by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 8, 2024
After eight months, more than 60 hours of public deliberations and much community angst, the Wellington Village Council voted just before midnight Wednesday to take 96-plus acres out of its Equestrian Preserve for a golf community, in order to insure its cramped and tired major showgrounds can expand.
The deal means that Wellington Lifestyle Partners will be able to construct its development on the Equestrian Village land used by the Global Dressage Festival at Wellington North. But there’s a quid pro quo, as was often discussed during the hearings. First, WLP and developer NEXUS need to build the expanded showgrounds on their property at Wellington South, a short distance away, where the Winter Equestrian Festival is held.
The deadline for making the showgrounds operational is 2028; until then, dressage can stay at its current home in the Preserve. Discussion about arrangements for the 2025 dressage show there already has started.
The quid pro quo, however, did not sit well with many in the equestrian community. They mounted opposition to taking 96-plus acres from the Preserve for the development, with more than 10,000 people signing a petition against that action. The fear is that the Wellington North project would set a precedent for future incursions into the Preserve, which includes 9,000 acres across the municipality.
Frustrated residents reacted Thursday morning on social media to the council’s action.
“Why isn’t the Village Council protecting our lands and ensuring us that our votes matter?” wrote Mark Offerman.
“Everything in this proposal smells dodgy.”
Other residents, however, many of whom have big investments in their local farms, urged the council to make the deal so the showgrounds can be improved and Wellington could remain “The Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.”
“I feel like it’s the first step in the right direction,” said Wellington farm owner Romain Marteau, who spoke at council meetings several times to emphasize the need for a better showgrounds.
While he acknowledged there was disappointment in some quarters over the vote, Marteau advised, “People should get together now and be part of the solution and try to advise NEXUS and WLP on how to build a horse show, because they are seeking input from the equestrian people. The only thing that matters going forward is to make sure that the horse show is successful. Without a successful horse show, Wellington isn’t going to be successful.”
The Wellington South showgrounds, formerly Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and now Wellington International, was bought two years ago by Global Equestrian Group, which is part of Waterland Private Equity.
But GEG had financial issues and the showgrounds are up for sale. William Blair, who manages major sales and acquisitions, is requiring anyone who is interested in purchasing the property to sign on Feb. 13 that they are serious, so further discussions can proceed toward getting a new owner for the internationally known venue.
A number of prominent equestrians have indicated there will be great financial support for purchase of the showgrounds, which they want to see run as a non-profit, with its revenue plowed back into the facility for improvements. They have been concerned that the lavish World Equestrian Center in Ocala is a strong rival to the Wellington shows, once unquestionably the USA’s creme de la creme circuit.
Marteau pointed out that “the next big challenge is making sure the (Wellington) show lands in the right hands.”
Multiple entities are trying to put offers together for the showgrounds and it is unclear who will go on to a second round in the bidding. The word is that among the groups seeking to buy the facility is HITS, whose other venues include shows in Ocala and New York.
Rendering of what Equestrian Village and White Birch (now polo fields) will look like as part of the golf development.
The council vote was 4-1 (it is required that for land to be removed from the Preserve, four of the five council members must vote in favor of it.)
Vice-mayor Michael Napoleone, who is running for mayor, voted against it. He noted he grew up in east Boca Raton (south of Wellington) and saw how development transformed that area, not necessarily for the better.
As he explained his decision, “For me,” the golf community “is too much density for Wellington.” He does, however, believe improving the showgrounds is important and voted for a zoning change on Wellington South so it can be built. There also will be housing on another parcel adjacent to the showgrounds.
“It’s a complicated issue. There’s a lot of passion on both sides, and I’ve tried to look at the bigger picture,” he said.
On Monday, in a last-minute bid to save Equestrian Village, a number of prominent equestrians said they would pony up $25 million to buy the property and insure it would be used for the dressage shows and other equestrian-related activities.
But Councilman Michael Drahos pointed out the property is worth more than $25 million “and you don’t have a willing seller.” In addition, he pointed out, they had not approached the landowner and did not have a plan for their vision if they bought the property.
Marteau, who is married to trainer Brianne Goutal-Marteau, emphasized people behind that eleventh hour bid for Equestrian Village need to have a seat at the table and make sure dressage has a voice in developing the new showgrounds.
Tuny Page, a dressage rider and farm owner who led the effort for funding to buy Equestrian Village, said the reason that was such a late starter involved “a tremendous amount of trust” that the development would not go through. She cited votes against the project by the Equestrian Preserve Committee and the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment board, but they are only advisory groups and it’s the council’s vote that counts.
The council’s decision means “Wellington is going to change significantly,” she said, pointing out that the people who buy houses in the golf development likely won’t be equestrians.
Speaking about WLP and its plans, Drahos said before the vote Wednesday, “I do believe this model is guaranteed to succeed.”
“This is a no-look-back moment for Wellington,” he commented, saying the decision was “logic-based.”
He added, “What I really hope for us as a community is that this is the moment we become unified. We will never be the equestrian capital of the world unless the entire community buys into that.”
All the property involved was collected by Mark Bellisimo, who bought WEF in 2007 when it was failing and revitalized it. He also built Equestrian Village—with the help of several of the people who contributed to the $25 million buyout deal. But he is a controversial figure in town. Many are wary of him and there were frequent comments about his unfulfilled promises on several projects.
Doug McMahon, the CEO of WLP, said Bellissimo is not involved in running the organization (his daughter, Paige Bellissimo Nunez, is its executive vice president) and has no interest in taking a larger role, a comment obviously meant to reassure those who still had misgivings about anything with which Bellissimo is involved.
Lauren Brody, an equestrian realtor who is the administrator of the Keep Wellington Green Facebook page, said, “This was a very long game. Mark Bellissimo played. Call him anything you want, but the man was shrewd and he sat back and put all his chess pieces into play. This passed because he did that.”
She suggested that Equestrian Village, with its new zoning, “is now worth $1 billion. There’s no buying it. The council handed Mark Bellissimo hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in value. All they got in return was a ring here and a ring there and a green space that’s already green” (vacant land that WLP is giving to the Village for a park.)
“If we had to lose Equestrian Village, we should have gotten a lot more in return,” she contended.
Brody is encouraging people to be more proactive in the wake of the Council decision. She suggested residents attend a Monday candidates’ night to hear what prospective Council members have to say. Brody added she has not ruled out running for the council in 2026 (she can’t do it sooner because the next election is in March).
“I’m planning to get more involved as the days go on,” she promised.
The showgrounds project next week is set to go before the Equestrian Preserve Committee for the compatibility determination process that may add some requirements to its construction. The EPC last summer unanimously voted against taking land out of the Equestrian Preserve.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 30, 2024
A discussion on the threat to horse sport from social license to operate (SLO) drew 200 very concerned people to a U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Town Hall Monday night.
Dozens of commenters pointed out the need for many changes in how equestrians operate in order to obtain political and public acceptance. A second town hall on the subject to explore it further will be held Feb. 19.
The topic is a polarizing one for a lot of people, USHJA President Mary Knowlton pointed out, “because we’re used to doing things the way we’re used to doing things. We are fiercely individual. We do not like anyone to tell us their way is better.”
But that is a dangerous standard in the era of social media and video cameras everywhere.
As Mary pointed out, “We are looking at ourselves from within our sport, where we might not agree with each other, but we sure understand what is going on. The people from the outside who are looking at us, animal rights activists in particular, they don’t understand.”
An equestrian who looks at a horse lying down in the deep pile of shavings in his stall can see that he’s comfortable. But someone from the public, who knows nothing about horses, might say, “My God, that horse is in a prison, it’s behind bars…that horse is trapped,” Mary pointed out.
What can be done about this situation that threatens the sport?
“It’s important we seize control of this topic ourselves and look for great solutions,” said Mary. Otherwise, equestrian competition will be in trouble.
She mentioned the film “Black Fish,” about how orcas were treated at Sea World.
“The public rose up, and suddenly the idea of keeping an orca in captivity was not okay.”
Mary mentioned that there are no longer pony rides in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park after animal rights activists protested what they called, “exploiting the ponies.”
Two years ago, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protested the use of horses in the series, “The Gilded Age” after one died of natural causes during filming. The organization urged the public to stop watching the show until horses were no longer part of the production.
This month’s U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Horsemastership clinic for juniors and Young Riders got negative publicity because of controversial comments by show jumping clinician Katie Monahan Prudent, who had been a prominent U.S. team rider. In the wake of an outcry over some of her remarks, including criticism of “animal rights activists who know nothing about training horses,” the USEF is continuing to review the matter.
An SLO example that always comes up in connection with horses is the 2021 Olympic pentathlon in Tokyo, where a coach hit a horse who had refused a jump, as the rider was crying. That was enough to end show jumping in pentathlon after this summer’s Olympics. At the 2028 Olympics, horseswill be replaced by an obstacle course competitors run on foot.
Like all the situations Mary cited, it points out the danger to the future of equestrian sports from SLO.
A new USHJA Blue Ribbon Commission will “look at our sport and make suggestions as to how we can go forward and try to do a better job,” said Mary. The panel is meeting every other week until May, when it will put out its report. Meanwhile, she mentioned, the FEI’s (international equestrian federation) horse welfare work is “a really good start.”
The European Equestrian Federation also is making a concerted effort to get on top of the SLO situation.
Attorney Dominique Torsiello commented during the town hall that “the distinction between animal rights and animal welfare is important.”
Mary explained animal rights is focused on the ethical argument over whether animals should be used by humans in the first place, while animal welfare is focused on the quality of animals’ lives.
Californian Marnye Langer noted the city of Berkeley’s onerous ordinance requiring horses to be turned out 14 hours a day was not passed, due to a technicality.
In that instance, she said “Horse people may have dodged a bullet, but many more are coming.”
That’s why it is so important to find an SLO solution, rather than “having a solution thrust upon us,” as Mary put it, noting equestrians “have to tell our story better.”
Show jumper Candice King remarked that “we have to be aware as clinicians on how we deliver our instruction.”
Mary noted that she and Katie Prudent, among so many others, “came up through a system that embraced that type of military training.”
The cavalry influenced the standard of riding in the U.S. almost until the 1960s, and many of the top trainers of that decade and several of the decades that followed were shaped to some extent by that tradition.
“It’s really hard to acknowledge that maybe we need to say things differently,” suggested Mary.
Even now, “we as a sport are not very open to the idea of science-based decision making. We came up through an apprentice-based system and we’re used to doing it the way our people in the past taught us to do it.” The new equitation science has a lot of really valuable insights, she pointed out.
One of the questions equestrians must ask themselves, Mary said, is not “could I?” but rather “should I?”
Those who think, “What they can’t see won’t hurt,” should remember there are cameras everywhere.
Her suggestions included listening to what people are telling you, take a minute and try to understand what they see. Take time for self-reflection, ask yourself where you can improve and be honest with yourself.
Terri Young expressed concern about equestrians who are “writing off non-horse people’s opinion as `They just don’t know.’ It doesn’t matter if they don’t know.”
As she pointed out. “They are vocal and have the ear of legislators.”
Commenter Molly Scriven stated, “the more we price the general public out of the sport, the more it becomes a treatise on the wealthy. The more people who are able to join and love our sport and their horse partners, the more voices of understanding we can have.”
But there are many issues that need attention in the meantime.
Sue Lyman noted that the Horse and Rider Advocates committee has tried to address several key matters, including longeing, having horses compete in too many classes, the practice of pulling shoes for under saddle classes.
“But what we put forward is always pared down,” she stated.
“I just wish people would be better horsemen.”
A commenter who gave her name only as “Sue Ellen” said that while she has been lobbying for years to stop shoe pulling done for the under saddle classes so the horses move better, such a rule “has been stopped dead in committee in spite of evidence by vets and farriers that the practice is harmful.”
Horses lined up to have their shoes put on after competing in the hack. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Suggestions made during the town hall include requesting a drug test when there is reasonable suspicion about a horse. Mary will talk to USEF about that.
There was also a conversation about using the equine grimace scale for judging. Some judges are uncomfortable calling out lame horses, so this one will require “a lot of conversation.”
Bev Bedard, chair of the USHJA’s stewards committee, said that panel started working on the issues Monday and would welcome comments and ideas for discussion and action.
There was, as there always is, talk about whether stewards should be hired by USEF instead of the shows, so they don’t risk not being rehired by management who takes issue with the way they are doing their job.
Veterinarian Mike Tomlinson, who is also involved in governance, said “Right now, the management considers the riders/trainers/owners to be the customers and the officials must be nice to them. If an official calls out a competitor for abuse, the official is currently often labeled `not good’ and not asked back.”
The U.S. is not, of course, the only country taking steps to deal with SOL.
The European Equestrian Federation reported “initial studies have shown the public has concerns about horse welfare and the overall role of the horse in a sport context. The emphasis is on us to change these opinions, consider how we approach our sport and educate the public to develop a stronger reputation for equestrianism.”
At this point, as the EEF noted, the question becomes how to do that. There is a vast number of people who have formed opinions over a range of experiences, “from those competing or spectating at top sport, to those taking their children for a weekly lesson. Finding the right ways to connect to these different groups and tackling the issues they foresee is part of the challenge.”
Europe’s various equestrian federations have looked into the areas where they have influence, to engage fully and “create changes in perception.”
The German federation has come up with a strategy following a 2022 workshop about social license.
The plan to regain society’s trust and secure it long-term is scheduled initially to run until 2026 and will be adapted and developed along the way.
The Germans are planning, among other things, 100 workshops on the topic of social licensing throughout the country.
In terms of additional action, one key component involves access to the sport, with the German federation supporting riding clubs to source and fund suitable horses, particularly for children to engage and learn.
Another is insuring rules and governance are in place to ensure fair sport, with the horse as an equal partner, and to explain and implement the rules better. The federation also will utilize science to inform decision-making and maintain the best conditions for horses.
At the top end of the sport, performance and welfare will be combined with transparency and open access. Another aspect involves communication, connecting athletes and those inside and outside the sport to understand the importance of horses in society.
With studies showing the public has concerns about horse welfare and the overall role of the horse in a sport context, the emphasis is on changing these opinions, considering how to approach the sport and educate the public.
That requires action on horse welfare, environmental sustainability and the issues on which the public has expressed criticism. It also means showing the public that their criticism has been heard. There is a need for research to determine what changes need to be made on horse welfare and environment.
“There must be continuous active listening, to monitor the opinions and acceptance society has. There must be continuous development within the sport so we adjust and change with an evidence-based approach to the issues. And there must be continuous communication, in an open dialogue to build and maintain trust,” according to the EEF.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 1, 2024
The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair will be stretching out to 12 days this spring as it marks 128 years. It will run from May 22-June 2 and offer nearly $1 million in prize money.
You can never get enough of the Deon Horse Show. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Starting on a Wednesday instead of a Thursday during its first week will enable the show to end “in a timely manner” each evening, according to its CEO, Wayne Grafton.
The multi-breed show, which spent $1 million for improvements to the ground last year, benefits Bryn Mawr Hospital.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 1, 2024
The horse power of the equine industry added $177 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, according to a useful new survey from the American Horse Council. That’s up from 122 billion in 2017. It affects a variety of sectors, including such obvious segments as agriculture and veterinary services, as well as tourism and technology.
There are 2.2 million jobs linked to horses, everything from farriers and veterinarians to truck drivers, nutritionists and journalists. Even so, the number of horses in the country has dropped over six years, from 7.2 million in 2017 to 6.6 million last year.
The purpose of the survey is to demonstrate the value of the equine industry in the national and state economies by analyzing the direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of horse ownership, recreation, and equine-related services. The data can be used in connection with investments in equine-related businesses, equine health care, education, land use decisions, tax policy, tourism and employment incentives.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 1, 2024
Italy is the first country to pass a law recognizing horses as athletes.
According to the legislation of September 2023, an “athlete horse” has to be registered, cannot be intended for use as food and must be listed with the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation.
This historic decision by the Italian government was discussed Jan. 31 in a conference entitled: “Horse Athlete: protections and prospects,” organized in Bologna by the federation. The session included representatives of the European Equestrian Federation and the International Jumping Riders Club.
Only the Italian Equestrian Federation would meet in a room that looks like one of the country’s many museums,
The concept is expected to pave the way for more legal developments, perhaps in the area of equine transport and veterinary controls. It also could be an important consideration in view of the ever-expanding role of social license to operate. (See the feature story on this website for details of that movement.)
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 2, 2024
The U.S. Equestrian Federation Monday came out with a new and stronger statement on the suspension of dressage trainer Cesar Parra, as videos that showed him whipping horses and other problematic actions continued to spark outraged comments on social media and led to an FEI investigation.
“The training practices documented in the videos cannot be tolerated in our sport. USEF is steadfast in its commitment to horse well-being and has committed its resources to supporting the FEI in bringing this matter to resolution as expediently as possible,” the federation emphasized.
Noting the clips depicted “abhorrent abusive training techniques by FEI dressage athlete and trainer Cesar Parra (USA) at his private training facility in Florida,” the statement continued, “USEF immediately coordinated with the FEI. The following day, the FEI imposed a temporary suspension against Cesar Parra, which is being enforced by USEF at the national level, prohibiting him and his horses’ participation in competition.
Among other things, the videos show Parra whipping a horse in front of the saddle while he is riding, and whipping another that he is longeing with its head cranked down to its chest.
Cesar Parra in competition. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The FEI offered no comment on the specifics of the situation while its investigation is ongoing, but it issued a statement saying, “Equestrian sport is built on a foundation of respect for our equine partners, with a duty of care to ensure their mental and physical well-being comes first, ahead of all competition and/or training ambitions.
“Through the FEI’s Rules and Regulations, the welfare of the horse, and any action or omission which causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse constitutes a violation of our rules and will be sanctioned. The FEI remains resolute in its commitment to upholding the highest standards of equine welfare and sanctioning behaviour which deviates from these principles, and will be actively investigating this case as a matter of urgency.”
A native of Colombia who rode in the Olympics for that nation, then was part of the U.S. team at the 2011 Pan American Games after getting his American citizenship, Parra did not respond to two requests for comment.
Germany’s professional riders group issued a statement in German saying, “We also saw the terrible videos and images from the USA over the weekend in which horses were mistreated and subjected to massive violence.”
“We want to clearly distance ourselves from … these methods. This has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with our understanding of horse training. Such images bring the entire equestrian sport into disrepute. All those involved who use these methods that violate animal welfare must be held accountable.
“Where is the respect for the animal? As professional riders, we in particular have a special obligation to the horse and must act as advocates for the horses. What remains for us is to continue to stand up for horse-friendly training with all our might, to teach and practice classical riding theory and thus stand up for our horses and our sport.”
The Parra situation comes on the heels of last year’s scandal involving an undercover television documentary on mistreatment of horses at a Helgstrand Dressage training facility in Denmark. As a result, Olympian Andreas Helgstrand was suspended from the Danish team until at least January 2025.
