by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 10, 2024
Amid all the controversy and lobbying about expanding the main showgrounds in Wellington, Florida, remember that even as equestrians cite the need for big improvements there, what the public sees is pretty darn good when they come to the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
I thought about it after Friday night’s new hunter teams competition at Wellington International, as I walked out past the colorful merry-go-round and the ornate fountain with its carved horses sending up bubbling streams of water. Luxe shops (and some with more moderate prices) line the path from the hospitality area around the International Arena, where the footing is fine and the lighting is good for featured night classes.
It was easy to forget the quality of the show after covering 60 hours of debate (or was it 65; I lost count) about taking land out of the Equestrian Preserve. It was all in the attempt to get a deal for the expanded showgrounds and move dressage to the WEF grounds from Equestrian Village down the street. So I was reminded by a trip to what used to be called the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center that Equestrian Sport Productions still runs a good show with precision, under the guidance of manager Dave Burton and Wellington International President Michael Stone.
The team event was the $100,000 Kristen Baran exhibition class, for the benefit of the Neil S. Hirsch Boys & Girls Clubs that helps youth get a leg up on life with education, activities and other benefits.
The hunter teams’ debut was pretty successful, but needs a few tweaks going forward. It involved three members on a team—a professional, an amateur and a junior—each riding over 3-foot, 3-inch fences in consecutive rounds that offered a few options. Only two team members’ scores counted; the drop score factor saved squads where one member had a mishap.
The class was basically three hunter rounds, what we see every week in the hunter arena at WEF.
To do something that could set the team concept apart, one person suggested a relay format, the way they do with the pony hunt teams at the Devon Horse Show. So the first rider would take three or four fences, the second would jump the next group and the third would finish the course. I think if would be cool if they jumped three abreast at the last fence, the way we used to do in the hunter trials (I still have photos of myself jumping a fence side-by-side like that with my friends from years ago.)
Brianne Goutal-Marteau’s winning team of Grace Debney and Clara Propp earned 181 points to 176 for Patricia Griffith’s squad of Callie Seaman and Vivian Goldman. Third of the 14 teams was Keri Kampsen with Stphanie Danhakl and Wyatt Rofey (175).
Brianne Goutal-Marteau on Grand Remo. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Brianne, who knew Neil Hirsch, really enjoyed the class—and not just because she was on the winning side.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said Brianne, whose highest score on Grand Remo from the three judging panels was an eye-popping 93.
Brianne Goutal-Marteau’s score for her round on Grand Remo. s
“It’s been a long time since we have done something new in the hunter ring. And obviously to do it for a charitable cause is even better. I think the format is fine…it ended up flowing. It’s fun to do it at 3-3. There’s less pressure. You see a lot of horses having a good time doing everything easily.
Grace said she had been away from the hunters and focusing on the jumpers, so “It was a nice introduction back into it.” She borrowed her mount from Clara.
For her part, Clara said, “I had a lot of fun.. It’s a horse I know really well. It was kind of low pressure and good experience going into next week,” she observed, referring to the Hunter Spectacular where hunters again will compete in the International Arena, which is not their usual venue at WEF.
Brianne Goutal-Marteau, Grace Debney and Clara Propp, the winning hunter team. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Florida trainer Andrew Lustig came up with the idea for the team endeavor.
As he explained it, there was a time in the hunters “when the lines (to the jumps) were really long and it was exciting. Other sports, gymnastics and swimming, they’re moving forward. So we’ve got to move forward, because if we don’t move forward, we die. It’s hard to ride under lights, when you never do.”
Andrew dreams big; he’d like to see the team idea develop like the show jumping Global Champions Tour and compete in Europe, which doesn’t usually feature hunters in shows held there. Although it’s very early days, he already can visualize show hunters in Cannes.
Discussing why the show held the class, manager Dave Burton explained, “It’s an ongoing goal for us at Wellington International to provide opportunities for hunters to be showcased. This season, they experience the International Arena, night classes and the derby field, all with substantial prize money for professionals, amateurs, young hunters and ponies.
“The hunt team class is a perfect way to showcase hunter horses and riders in a fun environment that also gives back to an organization that has a huge influence in the Wellington community and greater Palm Beach County.”
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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 5, 2024
In a last-minute attempt to save Equestrian Village as a dressage venue in Wellington, Fla., a fund-raising effort has brought in commitments of $25 million.
The Village Council could vote Wednesday on removing the property from the Equestrian Preserve, which would clear the way for construction of housing and recreational amenities for a golf community that developer Wellington Lifestyle Partners is seeking to build. A petition opposing the move drew more than 8,000 signatures and a group called “Keep Wellington Green” is fighting to keep the 96-plus acres in the Preserve.
Dressage rider Arlene “Tuny” Page, who owns a farm in Wellington, said Monday that she started contacting people to see if enough money was available to make an offer for the property, home of the Global Dressage Festival since 2012.
Tuny and Dave Page were first founding sponsors of the Global Dressage Festival. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
The response was immediately positive.
The land to be purchased would include the area where Global’s arenas and a derby jumping field are located, but not the adjacent White Birch polo fields which are also in the Preserve and slated for a golf clubhouse and other golf-related facilities for a nearby course purchased by WLP.
“Go talk about it and see what you can do,” Jane Cleveland, chair of the Equestrian Preserve Committee, had urged Page when they discussed the possibility of a purchase.
Cleveland’s committee in June voted unanimously against taking the land out of the Preserve. The Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board also recommended against it. Both those committees are only advisory panels, however. It is the five-member Council that has the final word, which comes with a second reading of the ordinance. That process began at a meeting last month and continues this week.
On first reading last year of an ordinance that would permit removing the land from the Preserve, the council voted 4-1 in favor. In order to take acreage out of the preserve, the law requires four of the five council members to vote for it. There have been more than 55 hours of hearings in the last seven months on Wellington North and WLP’s Wellington South proposed development, a short distance away, where the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival hunter/jumper show is located.
In a letter to the Council, Page stated, “I represent an investor group that would like to purchase Equestrian Village to preserve it and enhance it as a multi-use equestrian facility.”
The group includes original investors and founders of the Global Dressage Festival, as well as Robin Parsky, the owner of international show jumping horses who spoke last month before the Council about the importance of the derby field. Among the others are Antonia Ax:son Johnson, a prominent sponsor in the sport and the owner of Olympic dressage horses; Olympic dressage horse owner, Betsy Juliano, and Victoria McCullough, a landowner on property adjoining the Wellington South project.
Robin Parsky spoke before the Wellington Village Council last month about the importance of the derby field at Global.
In her letter, Page mentioned that at a recent meeting with Councilman John McGovern “he stated that the concern of the council is that there is no other group to purchase and operate the property. In less than 48 hours, we have obtained financial commitments for equity and a modest amount of debt of 25 million dollars.”
Page believes that is just “the tip of the iceberg” and that more can easily be raised if necessary. Big checks–$500,000 and $1 million–have been committed, she said. Those who want to contribute may contact her via email at tunefull12@icloud.com.
“There was an indication that the council needed assurance of financial commitments as in `show us the money’ and here we are with many more under consideration,” Page wrote. Her husband, David Page, was able to secure a commitment for loans if necessary from two major financial institutions.
She asked the council to “pause” its consideration of the developments “until you understand the option we put before you, citing is as an opportunity to respect the Preserve and its passionate supporters.”
The derby grounds at Global used by hunters and jumpers. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Of course, in order for the plan to work, the owner would have to agree to sell. WLP also wants to build a “town center” nearby that would have shopping, offices and a hotel, but that is not part of the Wellington North plan and is not in the Preserve.
Page contended that removing the land for Wellington North from the Preserve would “set a terrible precedent” that could continue with more land being taken out elsewhere along the 9,000 acres of the Preserve that stretches across Wellington.
A crowd always turns out for the Friday night freestyle at Global. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Meanwhile, there is a discussion of turning the facility into a non-profit.
“We want it to be a community-friendly plan,” Page said, suggesting it could be a place where young people could learn about horses.
There has been talk of another entity buying the WEF showgrounds on the South parcel, Wellington International, as its owner, Waterland Private Equity, has put it up for sale.
The WEF showgrounds need to be improved and enhanced with more acreage, but no one has stepped up to buy it. The land needed to expand that venue was tied to approval of Wellington North, as necessary acreage on Wellington South has the same ownership. Housing is also planned for part of Wellington South, but there has been no opposition movement to that.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 26, 2024
A decision affecting plans for a much-needed expansion of Wellington, Florida’s, world famous showgrounds has been postponed until at least next month by the Village Council.
The land and funding for the expansion are tied to Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ Wellington North development project. It would involve removing 90-plus acres from the municipality’s Equestrian Preserve, a designation many consider sacrosanct, so a private golf community can be built there.
The showgrounds that is home to the Winter Equestrian Festival is a short distance away, where WLP’s Wellington South project on 290 acres will offer not only more room for the cramped equestrian venue, but also 107 homes. If Wellington North can go ahead, WLP will waive development rights on the acreage needed to extend the showgrounds.
Wellington North is the home of the Global Dressage Festival at Equestrian Village, which would stay at its present site until the new showgrounds is ready.
There are still many questions about the details of the arrangement, as well as exactly what features the showgrounds will include when it has a larger footprint, what that will cost and who will pay for it. There is also great concern that once development is permitted in the Equestrian Preserve, other developers will try to build in it elsewhere in the Village.
Meanwhile, the threat of a well-funded lawsuit and the prospect that some entity might buy the showgrounds (now owned by financially troubled Global Equestrian Group) could add additional wrinkles to the already complicated mix that has included a recall petition against four council members and a petition with more than 8,000 names opposing taking land out of the Equestrian Preserve.
The Council worked past 11 p.m. Thursday, the third day of hearings this week, but could not come up with a date until Feb. 7 for members to move once more toward a final vote on the projects because of their other commitments. (Click here and on this link to read the previous stories about Tuesday and Wednesday’s hearings.)
It takes a vote of four of the five council members to remove land from the Preserve so the development can be built. Meanwhile, two new council members will be elected in March to replace two who are term-limited, so that raises the possibility a final decision could stretch out even longer.
The projects are under the auspices of Wellington Lifestyle Partners, which includes developer NEXUS, former eBay president Jeff Skoll and Wellington Partners Holdings, associated with Mark Bellissimo, who manages Wellington Equestrian Partners.
WEP accumulated the land involved in both projects since Bellissimo took over the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2007. Some have expressed suspicion of Bellissimo, citing promises he has made over the years that weren’t fulfilled on various projects.
{For your convenience in reading this story, here is an acronym glossary: WEP (Wellington Equestrian Partners); GEG (Global Equestrian Group); WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival); WLP (Wellington Lifestyle Partners}
During Thursday’s meeting, which added more than five hours to the 50 hours of hearings and discussion that have been spent on the matter since June, critics and proponents of the plans had what is likely their final say.
“The show is very tired,” Olympic, world championships and World Cup show jumping medalist Rodrigo Pessoa told the council.
Rodrigo Pessoa competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival before the showgrounds became Wellington International. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“Hopefully, the new group that will come in will do the necessary work to put it back to where it should be. I’m not interested in Mr. Bellissimo’s management or anything else. I have nothing against him if he’s an investor, but the management is really not his forte. Wellington and Tryon (N.C.) have been examples of that.
“Wellington is now on the map for equestrian sports. But we need to keep it improving and up to date, because only three hours north of here, they have done something quite spectacular,” he noted, referring to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, where estimates are that close to $1 billion has been spent on a vast showgrounds, two hotels and restaurants, with more improvements to come.
“We don’t want to move to Ocala,” Pessoa continued.
“We want to continue and support Wellington. We love coming here, but we want to come to a better facility.”
On the other side, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce sent a note asking the Council to deny the application, saying, “While we continue to support the horse show, taking land from the Equestrian Preserve sets a dangerous precedent, opening the floodgates for anyone with land in the Preserve who may want to increase density in the future.”
Rep. Katherine Waldron, the state representative for District 93, which includes Wellington, sent a letter saying she has heard from many constituents about the issue that has caused “a lot of frustration, anger and angst.”
She added, “I do not think it is in the best interests of our community to push a vote forward at this time and suggest a final vote be delayed to insure our community can come together and have full knowledge of the project and how it will impact our very important internationally renowned equestrian community.”
Part of the delay in reaching a final vote seems to be the Council’s lack of familiarity with equestrian matters.
Jane Cleveland, chair of the Village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee, proposed adding two seats to the Village Council for equestrian representatives. She suggested two district Council seats from the Equestrian Preserve that stretches across 9,000 acres, representing 41 percent of the Village’s developed land and 25 percent of its tax base.
Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve. (The initials SFWMD at the bottom of the diagram stand for South Florida Water Management District.)
Do council members even follow the sport that is Wellington’s claim to fame as the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World?” It was interesting to hear when they read comment cards submitted by the public to express opposition or support for the project that some prominent names with equestrian connections obviously were not familiar to them.
Interestingly, among those who submitted comment cards supporting the project were Katherine Kaneb, Bellissimo’s ex-wife; their son, Michael; their daughter, Nicole Jayne and Tristan Nunez, the husband of another Bellissimo daughter, Paige, who is executive vice president of WLP. .
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 25, 2024
With the possibility that the Wellington, Florida, Village Council is on the brink of deciding whether to remove land from the Equestrian Preserve, paving the way for a golf-oriented development, both sides on the question Wednesday were keen to make what could be their final points about the controversial matter.
After more than 50 hours of hearings, in addition to the usual comments for and against the project, several people had a new suggestion. Why not postpone a Council vote on “second reading” of the ordinance at the last of this week’s three hearings on the matter? That would facilitate getting more information about issues raised during the meetings.
But it also could push any resolution of the situation down the road to a Council with two new members, who will be added after a March election. A 4-1 super majority of the Council has to vote to take land out of the Preserve, following a 2016 referendum on that issue. At “first reading” of the ordinance in November, four council members voted to remove the land from the Preserve. Subsequently, a recall petition was launched to remove them. But “second reading” was scheduled this week for a final vote.
The issue is more far-reaching than rezoning 96-plus acres in the Preserve for Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ Wellington North project on the site of the Global Dressage Festival. If WLP is permitted to build homes and sports facilities there, acreage it owns nearby at the Wellington South property would be used to expand the cramped Wellington International Showgrounds, with WLP paying for the initial stages of that work. Dressage eventually would move to the expanded showgrounds from its current Equestrian Village facility at Wellington North.
Questions about WLP’s finances have been raised, a concern that was addressed Wednesday when Lisa Lourie of Wellington Equestrian Partners brought out a letter of commitment pledging $40 million toward improvements necessary for completion of the expansion at the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Lourie, the owner of Spy Coast Farm in Florida and Kentucky, is an associate of WEP’s managing partner Mark Bellissimo, who accumulated the land involved in both projects over the years since he took over WEF in 2007.
Lisa Lourie of Spy Coast Farm.
An already difficult situation has been complicated by the fact that Wellington International’s owner, the Global Equestrian Group, has had a financial setback and is in the midst of what one commenter Wednesday night called an “implosion.”
It has put the showgrounds up for sale. Lourie, who with her two children is the second-largest partner in WEP, said GEG had done “little to improve the showgrounds.” She called dressage “an integral part of our Wellington community and now we want to give it a new improved, safer home.”
Having hunters, jumpers and dressage in one location on the South property, as opposed to two venues separated by busy roads, is a much safer option for horses and riders, as traffic also has been an issue in this debate, along with concern about how wetlands and drainage will be affected by the construction.
{For your convenience in reading this story, here is an acronym glossary: WEP (Wellington Equestrian Partners); GEG (Global Equestrian Group); WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival); WLP (Wellington Lifestyle Partners)}
Among the prominent equestrians who spoke Wednesday was Robin Parsky, known as the owner of top show jumpers for Kent Farrington and McLain Ward. She praised the footing on the derby field at Equestrian Village, which she called “a wonderful venue appreciated by riders who come here,” and sought assurances that there will be a comparable grass field at the expanded showgrounds.
While the field is being used at Equestrian Village until expansion of Wellington International is completed, she wanted to make sure that not only would there be no construction of housing until the new showgrounds is finished, but also that no other work involving construction of amenities or use of heavy equipment would be going on in the interim.
“It terrifies everyone we’re going to be surrounded by construction,” she explained.
Robin Parsky.
“Is there a reason that we’re rushing this? This is creating huge anxiety and fear.”
She said people are concerned, but “there is also an under element saying, `Let’s come up with a better solution’.”
Several speakers dug deep to do research on a situation that is “super confusing,” according to resident Pam Wildman. She is concerned that market conditions will have changed by 2028 when the Wellington International showgrounds expansion is scheduled to be finished and WLP can start building houses. That time frame could lead to a request for changes in what the builder is planning, similar to what happened with Wellington’s Lotis development near the medical center.
Jill Townsend, who built her Wellington home in 1985, moved to the Village from North Palm Beach after it became landlocked and there was nowhere to ride.
She found Wellington to be an “exceptional area.”
“I knew that even when everything was developed eventually, I could get on my horse and go ride, that was something I thought had so much value that we didn’t have anywhere else in Florida.”
Townsend, who, interestingly, had worked for Nexus in the Bahamas with her daughter, praised the work there of that developer (which is a partner in WLP).
Jill Townsend.
But she contended that in Wellington, “a solution isn’t going to be found by pushing through this project right now.”
She believes part of the thought process might be that it is time for the owner of the Preserve property to get something.
But she pointed out, “He has something. He bought land that has development rights. He owns that land where he can build houses that fall within the outline and zoning for the community as designed Another beautiful Mallet Hill or Paddock Park.”
(Six houses total are allowed on Equestrian Village and neighboring White Birch. A number of businesses, from a nightclub to riding school and nail salon also can be located on the Preserve property, just not more housing. Since the land is private, the owner is under no compulsion to stage equestrian competition there.)
What’s most important, she said, is that “the ownership of the horse show has to be figured out first and foremost. If it continues to be held by a private individual for profit or hedge funds, we in Wellington will always be held hostage. You can help this community navigate with the interested parties who are willing to buy the horse show.”
She suggested the Village could help with perhaps a land conservatorship or a non-profit, “so revenue from the horse show could go back to horse show. Let’s put our focus on reviving the horse show.”
Richard Sirota, a real estate developer who was chairman for six years of the Battery Park City Authority in New York, suggested consideration of the horse show expansion (which is not being voted on as such at this time) should be part of a separate process when deliberating what to do about the Preserve.
“Let the person who buys it (Wellington International) make the deal. We all want the horse show to survive, prosper and get better. The point is how you’re running the process, and it’s sort of a little backwards from my point of view,” Sirota observed.
“Because the person who buys it, give him the opportunity to deal with Wellington Lifestyle Partners, to determine if he may need more land, want to modify it, then go to you for the final decisions. That’s the way it should go. Not now–…you’re making it complicated.”
Well-known equestrians, such as dressage Olympian Ashley Holzer, show jumpers Andrew Welles and Andrew Bourns and retired jockey/trainer Tommy Skiffington, all emphasized the need for a bigger and improved showgrounds if Wellington is to stay on top of the equestrian scene.
Also speaking was Michael Bellissimo, son of Mark Bellisimo. He was succinct in his appraisal.
“Wellington is not geographically a special place,” he commented.
“The thing that makes Wellington special, that we can all agree on, is the world class horse show. So it’s in their (the developers’) best interests to keep that at the highest level it can possibly be.”
