifer Matts, a Zone 4 committee member, commented, “People know the drug testers leave at 2 in the afternoon and we have a $100,000 Spectacular that starts at 6.”
“I applaud the (USHJA International Hunter) Derby we have in Kentucky because they have assigned testers and vet techs to them (the horses) for the 12 hours before the competition,” she mentioned.
Jennifer has checked the trash cans around the stabling area, noting “you would be as appalled and disgusted as I am when you go through these trash cans and see what they’re doing to these animals.”
She added “We need to have some sort of tools we can use to try and curb it.”
In Canada, she said, stewards can request a drug test on a horse they suspect has been given something illegal.” But Jennifer was told that can’t be done in the U.S. because it’s considered “targeting.”
Also on the welfare front, there were comments about trying something similar to eventing’s Minimum Eligibility Requirements for riders moving up to the next level in competition. It was pointed out that would make it easier for trainers to rein in students who are eager to advance beyond their capabilities, and thus curtail the danger that presents to their horses.
The unending show schedule for many horses is a concern and the idea of mandatory retirement on course after a certain number of faults was mentioned.
USEF judge Andrea Welles suggested a “see something, say something” campaign and more severe punishment for bad sportsmanship or mistreating horses, so it affects the livelihood of the offender.
“We have to put some teeth in whatever we develop as our sportsmanship rules,” agreed Otis.
The cost of showing is an issue that sparked a dialogue. As Mary pointed out, it’s expensive to put on a horse show, and expensive to compete in one. But the point was made that to make shows more inclusive, the cost needs to be lower, and if that’s the case, more rules make the shows more costly by requiring extra people to enforce them. As Mary noted, judges and stewards may be afraid to make judgment calls; it’s easier to have rules to lean on.
Shanette Barth Cohen, who runs the Hampton Classic, suggested USHJA might be able to help shows get sponsorship outside of the usual suspects in the industry with a collective effort, or perhaps train shows on how to get sponsorship. If sponsorship increases, it might follow that exhibitors’ fees could be decreased.
As Whitney Allen, the USHJA’s director of operations pointed out, “there’s a lot of levels of complexity there” between the national and regional segments of corporations. The concept offers an opportunity to “pull together some data we’ve been lacking as an organization and as an industry” we can turn around and have these bigger national conversations about sponsorship.
Amy Center, a Florida trainer and USEF official, said “we need to mainstream our sport and make it accessible, that it’s not just for the rich little white girl. We need to make horses important to everyone. We need to change it so we have better marketing, better story lines, mass appeal.”
Active membership has remained stuck in the 36,000 range since 2008, but with Outreach for the lower levels and Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association memberships, it goes to 51,948, Mary pointed out. There was talk about how to get more people involved.
Otis figured the average age of those in the meeting room was 45.
“We are in a very bad situation. We need to figure out innovative ways to bring the younger generation into this room if we want to continue doing what we’re doing,” he said.
That concern that was brought up by others in terms of who will carry on what needs to be done for the sport after current leadership has stepped away. Otis suggested giving zone awards at a banquet during the annual meeting to get kids and their parents to attend. He also thinks giving money away for Outreach classes would help as well.
Britt McCormick, who will take over as USHJA president in December 2024, said, “One of the issues I think we have in our sport and our industry is that we have a really hard time letting go of the`what is’ and a really hard time thinking what we want this to look like in the future.
“We keep tweaking and tweaking the same old tired model that we’ve been using since the ’50s. I think this is where we as an industry voice have to stop living in the past and in some cases, stop living in the present, and start figuring out what we want this sport and this industry to look like five, 10, 20 and 50 years from now.
“We’ve reached the limits of what we can do under this current (member-driven) business model, and it’s starting to fail.”
He added, “There are barriers to entry on the participation level and people are finding other places to spend those recreation dollars and at the end of the day, that’s what we’re competing for, is that recreational dollar all the way across the country. We just happen to use horses.”
He has suggested changing the business model to something “more expansive and global, so instead of trying to fill a stadium full of members, we need to fill that stadium full of fans and sponsors and supporters who want to watch our limited number of exhibitors.
“We have to figure out a way to take the media opportunities we have,” to use those through USHJA and the federation ”to help get more people to shows, not just to compete, but to watch. Until you have butts in seats, that advertiser isn’t going to give you any money to put on that event.”
Britt said USHJA has to work with its affiliates and pool resources for the greater good. The effort also will require assistance from USEF.
“If we can get this new thought process started…it will trickle down to the competition level and that is where we’re finally going to be able to break through to the next business model.”
That needs to be done by figuring out a new business model in cooperation with the affiliates, the federation and the membership. “Otherwise,” Britt contended, “we’re done.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 3, 2023
The podium for the first Coachella Cup $1 million grand prix was dominated by members of the squad that took team gold for the U.S. at the Pan American Games in October, qualifying the country for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
There was a time when $1 million grands prix were held in several parts of the country, but now the California Desert Circuit 5-star is the only one, drawing 35 entries for the 5-star competition.
It was a goal for many of the biggest names in the sport, but the one who made it to the winner’s circle Saturday night was Karl Cook on Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet. He also won last year’s 5-star for a lesser purse with the mare.
Karl Cook and Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet on their way to victory. (High Desert Sport Photo)
“I don’t know what’s in her, but she’s amazing,” Karl said, commenting on her passion.
“Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming when she’s leaping in the air. But she just has such drive and such desire to do the job well, and she loves doing the job. It then inspires you as a rider and as anyone who’s around her. She inspires them and lifts everyone up.”
Seven entries qualified for the jump-off over Alan Wade’s course at the Desert International Horse Park, but only Karl and Canada’s Mario Deslauriers on Bardolina were fault-free in the tie-breaker, finishing in 44.99 and 46.86 seconds respectively. Karl’s gold medal Pan Am teammate, Kent Farrington, had the fastest round, 43.75 seconds on Landon, but dropped a rail to finish third.
Karl had injured his left hand Tuesday night, but he didn’t consider scratching.
“It’s just a few stitches to the hand, a flesh wound,” he said.
“I was always going to ride. It was just how bad it was going to hurt. Everyone has issues they’ve got to overcome.”
With the Paris Olympics eight months away, Karl is looking like a real possibility for the three-member team that will compete there for the U.S. He also has another exciting mount in his Pan Am horse, Caracole de la Roque.
Those who didn’t get near the top of the leaderboard included Daniel Bluman. The winner of the grand prix at the Royal Winter Fair last month with Gemma W, the Israeli rider finished an unlucky 13th with Ladriano Z, while McLain Ward — also a member of the USA’s winning Pan Am team — retired for the evening with Contagious.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 1, 2023
Following a decision to ban dressage trainer/entrepreneur Andreas Helgstrand from consideration for the Danish Olympic team, the Danish Riding Federation and the Danish Riding-Instructor Association are canceling a cooperation agreement with Helgstrand Dressage as a training venue for riding education as of the end of 2023.
“We are obviously incredibly sorry about that decision. We are immensely proud of our riding students, and we consider them close and talented colleagues,” Helgstrand Dressage said in a statement.
The action came in the wake of an undercover TV documentary that showed harsh training techniques at the Helgstrand facility in Denmark, and detailed attempts to cover spur and whip marks on horses.
Saying the footage “has made a very big impression,” the statement continued, “We understand that the images that have been shown in Operation X should be responded to.
“We have done that ourselves too. We have therefore also given both Dansk Riding Federation and Dansk Riding-Instruktør Association an open invitation for dialogue and to come visit Helgstrand Dressage to see for yourself how our practice is as a training ground and how in the last year we have improved many of our practices.
“We are very sorry that neither association has chosen to accept. Our invitation is still open: both are welcome to drop by — also unannounced, where you can carry out the necessary supervision with horses, training and pupils.”
The statement added, “Of course, we will do everything we can to continue the dialogue, so that in the future we can also welcome back our talented students at Helgstrand Dressage, where we are convinced that we can offer a good training place with healthy values and a strong community.”
The Danish Riding Association last month said Helgstrand would be banned from its teams at least until the beginning of 2025 — after the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to a Facebook posting by the Danish newspaper Nordjyske.
Helgstrand 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.
Hearings have been going on in Wellington since the summer about controversial zoning issues in connection with a proposed expansion of the showgrounds.
The Olympics “is completely out of the question,” said the acting chairman of the Danish Riding Association, Jakob Ravnsbo, who succeeded Helgstrand’s father, Ulf, in the position. In a comment to Nordjyske, Andreas Helgstrand wrote that he regrets the association’s decision, has always been proud to represent Denmark, and that he had been looking forward to the Olympics.
Denmark’s Olympic hopes should not suffer as a result of the ban, as only three can be on a team in the Games and the country has several top riders, including Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, who recently got the ride on the spectacular Mount St. John Freestyle, previously ridden by Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin.
While the FEI, the international equestrian federation, commented that “any action or omission which causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse constitutes a violation of our rules,” it did not take immediate action in regard to the revelations of the documentary.
It stated it will “collaborate closely with the Danish National Federation, and there is a mutual recognition of decisions and any sanctions imposed. We will continue to communicate as the situation develops, and want to assure the equestrian community, our stakeholders and the public, that we are rigorously addressing this issue.”
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 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 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.
