by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 9, 2025
During a four-week competition-free window at the Wellington International showgrounds in Florida, a lot of improvements have been accomplished—but more are to come once showing is over for the season.
Murray Kessler, Wellington International’s CEO, gave a report on progress at the facility to the Village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee Wednesday night.
The retired executive and former U.S. Equestrian Federation president took his post last fall because he was “concerned with the direction it might go” following the showgrounds’ purchase by its former owners. Since then, more investors are joining the group.
The venue, the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival, employs 500 people during the height of the show season, when 2,700 horses are competing weekly. The “root problem” of the horse show is that the grounds were built for a third of the number of horses that are there today, Murray said.
He believes Wellington International, formerly known as the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, is “the anchor of this community and it can’t be a healthy community unless the horse show is healthy. I care about the horses first and I care about the sport first and everything else good that will happen to Wellington will happen on that basis.”
Murray Kessler addressing Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Committee.
His vision is “to keep Wellington International the premier horse sports destination in the world.”
Murray noted that is not to say it’s the best horse show individually in the world, pointing out there are some great ones. But “there’s nothing like Wellington anywhere else in the world where there’s 1,000 horse farms in close proximity.”
A key improvement will be the addition of additional land from “Pod F” to expand Wellington International and enable dressage to move from its current home at the Global grounds a half-mile away, where a golf community will be built. Murray doesn’t expect that to happen before 2027 and it could be 2028. That’s the deadline for completing work on Pod F, as it becomes an operating part of the showgrounds and takes 1,000 horses off the area of what is the current facility, leaving room for dressage and hunters to have their own space.
In the meantime, three rings have been built on Pod F to give riders a place where they can work their horses away from the crowded main showgrounds. FEI stabling is set to expand to 14 acres.
There will be a better opportunity to grow sponsors and hospitality when there is a better design for a unified showgrounds. Murray noted at the moment, there is no hunter VIP, and he criticized the VIP arrangement for dressage at Global, where the food must be driven to the site from a small kitchen at Wellington International.
“Believe it or not, we don’t make money on entries,” he stated. “We make money on sponsors and hospitality.” While the existing grounds is profitable, money for improvements is self-generating.
There has been a flurry of cleaning, painting and landscaping at the showgrounds, where 3,000 stalls were power-washed. Bathrooms are being cleaned around the clock, eight tractor-trailer loads of junk have been taken off the premises.
“While we still have a long way to go, the property is in better shape than it’s been in a very long time,” Murray reported. He has appointed an advisory committee with reps from hunters, jumpers, dressage and para-dressage to be his “eyes and ears” about what is needed at the showgrounds.
The entrance to the International arena at Wellington International.
Improvements that have been installed at Wellington International since he came on board include new stadium LED lighting, which makes the setting in the International Arena as bright as daylight, and offers flexibility in terms of special effects that can be created. With the old vapor lights, once they were turned off, it took a half-hour to get them going again, and the illumination they offered was “gray,” which Murray deemed to be getting unsafe. A new jumbotron will do split screens and replays with graphics that are “terrific.”
As Michael Stone, Wellington International’s president pointed out during a Thursday press conference, production values are being improved “so it becomes much more like any sort of major sporting event. By increasing the level, you’re going to enhance the sport, and enhancing the sport is going to attract more people to come. That’s why we need enhanced production, to show people this really is a top class sport, like the U.S. Open or the Masters.”
The last grand prix at WEF in March will be worth $750,000, a record for the show. It is the finale for a new series from Rolex, a longtime sponsor of Wellington International.
Still to be accomplished are more improvements to wi-fi, refurbishment of footing in the rings and other details that will happen during a break in the schedule.
Murray pointed out that equestrian is the biggest sport in Palm Beach County, with $400 million in economic impact. The next biggest sport in the county is minor league baseball at $60 million. Wellington International is the big time–there are 35 Olympic riders who will be showing at WEF and Global dressage, with eight of the world’s top 10 in show jumping scheduled to be on hand.
Murray is pleased at the feedback he’s getting for what has happened in a short amount of time. In the past, there has been an over-promise and under-deliver situation at the showgrounds, which didn’t have the resources or leadershp to fix things. Murray is operating on the opposite basis, and it’s working.
“I feel a sense of excitement from the community,’ the CEO said, stating the reaction is, “Wait a minute it’s turned a corner and the uncertainty is behind us.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 9, 2025
Allegations of horse abuse “involving numerous horses over an extensive period of time” has prompted the FEI (international equestrian federation) to provisionally suspend American eventer Andrew McConnon and open disciplinary hearings in his case. The suspension is reciprocal with the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
He finished twenty-seventh with Wakita 54 at the Burghley 5-star in September and seventeenth with the same Dutchbred mare in the Kentucky 5-star last May. McConnon also rode Ferrie’s Cello on the U.S. team in the eventing Nations Cup at Strzegom, Poland, in 2023, when he was twenty-sixth.
McConnon is not allowed to participate in any competitions or activities related to the FEI or USEF while on suspension. The FEI declined further comment on the case.
In order to ensure the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings, the FEI will not provide further comment on this case at this time
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 13, 2025
How can the risk of devastating western wildfires be reduced in the future?
Could part of the solution be horses—wild horses?
There is so much blame to go around for the horrific fires raging in Los Angeles. From feckless governmental “leadership” at several levels, to an empty reservoir and fire department budget cuts, they all add up to lack of planning for the inevitable. Another case in point: diverting snow melt from the Sacramento River tributaries into the sea to help the delta smelt (fish), rather than making sure reservoirs are full.
The result is loss of lives, houses disintegrating to rubble and Armageddon for horses and other animals in what some have labeled the country’s biggest natural disaster.
There is concern about how the fires will affect plans for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The authoritative “Inside the Games” newsletter noted that the fires are, “raising alarm bells” for the Olympic committee, with several venues “under threat.”
On Thursday, the newsletter noted, “With fatality figures that alarm even the most skeptical, the land reduced to ash, and reconstruction costs estimated at an unfathomable $135 billion, the city’s ability to host the world’s largest sporting event is now subjected to thorough investigation.”
The current situation means that “the challenges of ensuring the Games’ safety are becoming increasingly apparent.”
Years of permitting delays on such forest management issues as thinning out brush and tree density, with controlled burns designed to stop the rapid spread of fire and toxic smoke, have been hampered by lawsuits from “climate activists.”
After the current blazes subside, it’s past time to do something that can decrease future devastation. A key step would be removing the brush and undergrowth that have acted as tinder. And that’s where the horses come in.
William Simpson of the Wild Horse Fire Brigade says he knows just how it should be done,
The former logger and rancher manages a wild horse herd on the border of California and Oregon, so every day, he sees the capability of these animals to clean up rough terrain where cattle and sheep don’t graze anymore, and herds of deer and elk have diminished.
William Simpson of the Wild Horse Fire Brigade with part of the wild horse herd that lives on the California Oregon border. (Photo courtesy Michelle Gough)
Mustangs have no problem navigating the undulating ground and consuming underbrush that acts as kindling for wildfires, when a spark hits and Santa Ana winds blow. He points out that unlike domestic horses, the mustangs are able to consume weeds and brush with no ill effects. Simpson characterizes them as gardeners, because seeds in manure are viable, which works for starting fresh growth instead of leaving ground barren. On the other hand, seeds are destroyed in the complex digestive systems of ruminant animals, such as cattle, he pointed out. And he contends wild horses do not share domestic horses’ fear of fire.
“We’re trying to get the LA fire department, the Malibu fire department, the Malibu homeowners association and the Palisades homeowners association to call me up and say, `You come down here and tell us how to do this’ and I would do it,” said Simpson.
“I do everything I do for free. The bottom line is, we want to provide guidance to communities, legislators, to people who want to reduce toxic smoke and wildfires and stop these fires.”
All the approximately 39,000 horses remaining in the wild and the 70,000 or so living in cramped Bureau of Land Management holding facilities could be used in the project, he contended. Rewilding will “put them where they really belong and where they reduce fires,” Simpson maintained. He estimates each wild horse will eat 30 pounds of grass a day, or 5.5 tons a year on a mere 7 percent of land available for grazing.
Simpson said there is no conflict of interest on the land involved “no lithium mining, no cattle” but noted, “it (the dried vegetation) burns like crazy.” His own home was saved from destruction by fire in 2018 due to a fire break created by grazing wild horses.
“My goal, with our all-volunteer nonprofit, is to provide proper evolutionary-level genetic conservation of these relatively few remaining wild horses, which hold the last bastion of superior equine genetic vigor,” he said.
“If I put out one horse on every 300 acres for fuel reduction, I could re-wild every horse in America in a safe area where nobody is going to mess with them. I only need 3 million acres. Everybody wins. The horses get to be wild and free, they’re not stepping on anybody’s toes.”
You can learn more by watching a video about using horses for fire prevention from AM Best, the world’s oldest credit agency, specializing in the insurance industry. To see the video, click on this link
Numerous organizations are accepting donations connected with helping fire victims. Pets affected by the fire are being helped by the Pasadena Humane Organization
It is working to log every report of animals left behind and dispatching search and rescue teams as quickly as possible in areas that are safe to enter. They are prioritizing reports of animals seen alive in the area and in urgent need of medical attention, as well as cases in which owners have informed them they were forced to leave their pets behind. Fleet of Angels is geared to helping horses who are victims of disasters. The Equestrian Aid Foundation is also pitching in. This is a link to a private rescue seeking funds. Check to see whether your favorite charity also has a role in helping fire victims.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 14, 2025
Mark Bellissimo hasn’t always been the most popular person in Wellington, Fla. That’s the case even though he revitalized the Winter Equestrian Festival when he bought and improved its showgrounds, and established a special venue for dressage nearby.
Resident Ann Schneeberger explained on social media a year ago why some in town are bitter about him: “After years of ignoring restrictions, bending & breaking rules, lack of maintenance on his properties, accumulating fines…and dismissal of anyone who challenged him, many of us are not willing to forgive and forget.”
So when plans were revealed for removing Equestrian Village, home of the Global Dressage showgrounds, from the Equestrian Preserve and changing the zoning to allow development of The Wellington, a high-end golf community, residents expressed concern about the extent of Bellissimo’s involvement.
During hearings about the development, it was maintained more than once by Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ CEO Doug McMahon that Bellissimo was not playing a major role in the entity seeking the development. Yet many were skeptical.
Mark Bellissimo with FEI President Ingmar de Vos and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
At a session on the project in January 2024, Councilman John McGovern asked McMahon about the “10,000-pound gorilla in the room: Is this going to be a project run and operated by Mark Bellissimo?”
“No,” McMahon replied firmly. But during more than 70 hours of hearings on the project, Bellissimo’s daughter, Paige Bellissimo Nunez, was often in evidence, answering questions and supplying information.
In November 2023, after the Wellington Village Council voted to take land out of the Equestrian Preserve for the golf development, former Councilman Micheal Drahos (now a member of the Village Planning, Zoning and Adjustment board) contended with what turned out to be a startlingly inaccurate insight, “Mark Bellissimo is out of gas. To his credit, I think he has recognized that what he wishes to accomplish in this town he can’t get done.”
How far from the truth that turned out to be. Hardly out of gas, Bellissimo is operating on high-octane, accomplishing everything he set out to do.
On Tuesday, it was announced the Wellington Lifestyle Partners, branded as a real estate development and hospitality company, has expanded its partnership as its portfolio grew to include the Wellington International showgrounds and operations, and the Wellington, its new private residential club community developed by NEXUS Luxury Collection. Bellissimo, who had sold the showgrounds three years ago to Global Equestrian Group, bought it back last fall in conjunction with some of the original partners.
Jeff Skoll, the first president of eBay and a shareholder in WLP with Bellissimo, Marsha Dammerman, Lisa Lourie, Roger Smith and NEXUS, has made another significant investment in the partnership. He is an active horse owner in support of Olympic-caliber riders.
Also joining WLP is Michael Smith, a former president of the Upperville, Va., Colt and Horse Show. Smith, who ran the second-largest independent rendering operation in the U.S. before retiring, is an amateur rider and owns several horses being ridden by Olympic multi-medalist McLain Ward.
“We are thrilled to have the support of our existing and new shareholders as we invest broadly in the Village, creating The Wellington club community with NEXUS and expanding the showgrounds,” Bellissimo stated in a press release.
“Ensuring Wellington is the quality standard for equestrian living is our goal.”
The Wellington, the new 400-acre luxury residential club community featuring 253 residences, along with championship golf and an array of sporting and wellness amenities, offers five types of housing, from custom estate homes and equestrian villas to four-acre equestrian farm estates.
The community’s golf course and amenities are being designed by golf architect David McLay Kidd of DMK Golf Design, known for his work at Bandon Dunes, Mammoth Dunes and Fancourt. The community’s master plan and core amenities are being designed by noted architecture and design firm Workshop/APD.
WLP will be launching a Founder’s program this month, inviting the first families interested in joining the club community and establishing a home in The Wellington, and will be staggering the release of its real estate offerings.
In addition to The Wellington, the company’s Village of Wellington portfolio includes The Wanderers Club, other land holdings and now Wellington International, the showgrounds home of the Winter Equestrian Festival and other horse shows.
“Speaking for all the shareholders, we are committed to Wellington long-term and creating assets here of the highest quality,” stated Skoll.
“The Wellington will be a world-class lifestyle community within Palm Beach County and will enhance Wellington’s position as the premier horse sport community in the world,” he contended.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 9, 2025
Wellington, Florida’s Equestrian Preserve Committee was skeptical about plans for a proposed development’s equestrian club, with a 24-stall barn whose occupants would include retired and rescue horses, to be used for riding experiences ranging from hunter/jumper, dressage and polo, to vaulting and endurance.
The concept was presented to the panel on Wednesday, with the equestrian portion as justification for a zoning change from equestrian residential to equestrian planned unit development for the 79.171-acre Isla Carroll property adjacent to the National Polo Center (formerly the International Polo Club) off 120th Ave. South.
After nearly three hours of discussion, the committee disapproved that request, as well as one involving an adjustment to the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District in the Village’s Master Plan.
Isla Carroll, with fields used for polo, was purchased in 2022 by Frank McCourt, one of the founders of the Global Champions Tour, and is a joint project with the high-end Discovery Land developer. Discovery specializes in club communities. Many of those 34 entities are devoted to golf, and located in such luxe locations as the Bahamas, Hawaii and the Hamptons – you get the picture.
Frank McCourt
“We embrace the theme of the activities of the area,” Ed Divita, one of Discovery’s founding partners, told the committee about the clubs’ concepts. There was mention of Discovery’s Silo Ridge Field Club development in Amenia, N.Y., which hosts a 5-star international show jumping competition.
But although the possibility of staging horse shows at Isla Carroll was mentioned, they would have to be small and probably unlicensed—Florida is overflowing with horse shows.
Divita said the approximately 35 single-family lots on a minimum of a third of an acre probably would sell in the $4 million-$7 million range. Five more homes could be on 1.5- or 2-acre lots.
While there may have been some appeal to the multi-discipline equestrian blend he put forward, the context was all over the place, with talk about bringing in school children to learn about horses as one of several possibilities.
“The concept was not thought through,” said EPC member Kristy Lund, while others on the panel offered similar assessments. It was pointed out that the defunct Palm Beach Riding Academy nearby had been designed to introduce people to riding, but couldn’t make it work. Wellington is geared to higher-end equestrian pursuits.
“Wellington doesn’t cater to beginners,” pointed out committee member Ash Atkinson, who is a trainer.
There also was concern about the old barn on the site, with small stalls that had been used for polo ponies. It is in disrepair, and it was suggested that it should be torn down rather than renovated.
While noting Divita said homeowners are not required to join the club, he insisted, “equestrian is the theme” of the development. But committee member Sarah Goos responded, “I am confused how this is an equestrian development.”
The yellow rectangle is the Isla Carroll project site.
Another member, Kirsten Kopp, said, “I have no doubt this team would create a beautiful, wonderful luxury lifestyle community, but it would not fit my definition of an equestrian lifestyle community. It would not fit my definition of Wellington.”
She sees the Village as “a lot of open green spaces and when it’s not, it’s open arenas, that’s what defines it for us, bridle paths that connect to the rest of the community. It’s not defined by a luxury package; it’s defined by a common passion beyond fences and boundaries.”
Kopp suggested the proposed “equestrian community” is “kind of a pimple on the side of the rest…of what they presented here. You had to put it in to get the housing that you wanted.” She suggested breaking up Isla Carroll into “small boutique equestrian farms,” saying that “is the way to go.”
During the public hearing, River Run Farm owner Phoebe Weseley said, “This does not belong in the Equestrian Preserve. This is not an equestrian community. If it was really an equestrian community, there would be the homes and there would be the barns. There wouldn’t be pickleball, there wouldn’t be a spa, there wouldn’t be tennis courts, etc. I’m not sure if any planned unit developments belong in the Equestrian Preserve at this point.”
Then Tim Gannon, co-founder of the Outback steakhouse chain and honorary chairman of the National Polo Center’s Wellington Polo Tour, said he sees the Isla Carroll development “being symbiotic with our club” (National Polo.)
He called Discovery “an incredible organization” saying “they’re people that commit to a project and stay with it.” Gannon added that the project would “allow people to taste equestrian life. That’s what this is about.”
The hearing raised the question of what “equestrian lifestyle” means to the Village that is known for its international shows and horse farms. Lund suggested on social media Thursday that “EPC will have the task of coming up with a definition of equestrian lifestyle as it pertains to Wellington” and urged people to give it some thought.
“Nobody knows what it means,” Weseley said during her time before the committee.
“We need to have something in writing so that we can all understand what that means and how we fulfill that aspiration.”
After covering more than 70 hours of hearings in 2023 and 2024 on the Wellington North and South project which landed a golf community on the Global Dressage grounds in the Equestrian Preserve, I had a sort of Groundhog Day feeling during the evening. EPC had turned down the Wellington North and South project as well, but in the end, the Village Council approved it. EPC is only an advisory group, like the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board, which would be next in line to screen this project before the Council gets the final word.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 3, 2025
The empty champagne bottles were recycled. The confetti scattered on the floor has been swept away. A few people returned to work at the end of this week; others will be heading there on Monday.
Back to reality. The holidays — which felt like quite a long stretch this time around — are over, along with time to reminisce about the year gone by. Horse shows and events are starting up again, so let’s take a look from an equestrian viewpoint at what’s in store for 2025.
The biggest issue likely will be the ever-increasing impact of Social License to Operate, or public acceptance of horse sport and to a certain extent, horse-keeping. One telling comment from last year was made by someone on social media who declared that the mechanical horse in the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Games should be the only horse that takes part in the Olympics.
Scary, but even aside from SLO, there long has been concern whether equestrian disciplines can stay in the Games—especially considering the emphasis on attracting younger viewers with fast-moving, newer sports (break dancing and sport climbing anyone?) which also happen to be less expensive to stage than sports that require stabling, cross-country courses or shipping horses to a Games city from abroad.
Horse sport’s governing bodies are tightening rules with an eye toward SLO, although there often is justifiable impatience about the length of time it takes for offenders to be punished after they are suspended for horse abuse.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation last year voted for a rule change that expanded its ability to discipline those involved in unethical treatment of animals, reaching beyond the confines of the shows it licenses, even to the home stable of a member. Those who belong to USEF are expected to report any instances of abuse they witness. They can text 2USEF to express their concerns.
While USEF has yet to approve restrictions on whip use in horse shows, it has indicated that it will be open to doing that, if the language in a recent proposal is refined to better define it.
British Equestrian mandated five years ago that its riders carry padded batons rather than traditional whips, and as of January 1, these can only be used to reinforce leg aids or support the shoulder in directing the horse, never as punishment. That may well become the standard everywhere.
The blood rule, with varying standards of elimination for different disciplines, is rigid and there have been some calls for revision. Will that happen to some extent this year? Rather than relying on an official’s judgment about whether blood on a horse in competition is a welfare issue and not just an inconsequential mishap, the letter of the law is the guide for elimination of a competitor. Of course, no one wants spectators to see blood on a horse, but an insect bite or a slight scratch are hardly visible and likely negligible in terms of horse welfare. In cases where there is a question, can’t a veterinarian decide? The International Jumper Riders Club is particularly concerned.
World Horse Welfare’s research found that 20 percent of the public does not support any horse sport at all, anywhere; while 40 percent would support it if horse welfare is improved. But how many people really know what “improvements” are realistic, or even necessary?
The less experience the general population has with horses, as development gobbles up open country and stables, the easier it is for the anti-equestrians to make a case that doing almost anything with a horse is abuse. We take for granted that it’s obvious sport horses (and most pleasure horses, for that matter) are well cared-for. But since the majority of people have no idea what caring for a horse involves, they are open to suggestions that abuse is involved.
A little thing struck me during the Tournament of Roses parade on New Year’s Day, when one of the TV commentators said as an equestrian unit passed by, “Oh look, the horses are wearing leg-warmers.” They were, of course, wearing polo wraps, but it reminded me that few people have a clue about anything to do with horses, so they put perspective into their own context. On a larger scale, that can mean trouble.
Initiatives that show a caring link between people and horses, such as therapeutic riding opportunities or retraining of rescue horses and retired racehorses, are easily understood from a welfare perspective, so it’s important to give them support.
Reaching out to a wider audience via new concepts has real potential for helping broaden appreciation of horses and sport. HITS is debuting the Festival of the Horse™ in March at its Ocala, Fla., venue, where a multi-discipline, unrated competition format will offer classes for everything from the usual hunters, jumpers and dressage to western pleasure, Pony Club competition and arena eventing. The Festival also will be held at other HITS venues during the year in an effort to “unite the multifaceted equestrian community around a shared passion for horse sport.” What an interesting idea.
However optimistic you are about prospects for 2025, don’t expect an end to the continued rise in horse-keeping costs, from feed and veterinary care to the price of labor (if you can even find workers). It means less people can afford their own horses, or access to other people’s horses, factors that narrow the base of participants. Riding stables where beginners can get lessons without paying a fortune are in relatively short supply.
On the international front, the Europeans have their biennial championships in the major disciplines. But for the U.S., this is the relatively quiet year of the four-year Olympic cycle, with only FEI World Cup finals in Switzerland on the horizon as an international title meet. That competition will be more exciting when it is held in Fort Worth, Texas, during the spring of 2026. The World Championships are set for Aachen, Germany, a few months later in an unofficial reincarnation of the World Equestrian Games (minus endurance). The 2006 WEG in Aachen was the best of its genre, so the refresh two decades later is highly anticipated.
But in the meantime on this continent, the finals of the new U.S. Equestrian Federation open championships in the Olympic disciplines will be held in Virginia, Florida and California, a chance to bring along possible medal prospects and get enthusiasm into high gear for 2026 efforts. This is the year to build potential championship combinations who will have time to develop prior to the immense pressure of a major title meet. And there’s plenty to do before 2028, when Los Angeles will host the first Olympics in the U.S. since 1996.
On the bright side, there is always something to look forward to in the horse world, whether it’s your own goals, or going to a special equestrian happening. Major shows and events are much more spectator-friendly than they used to be, so attending them can make an outing an occasion, and offer a chance to introduce friends and family to horses.
In September, Dressage at Devon outside of Philadelphia will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. The dressage scene and calendar have changed drastically since the debut of the heritage fixture at the Devon, Pa., showgrounds, because so many competitors and competitions have moved south. But Dressage at Devon has persevered and continues to be a goal for many in the discipline, especially in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region.
Something else to look forward to this year is the reopening in New Jersey of the former Suburban Essex/Essex Equestrian Center stable in West Orange. The building that dates back more than a century is not falling victim to development. It is being renovated, while care has been taken to retain the memorable features that make it a unique facility which played an important role in so many lives over the generations. The project will be a base for hunter/jumper trainer Brianne Goutal-Marteau, whose husband, Romain Marteau, is overseeing the refurbishment.
If you haven’t already given up on your New Year’s resolutions, why not make one or two more? How about vowing to be a good ambassador for horses and sport, taking the time to welcome those who express interest, however casual. Why not become a volunteer for a competition, a rescue operation or any other equestrian organization that needs assistance or is a good cause? And if you have the interest and ability, consider learning to be a judge or steward. There’s always something you can do to help, which will pay off in a better experience with horses for everyone to enjoy.
