Some crucial questions about the expanded Wellington, Fla., showgrounds finally were answered Thursday night at a meeting of the Equestrian Preserve Committee.
Although the session, which ran more than five and one-half hours, was held to insure the project met compatibility standards under the Village’s land development regulations, the items approved by a 4-1 vote in that context were less interesting than what was revealed about the showgrounds project itself during the session.
Over nine months of hearings, equestrians made it clear that the Wellington International showgrounds for hunters and jumpers, set up in 1978 as the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival at its current location off Pierson Road, needed massive improvement and more space. The situation was complicated when its owner, Global Equestrian Group (part of Waterland Private Equity) put the venue up for sale last year.
The entrance to the International Arena at Wellington International.
On Tuesday, according to Wellington International President Michael Stone, a “number” of entities (he declined to be more specific) started the process of bidding for that property.
Meanwhile, Wellington Lifestyle Partners was approved by the Village Council in a 4-1 vote to build a high-end golf club community at Wellington North on Equestrian Village where the Global Dressage Festival (no relation to Global Equestrian Group) has been held since 2012. The property, more than 96 acres, was part of the Equestrian Preserve that spreads across 9,000 acres in the municipality.
There was much opposition to taking it out of the Preserve, a designation created to prevent high-density development and insure continuation of the equestrian lifestyle. The EPC unanimously voted against dong that, but it is only an advisory group; the Village Council is the deciding body.
The fear has been that the Wellington North decision sets a precedent for removing land from other parts of the Preserve, a category that includes bridle trails, arenas, stables and pastures (but allows certain types of low-intensity development.)
In the fallout over the controversy, the Village Council removed the EPC’s chairman, Jane Cleveland, and another member of the panel, Carlos Arrellano, at the request of WLP. Both were critical of WLP’s plans. Replacing them were dressage rider Judith Sloan, secretary-treasurer of the U.S. Equestrian Federation and Annabelle Garrett, a former polo player and show jumper who had served previously on the committee. Elected as the new chairman was Glen Fleischer, whose wife, Karen Long Dwight of Take the High Road LLC, is a prominent horse show exhibitor.
In making its deal with the Village, WLP agreed to build what amounts to an expansion of the showgrounds on Pod F at the northeast corner of Gene Mische Way and Gracida, land it owns at Wellington South, adjacent to Wellington International. Until that work is finished, dressage will continue at Equestrian Village and WLP is not allowed to start constructing homes at Wellington North. The deadline for completing the expansion is 2028, but during the EPC meeting, it was revealed that the majority of the work now is expected to take less than two years.
While it’s “always a possibility” that whoever buys Wellington International would also want to buy Pod F,” it won’t be for sale until it’s built out,” said Stone. However, he said “they’d (the new owners of Wellington International) be pretty crazy” not to want to buy Pod F because a deed restriction means it must remain a showgrounds for 50 years, so it cannot be converted to housing or other uses in the next half-century.
{For your convenience in reading this story, here is an acronym glossary: WEP (Wellington Equestrian Partners); GEG (Global Equestrian Group); WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival); EPC (Equestrian Preserve Committee); WLP (Wellington Lifestyle Partners}
Although originally the expanded section of the showgrounds was slated to be quite elaborate, with a stadium seating 7,000 and a hospitality area accommodating 4,000, that has been scaled back.
“The cost of building the sort of stadium (originally presented), it just isn’t viable to build it that size,” said Stone, explaining “everything has to be practical and realistic.”
Attorney Leonard Feiwus, who represents the Equestrian Club Estates development bordering the showgrounds, compared the grandiose first proposed arena to “the Meadowlands in Secaucus.”
Lights and noise have been a concern of neighbors, but the issues are being worked out with berms and landscaping.
“This is going to be constructed in a way that a future buyer, if he wants to build a more fancy stadium and he wants to do more permanent structures, he’s able to do it,” said Stone.
Michael Stone
The site will now have a capacity of 6,000, with an arena seating 3,000 (the arena at Equestrian Village seats 1,500), a 1,500-seat VIP hospitality area, a 1,000-seat special events pavilion, and a 210-seat restaurant, in addition to areas for retail, offices and other facilities. The circulation and safety of horses, golf carts and service vehicles will be improved from the current status at Wellington International, which will increase safety.
The project is described by WLP as being “horse-centric.”
Showjumping was to have been the highlight on the expanded venue, with dressage sharing the current showgrounds with the hunters. Now dressage will be on the expanded portion, but the large number of arenas and a grass field there means jumpers and hunters can show at that site as well. While dressage runs only 13 weeks, the hunters and jumpers compete nearly all year in Wellington.
Unlike Equestrian Village, where the VIP area is very close to the ring and horses can hear the “clank” of silverware, as Sloan put it, there will be a greater setback for the dressage arenas, which should cut down on horse distraction.
Parking has been an issue at Wellington International. The new site will have 1,500 paved parking spaces and 1,500 for overflow. Dressage riders competing in the national division often like to haul in their horses, compete, load them back in the trailer and go home. That’s the advantage of owning a farm in Wellington, instead of having to travel approximately three hours to compete at TerraNova near Sarasota or World Equestrian Center in Ocala.
There will be 20 haul-in parking spaces, which Stone believes is sufficient because dressage riders who haul in leave after they compete. That is unlike show jumpers and hunters, who use the stabling and also take advantage of vendors and food purveyors, which he said the dressage people competing in national classes for the most part do not do, since their stay on the property is short.
The recommendations passed by the EPC include:
- Adding another 220 permanent stalls added to the 220 stalls available “Day One” among the 1,204 12 by 12 stalls planned (the difference is made up by tent stalls);
- Requiring hospitality tents to be at least commensurate in quality with the media center tent at Wellington International;
- Providing adequate fencing between barns and adjacent parking areas to contain horses;
- Insuring that the 78,000-square foot covered arena will be constructed at the showgrounds and not on “an adjacent property;”
- Requiring mats in all stalls;
- Providing schooling hours with lighting to start at 6:30 a.m.
- Having 30 feet in between the show rings.
Writing on social media the day after the meeting, EPC member Dr. Kristy Lund explained, “ If we did not pass the motion, some of our important recommendations, like making sure the covered is built on the showgrounds and not an adjacent property and safety fences and distance between rings for safety .. would not be heard by council.
“So yes, we could have voted a symbolic no for the project but that would not have changed anything.. the deal still moves forward. By voting ye, we ensure council gets to see our recommendations and hopefully, they will act on some of them and make the horse show better.”
The compatibility issues go to the Planning Zoning and Adjustment board Feb. 28. On March 5, the Village Council is slated to look at them before work can get under way on the expansion.