World Cup Of Wellington To Take Place At Deeridge Farms

By Rebecca Walton

In February, Deeridge Farms will be opening its gates for a brand new equestrian event in the Wellington community, the Wellington Masters.

Last year, when the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) launched the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League, a conflict almost hindered the ability of Wellington to offer a leg of the competition. Fortunately, the Jacobs family was excited to step in and host a qualifier at their 300-acre estate in the heart of the equestrian community.

“When we heard that there was a strong possibility that the World Cup qualifier was at risk, we wanted to do something to ensure that it would stay here,” Lou Jacobs explained. “My family discussed how we could help, and we decided to host the event at Deeridge Farms. Now we are assured that this important Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League qualifier will remain in Wellington for the next three years. It is important to the community, competitors and enthusiasts that we keep it here.”

Wellington has the distinction of hosting top-tier equestrians competing at world-class levels. An annual event that brings these athletes together is the opportunity to qualify for the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, an indoor championship that is considered one of the pinnacles of the sport.

“It’s exciting to use our family’s farm to host the best event possible for Longines FEI World Cup qualifier,” Charlie Jacobs said. “As a competitor, I am honored to be a part of this world-class event, and my family shares my commitment to preserving this class in Wellington.”

Deeridge Farms, owned by Jeremy and Margaret Jacobs, is a 300-acre oasis of serenity in the Village of Wellington. The Wellington Masters marks the first time that the property will host an event of this magnitude, and it promises to be a stunning location for the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League Qualifier, which will draw the best athletes from North America.

The Jacobs family is looking to expertise from Stadium Jumping Inc., which they have hired to manage the event. With nearly 50 years of experience, Stadium Jumping has produced numerous qualifying classes and was the first equestrian event organizer to bring the World Cup Finals to the United States.

Together, the Jacobs family and Stadium Jumping are organizing the weeklong Wellington Masters from Thursday, Feb. 4 through Sunday, Feb. 7. The competition will be highlighted by the $100,000 Longines CSI 3* World Cup Qualifier on Sunday, and will additionally feature the $50,000 Longines Qualifier and the $35,000 Welcome Stake.

Other riders looking to participate will be able to compete in the $20,000 1.40m Open Jumper class and the $12,000 1.30m Open Jumper class. Gates will open at 11 a.m. for Sunday’s events, and spectators will be welcome with free admission and a $20 per car parking fee.

A total of 14 athletes from the new Longines FEI World Cup North American League will qualify for the prestigious Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, which will take place March 23-28 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The top seven athletes from the U.S. East Coast and the top three from the U.S. West Coast, plus the two best-placed athletes from Canada and Mexico, will qualify for next year’s final alongside winners of 15 leagues around the world.

Moscow Polo Club Strikes International Alliance With A Local Polo Facility

By Darlene Ricker

An international mecca for polo, Wellington has long drawn players from across the world, especially, of course, from polo hotspot Argentina. This season its reach is expanding to embrace another part of the planet less well-known when it comes to polo: Russia.

Through the efforts of Misha Rodzianko and Joey Casey, the Moscow Polo Club has teamed up as a sister club with Palm City Polo in western Boynton Beach. For Rodzianko, who jets in regularly to train with Casey, that now means spending at least four months a year in the Wellington area.

The highest-rated polo player in Russia, Rodzianko is director of the Moscow Polo Club, the oldest and largest polo club in the country. His father, Alexis Rodzianko, the club’s president, purchased it in 2005. Misha Rodzianko adopted Palm City Polo as his U.S. home shortly after Casey opened the club in late 2014. While he found the facilities superb — which is saying a lot considering the number of top-notch polo clubs throughout the Wellington area — the real draw for Rodzianko was Casey, a widely respected former pro player.

The international handshake between the two clubs was a logical development, as they have numerous parallels. Both are a similar size in terms of barns, fields, arenas and other facets.

“Some of the horses in my barn in Moscow came from Joey in Florida,” said Rodzianko, whose father has brought his team to play in Florida for years.

This summer, Casey has been invited to bring a U.S. team to play in one or two of the Moscow club’s tournaments.

“For me, a sister club is a club with the same positivity about it,” Rodzianko said. “Our clubs have a very similar feel to them with a deep respect for the horses and the sport, and a very good and positive vibe between the players. For this reason, I recommend my players to play at Palm City, and I have received players in Moscow on Joey’s recommendation.”

A “huge factor” in Rodzianko’s ability to recruit new players for Moscow has been tutelage under Casey. “I learned more during two years with Joey than in 10 years playing polo before that. The most important thing I learned from Joey was his obsession with minimizing the risks and dangers of the sport, especially with new players,” he said.

Rodzianko’s experience with Casey came in stark contrast to his initiation into the sport as a boy in Russia. “My first time, I was given a polo mallet and a horse, and they said, ‘Go hit the ball.’ I fell off seven times the first day, but like any competitive 14-year-old, that was something I liked about the sport. I loved it. Just loved it! There was nothing like it!”

Born in the United States, Rodizanko spent a good part of his childhood in this country. But the first time he played polo here was seven years into his polo career, far from Florida. At a snow polo tournament in Aspen in 2010, he met some American players who recommended Florida to him.

“I saw the opportunity to consolidate my studies while continuing my favorite hobby,” said Rodzianko, who graduated from Lynn University in Boca Raton with a double major in business administration and international business.

He believes that his polo training at Palm City were crucial in gaining the skills he would later need to transform what was basically a family polo club into the largest one in Russia.

“Joey made quite an impression on me,” Rodzianko recalled. “He saw potential in me and helped me structure my game and correct my swing. Most importantly, he took me to the round pen, where I realized that I was only a confident rider and very far from a good one. Looking back, I can say with absolute certainty that I would not be the player I am today had I ended up at any other club. After spending one season with Joey, my handicap went up. Even the Argentine coaches at our club in Moscow were amazed that in just over four months I had returned a different player.”

Rodzianko’s fervent goal is grow the Moscow Polo Club to a point where the sport becomes large enough to support an industry around it in Russia. Expanding the global polo market also benefits places in the world where polo is already well-established, such as Wellington, he noted.

How might the alliance between the Moscow and Palm City clubs affect Wellington?

“It is difficult to say,” Rodzianko said, “but I would not take high-goal teams with Russian patrons off the table.”

McLain Ward Returns To WEF With His Eyes On Rio

By Julie Unger

Show jumping star McLain Ward entered the 2016 season with a singular purpose in mind. “There’s one goal: to win two gold medals in Rio,” the three-time Olympian said. “There are some steps along the way, but that’s the only goal on the radar.”

For most, the goal of winning individual and team gold medals would be a lofty one. For Ward, with an FEI Longines top 10 ranking as of December 2015, holding eighth place with only one American ranked higher, the odds of achieving his goal are good. In fact, they’re really good.

Ward has reached the sweet spot in his career, which has spanned decades. It has brought him numerous accolades, including everything from being the youngest rider to win the U.S. Equestrian Team Medal Finals and the United States Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Derby (at age 14) to being the youngest rider, in 1999, after winning 13 Grand Prix victories, to pass the $1 million Grand Prix winning mark, to competing in 14 FEI World Cup Finals and more recent achievements, such as more than 20 first-place wins in 2015 alone.

His success at the moment is due not only to his innate talent, but also the combination of the right horse, the right rider and the right support team is in place.

Riding comes as naturally as breathing for the “almost third generation in horse sports” rider, whose father was a successful Grand Prix rider, and whose mother rode hunters and trained.

“It was kind of in the DNA. I was brought up in the environment of the farm,” he said. “It was the natural course.”

Ward had the opportunity, the ability, the raw talent and the passion.

“I guess it’s the only thing I’ve ever known, and it has been a wonderful life,” he said. “Horses have given a lot, and the people in the community have given a lot. It’s a blessed story.”

Each year, as he has for the past three decades, Ward travels from his home in New York to compete in Wellington at the world-famous Winter Equestrian Festival.

“We’ll use the events here at WEF to build up through the spring. These are obviously important events in themselves, and this is a great facility,” he said of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

The path to reaching the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ward explained, starts with working backward and planning, having the horse priming at the right time, and everyone staying healthy.

In 2015, Ward met his goals, bringing him closer and closer to achieving his overarching 2016 goal.

“Winning the Pan Am Games was a huge goal,” he said. “Rothchild has been a huge partner of mine for a number of years. We’re coming into our ninth season this year, so we’re really proud to be able to do that and represent the country.”

Rothchild wasn’t the only mount to reach victory with Ward of late. HH Carlos Z, HH Ashley, HH Best Buy, Azibantos, Bueno, Adele and, last but not least, HH Azur, all have taken their turns receiving ribbons and placing.

“We also had a very successful year in the Grand Prix. We won a number of big ones and brought along HH Azure, the horse that we’re aiming toward Rio,” Ward said. “I think is a very exciting time in my career.”

HH Azur, a stunning chestnut Belgian Warmblood bay mare with a bright white blaze, hasn’t been selected by chance. There’s something extra special about her.

“She has more talent — that’s a combination of a lot of things, obviously — than just about anything that I’ve ever been around,” Ward said. “I think she’s uniquely special, and we’ll try to keep her healthy, fit and work backward from Rio.”

The two, HH Azure and Ward, took first place at the $50,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix, the Hampton Classic CSI 4*, the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the Spruce Meadows CSI 5* and the $50,000 Old Salem Farm Grand Prix in 2015, along with second place at the $100,000 Suncast 1.50m Final Winter Equestrian Festival CSI 5* and third at the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix Old Salem.

Being great isn’t everything, though, when the goal is the Olympics.

“It takes an incredible amount of things. A brilliant, exceptional horse — which I’ve been lucky enough to have a few times in my career — but in particular, I think in this moment, a great team, not only of myself and my wife, but also the owners, the grooms, the manager, the blacksmith, vets, everybody. It takes an army to do this,” Ward said. “Really, this has been their life’s work. We really have a moment that’s come together here that’s something really special. If we all live up to what we’re supposed to be, we can all pull it off.”

Riding and competing are a lifelong passion for Ward, who competes in a sport where riders have just 15 minutes to walk a pattern before taking their turn at the gate. It takes work, practice and effort.

“Horse sports, at the highest level now, is the same as managing any other sports team,” Ward explained. “You can’t send the same pitcher to the mound every night. It’s no different in our sport. We’re lucky enough to have great support with owners, so we have several mounts that can compete at the highest level. We alternate them. We plan their year out pretty well in advance. We try to pick horses to use in particular venues that suite their strengths.”

For what would be Ward’s fourth Olympic Games — he competed in 2004 and 2008 with mount Sapphire winning the team gold medal, and in 2012 with Antares F, the timing is perfect. The stage has been set.

“The Olympics is specialized and high-level,” Ward said. “In the United States, where the sport is really strong, you have to have a really phenomenal horse to make the team. If you’re realistically thinking of winning a medal, it has to be a super horse.”

The learn more about McLain Ward, visit www.mclainward.com.

 

Wellington-Based Chukker.TV To Expand Its Reach

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

Michael Ferreira was working on his own Internet streaming service when he received a call three years ago from Melissa Ganzi of the Grand Champions Polo Club.

Ganzi wanted to merge the world of polo with the world of Internet broadcasting, and the two met to discuss how Ferreira’s startup could fit into the world of polo.

“We experienced the sport, and we instantly got hooked,” Ferreira said.

Ferreira, president and executive producer of Chukker.TV, worked with his team to create instant replay technology for polo umpires. A tech guy, and not an equestrian, Ferreira had to first learn about the sport. Originally, the new venture was called PoloNow.

“Then I came up with Chukker.TV. Anyone who knows polo knows chukker, because it’s the periods. Everyone knows TV. You either know right away what it is, or you’re going to ask,” he said.

After the branding was set, everything started moving quickly. They started small, with a few cameras, and kept growing.

“2015 was a really big year for us. We had the entire high-goal season at IPC [the International Polo Club Palm Beach], and we had Grand Champions’ spring, fall and winter seasons,” Ferreira said.

Ouside Wellington, the team traveled to Aspen to cover events at Ganzi’s Aspen Valley Polo Club and did tours with the United States Polo Association. They covered polo events at Saratoga in New York and the Greenwich Polo Club’s East Coast Open. “That really put us on the map,” Ferreira said.

After a year of strong growth, he has big plans for Chukker.TV in 2016.

“We’re a young company, really driven to give our viewers the best experience possible,” he said.

Ferreira’s team is made up of talented individuals, many of whom are not from the polo world, which makes them uniquely suited to create a way to engage both polo enthusiasts and polo newcomers.

Though this approach, they’ve engaged those who wouldn’t have otherwise known polo is such a popular sport with an international demand.

“Every broadcast, not only are we broadcasting live, but we’re live-tweeting,” he noted.

Ferreira is a technology enthusiast, utilizing state-of-the-art cameras and the newest drones available for capturing live aerial video of the games. The company designs and employs its own servers with the best technology available. They even broadcast in 4K.

“We did the U.S. Open in 4K,” Ferreira said. “No one’s doing that. Football’s not doing that; you can’t find 4K football.”

His goal to keep Chukker.TV on that cutting edge. “We’ve very much a tech company, as much as a broadcast company, which is important,” he said.

Ferreira recently chaired Flavors of Wellington and Winterfest 2014, both organized by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s important to keep reminding the community that there’s more besides a shopping mall. A lot of people don’t realize that this is right here. I think that is my little mission for this year. To really promote that we have something awesome — not just polo at Grand Champions, but equine in general. We have such an awesome [equestrian] community,” he said. “Everyone should embrace it.”

Building upon its tech footprint, and becoming even more accessible, is on the 2016 agenda for Chukker.TV. They’re working with the USPA to gain access to even more clubs, venues and tournaments, to present more games to viewers.

“My only goal with Chukker.TV is to give my viewers a great experience. The more polo I can give them, from more places, not only here in the U.S., but around the world, the happier I get,” Ferreira said.

Right now, Chukker.TV can be found on Roku and Chromecast, and has an Android app. They’re working on getting into the Apple store, and there are many more innovations to be unveiled throughout the year. Through Roku, polo games can be seen on whatever size television is available.

Polo players have provided positive feedback from their families and friends, who may be in other countries and are now able to watch them play.

“The fact that you can share someone’s great success, an awesome game, something they really put their heart into, and they can cheer you on as it’s happening, that’s exciting to be able to give that to the players and their families,” Ferreira said.

Chukker.TV has brought the game from the field to portable technology and to the living room.

“We’re trying to put polo on the map. We have some cool new tech that we’re going to play with this year,” he said. “We’re going to keep pushing the ultra-HD envelope.”

Through the Chukker.TV app, users can access content and interact with Chukker.TV during the games. Fill out a simple form on the program and the announcers will receive it during the game and be able to answer questions and provide insight.

“We’re going to be on SmartTV soon,” Ferreira said. “We’re ready to expand to all of the outlets that go to the living room. This year, we’re going to saturate the market.”

Beyond polo, Chukker.TV’s technology lends itself to other sports, including show jumping and dressage, which is another avenue of future expansion.

To learn more about Chukker.TV, visit www.chukkertv.com.

 

 

Group photo:

Erik Ross, Arianna Delin, Michael Ferreira, Austin Sarmiento, Allyson Abrams and David Aedo.

 

Drone pictures:

Austin Sarmiento flies one of the Chukker.TV drones.

 

Xcelerate Wellington Aims To Boost Area Businesses

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

When CEO Aaron Itzkowitz and CFO Alan Berkun pitched their company Jinglz LLC to the judges at Xcelerate Wellington last November, they didn’t really know what might happen. As it turned out, they walked away with a $10,000 grant after winning the business competition created by the Young Professionals of Wellington to engage and stimulate the local business community.

The Jinglz idea was pitched to a distinguished panel of area business leaders, including Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions; Robbin Lee, CEO of Wellington Regional Medical Center; Wellington resident and Beebo inventor Martin Hill, who appeared recently on ABC’s Shark Tank TV show; and Jeff Brown, entrepreneur in residence at Florida International University.

“We’re so excited. The nature of the project may be simplistic in its concept, but what is being built, the platform behind it, is very technically complex. It’s also going to be about big data and scalability,” Itzkowitz said of Jinglz, an app that uses proprietary technology to ensure that users are more engaged with video advertisements.

It all started about two years ago, when Itzkowtiz’s son Yoseph was watching the Super Bowl, the commercials in between the game, and realized that there was an opportunity for a business idea.

“Advertisers pay a significant amount of money for their commercials to be played during commercial breaks,” said Itzkowitz, who has a background in marketing, sales and commercializing new ideas.

They discussed the potential of gaining feedback for advertisers as a means of targeting an audience, and the idea took off.

The program, an app for phones and tablets, allows the user to watch up to four commercials at a time and be entered into a jackpot where they are guaranteed to win money. The winnings come from the money that advertisers pay to join in the program. Currently, Jinglz is set up for multiple jackpot games, with drawings every hour, and the ability to increase the frequency as needed. “It only takes 30 seconds of time to enter into a jackpot,” Itzkowitz said.

The hourly jackpot could be $40,000. First prize might win $8,000, with multiple other prizes. “You’re guaranteed to win something,” he said. “It’s almost like a Robin Hood type of story.”

The advertisers pay to participate, and Itzkowitz expects advertisers to flock to Jinglz as they realize just how targeted the program is. The audience, in turn, receives financial compensation for their feedback. Referrals and contests are also going to be built-in ways for consumers to engage with one another. Eventually, the plan is to provide feedback to marketing companies, allowing them to better target their advertisements.

“People are inundated with advertising in all walks of life. Most of the time, the advertising is not relevant to them. As much as advertisers try to promote their brand, their products or their services to an audience, they don’t truly know their real audiences,” Itzkowitz said. “Our mission is to really connect advertisers to consumers.”

Jinglz creates a way for users to engage with advertisements. The beta version of the app is expected to be available in early 2016 and is limited to 2,000 participants. After beta testing has concluded, the app will be open to more users. In the meantime, Jinglz, a portfolio company working with Miami-based Rokk3r Labs, plans to start an internship program utilizing Wellington High School students interested in marketing, advertising and social media. Interested students should e-mail info@jinglz.com for more information.

For Itzkowitz, who has attended various competitions and pitches, the Xcelerate Wellington event was organized, professional and impressive. “It was a great experience, and we are very appreciative that we took first place,” he said.

Learn more about the Jinglz concept at www.jinglz.co.

Jinglz competed against three other companies — EnergyBionics LLC, InnateRX Inc. (Bridge Builder Docs) and Lotus Psychological Center/Psychological Wellness Center — for the chance to win the grant.

“Everybody has heard about Shark Tank,” Lee said. “And to do something in our local community like this is thrilling.”

The judges were looking for a company that would contribute to Wellington’s community and beat the odds to be successful.

“When you start analyzing patterns of behaviors and strategies around, how you take a concept to a reality is really exciting to me. I love to see how people think through it,” Bellissimo said. “A great company is a combination of a great idea, with great capital and the ability to build a great team. Those three components have to be in sync for it to work.”

Hill kept his focus on the community. “My biggest thing was to find someone who is going to bring something to Wellington,” he said. “It’s all about the community. I think that’s why the Young Professionals of Wellington was developed, to enhance the community and make this place even better than it is.”

The Wellington Plaza, Equestrian Sotheby’s International Realty, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and Rm5 Design sponsored the $10,000 grant prize.

Young Professionals President Meg Krueger was thrilled with the momentum generated by the event.

“It’s a win-win,” she said. “We can be a part of putting a great event on like this and maybe, hopefully, one of these businesses will use this money and one day become incredibly successful. That will help build Wellington. It will bring us together, but it also helps strengthen them.”

For more information about the program, visit www.xceleratewellington.com.

European Equestrian Brands Call Wellington Home

By Jennifer Wood

Equestrian sports have experienced a recent surge of growth and popularity throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Similar to the celebrated equestrian events in Europe that have enjoyed mainstream prosperity for decades, North America is now following suit. Many facets of the equestrian community have fallen in line and taken a leap forward into a promising future.

In recent years, equestrian brands such as Kingsland Equestrian and Parlanti Boots — European household names in sportswear and riding gear — led the charge in making a pilgrimage to a welcoming North American market. Spotted on riders from amateurs to top-ranked professionals across the pond, Kingsland sportswear and apparel based in Norway, as well as Parlanti custom and ready-to-wear Italian boots and chaps, were previously absent from American retail spaces, aside from a nominal presence in a few select tack shops.

Thanks to brands like Kingsland and Parlanti blazing a path, other European-based brands took notice and also established headquarters in the United States. One of those innovative brands is KASK Italian helmets. KASK products first became popular among cyclists and downhill skiers, as well as in industrial safety, before recently breaking into the equestrian scene. The company not only developed its first-ever riding helmet, but also launched a global brand within the new niche. Alongside Kingsland and Parlanti, KASK now calls Wellington its North American home.

In an effort to dress the American rider from head to toe in some of Europe’s most successful fashion, tack and safety brands, these companies have chosen to set roots in Wellington. The firms are also spreading their message and gaining recognition by sponsoring brand ambassadors — from junior talent to some of North America’s brightest stars.

In 2007, Gianluca Caron — an Italian horseman with a passion for entrepreneurial opportunities at home in Europe — made a move to the U.S. with his eye on uncharted territory. While helping to make Parlanti a go-to brand of boots in the U.S. and beyond in recent years, Caron also aided in the spread of Kingsland’s overseas popularity, as well as the launch of KASK helmets. Caron serves as North American brand manager for all three companies.

Caron is pleased that the brands he led to North America are finding success in the sport.

“Equestrian sports are continuing to grow in this part of the world, which offers so much opportunity. We are seeing more horses, more riders, more spectators, and with that comes a bigger market and the perfect environment for emerging brands,” Caron said. “As a result, Kingsland, Parlanti and KASK have hit the ground running in North America.”

While sales may be the engine of Caron’s success, from the beginning his focus has been shared between revenue and the power provided by support from influential American riders. Sponsorships have become a driving force behind the promotion of all the products within his three brands.

With jumpers such as Candice King and Kent Farrington slipping into Parlanti boots, dressage phenom Laura Graves and young professional Reed Kessler sporting Kingsland gear, and the newly sponsored Andrew Welles and Spencer Smith wearing KASK helmets, Caron is cultivating a team of A-list ambassadors.

“Styles in horse sport are ever-changing. Improvements in safety, comfort and fashion are being made constantly,” said Welles, a jumper rider and KASK-sponsored athlete based in Wellington during the winter months.

According to Welles, the American market is anything but oversaturated, and the opportunity to be associated with new products was one he couldn’t pass up.

“Becoming a sponsored rider was an opportunity for me to be part of a new company that I believe is in this industry to stay,” he added. “I am proud to be a part of something so new and exciting in this country.”

With horse sports experiencing strong growth in North America, there are many equine-minded communities from coast to coast. There is no denying, however, that Wellington is the mecca of all things equestrian from dressage to hunters to show jumping and more. With the largest concentration of equestrians across an entire continent in Wellington during the winter, Caron saw it as a no-brainer to plant his headquarters here.

“There’s nowhere else where you can find an equine community with such a range as what we experience in Wellington,” he said. “Each of these brands speak to a variety of consumers, and in Wellington, we get direct contact with all of them.”

With year-round offices and a warehouse located in Wellington, Caron gave Kingsland, Parlanti and KASK a home base outside Europe as part of their global presence.

As the bustling 2016 winter circuit arrives in Wellington, Parlanti boots continue to be a top choice among show jumping, Kingland celebrates one year in North America and KASK prepares for its first season on the market.

Caron is looking forward to a successful show season. “I am confident that this winter will further cement these brands as global players within the equestrian industry,” he said.

Kingsland Equestrian, KASK and Parlanti products are available at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center throughout the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival and the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Look for their products in Vendor Village and find all three at Equis Boutique. To learn more, visit them online at www.kingslandstore.com, www.kask.it and www.passioneq.com.

Faces Of WEF: From Superstars To Up-And-Comers

 

Allison Brock Finds Success With Mount Rosevelt

By Julie Unger

Top-ranked international and national dressage rider Allison Brock and her seven-year equine partner Rosevelt are looking forward to a successful 2016, perhaps even capped by a victorious appearance at the Olympics.

Now 36 years old, it all started for Brock as a horse-crazy girl from a non-equestrian family. Her grandmother bought her a package of riding lessons for her seventh birthday.

“They figured after four lessons I’d decide it was too hard, and I got too dirty, and all these things. The problem was, I did not think that,” Brock recalled. “I recognized as a small child what I was most passionate about. A lot of people don’t ever, ever get to experience what that means. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to turn my passion into my life.”

At 17, Brock left her native Hawaii to pursue her dressage dreams, working with top professionals, including Colter Slocum, Jim Eldridge, Linda Landers, Lauren Sammis and Sue Blinks.

When Brock was 22, she left the United States for the first time to discover the equestrian community in Europe, joining Blinks in 2002 for the U.S. team at the FEI World Equestrian Games.

“It was incredibly educational,” Brock said. “Here I was, going with the U.S. team and living with Klaus Balkenhol, one of the most famous German trainers still alive. He’s an incredible human being, and an incredible horseman. Here I was, living at his farm. It just was amazing being around the people I was around.”

Exploring the equestrian culture in Germany, she explained, was like being a kid in a candy store. From there, she traveled to the World Equestrian Games in Spain, where the U.S. won the silver medal.

Brock continued her dressage adventure with other professional equestrians, such as Debbie McDonald, Guenter Seidel and Christine Traurig. She met Fritz and Claudine Kundrun while working with Blinks.

“I was very fortunate with the people I worked for and the steps with how my career leapfrogged from here to there,” Brock said. “I was very fortunate to make some good choices, and it led me to the path of Sue Blinks and the Kundruns.”

The Kundruns sponsored Blinks, and own Rosevelt, a Hanoverian stallion that Brock competes with and hopes to take to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero.

“There are so many things that have to line up with the horse and rider, and it’s about the combination,” Brock said. “When you buy them as a young horse, you don’t know what they are going to turn out to be, or if they’re going to stay healthy. They’re athletes, too, and they’re subject to things like us — injuries, illness, accidents.”

Brock and Rosevelt won team gold at the April 2015 U.S. Nations Cup; 2014 Dressage at Devon Champion Grand Prix and 2014 Dressage at Devon Champion Grand Prix Special; 2014 USDF Hanoverian FEI Level Horse of the Year; 2014 Hanoverian Champion, Grand Prix, Open Division; 2015 CDI Alchleiten, Austria, second, Grand Prix Special; and multiple Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle wins on the Global Dressage Festival circuit.

Last year, Brock and Rosevelt were on the U.S. team traveling reserve for the 2015 Pan Am games. “It earned me my rider patch, which I’m really proud of,” she said.

This horse and rider pair are at the elite level of their sport.

“It takes years to train a horse up to the Grand Prix level, if they make it. A lot of horses aren’t physically talented enough, and they also have to be quite intelligent to do it — and they have to want to do it,” Brock said. “It’s like you’re training a gymnast or a ballerina. There are going to be certain people who have a high aptitude for it, and it’s the same with the horses.”

Dressage is complicated, she explained. When done correctly, it looks effortless, almost like the rider is doing very little and the horse is doing all of the work. However, looks are deceiving when it comes to this unique sport.

“At the end of the day, the horse is so in tune with its rider that it is beautifully harmonious, and powerful and graceful,” Brock said. “That’s what we’re striving for.”

Getting that type of perfection does not come easily.

“I’ve put my nose to the grindstone and have really worked hard to develop myself into a better rider, a better teacher, a better horseman,” she said. “And I’m very lucky. I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of Fritz and Claudine Kundrun. They have enabled me to actively chase my dreams.”

The opportunities offered Brock have made her a better rider, helping her to prepare for what is coming up.

“This is my first roller coaster ride, having a horse of this quality being this highly ranked,” she said. “This is the first time that I’ve had a horse, that I’ve developed, that has been good enough. I’m also now good enough. It takes a long time. It took me years to get to this position.”

Brock was in the right place at the right time when she first started. Of the 16 or so children training together in Hawaii, six or seven of them became professional riders.

From Hawaii onward, she flourished, and she doesn’t take that for granted.

“I am incredibly, incredibly grateful to Fritz and Claudine Kundrun, and I am really pleased to say that I have great relationships with all of the past trainers and professionals that I worked with as I was coming up,” she said. “I am grateful to Sue Blinks, Jim Eldridge, Jan Brink, Kyra Kyrklund, Richard White and Michael Barisone, who is coaching me now. I really am proud of the relationships I have with those people.”

Learning to communicate with a horse, or another being, she explained, is critical to the success that she has with Rosevelt.

“He’s a really, really sweet horse. He’s a breeding stallion; he’s beautiful… He likes people, but he likes other horses. He likes dogs,” Brock said, laughing. “He would be like that good-looking jock in school who was also good in the academic part and got along with everyone, but didn’t know he was good-looking.”

When Brock isn’t at a competition, she divides her time between barns in Virginia and Wellington, calling Florida her home and offering lessons, training and clinics.

For those interested in dressage, she stressed the important of finding the right professional.

“Watch them ride their horses and train others, and see which professional speaks to them the most,” she said. “The philosophy, teaching style, and how the training works. If you want to learn, the best case is to integrate yourself into the professional’s program.”

Currently, Brock and Rosevelt are practicing and training to get ready for the Olympics. She wants to make sure that they remain among the top pairs to secure their spot in the final selection process.

“I want to be in that grouping, and come up a couple more places to make sure our lot is secure,” Brock said. “Then, we will see what happens in Europe and how the chips fall.”

To learn more about Allison Brock, visit www.allisonbrockdressage.com.

 

Faces Of Dressage: Majestic Beauty And Elegance

 

Experience The Graceful Sport Of Dressage At AGDF

When the Adequan Global Dressage Festival began four years ago, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center was known for show jumping. Since 2012, the dressage festival has grown in size and stature, now rivaling its complimentary show jumping circuit, the Winter Equestrian Festival. Both are managed by Equestrian Sport Productions.

The AGDF has seven internationally rated CDI weeks, among them a CDI 5*, the highest ranking an event can have for international equestrian sports, and a CDIO 3*, which hosts an FEI Nations Cup, where teams of riders represent their countries in competition.

This year’s AGDF opened on Jan. 14 and continues until April 2 at the Stadium at PBIEC. Event organizers are thankful that the local community and equestrians alike have embraced dressage in Wellington.

“We continue to be very excited, and this venue has lived up to our expectations, but also exceeded them in terms of what we believed could occur here,” Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo said. “The sponsorship is great, the prize money is great and we’re attracting riders from all over the world. We really appreciate the owners, sponsors, riders and everyone who has made this possible. It really is a breath of fresh air for dressage in this country.”

At the AGDF, some of the top horse/rider combinations in the world compete, including Olympians and championship medalists. The first two weeks of the circuit were FEI World Cup qualifiers, where riders gain valuable scores to try to book their ticket to the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Finals in March in Gothenburg, Sweden. The CDI 5*, presented by Diamante Farms, is one week that attracts the best of the best to compete at the highest level.

In March, the AGDF will host three more of its biggest weeks: the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W, presented by Everglades Dressage, on March 3-6; the CDI 4*, presented by Havensafe Farm, on March 17-20; and the CDIO3*, featuring the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup, on March 30 through April 2.

Showcasing a horse’s incredible ability to do technical and powerful movements with the slightest aids, dressage is artistic as well as athletic. At the Grand Prix level, the horse and rider must perform difficult movements, including the pirouette, passage, piaffe and flying lead changes. All of these movements and the overall feel of the test are scored by five judges, and those points are tallied for an average score.

Each year, the buzz around dressage has grown, and many spectators enjoy watching the Friday Night Stars events, which feature the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle. Special musical acts bookend amazing dressage performances.

In the Freestyle class, riders make up their own choreography to the music of their choice. They must still incorporate all of the movements of the Grand Prix test, and are judged on the movements plus the artistic component of how well they flow with the music.

Many people can be seen tapping their feet to the music of Adele, Coldplay, the Rolling Stones and other popular music, or swaying to impressive orchestral compilations. Some riders choose to use music that represents their country of origin.

At the second CDI event of the 2016 season, the numbers in the top level of the sport of dressage showed just how popular the AGDF has become. An incredible 50 pairs showed up to compete in the FEI Grand Prix. Riders from 15 nations competed for top honors, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, the Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden and the United States.

“We are quite excited about this season because we see a true international competition here with 15 flags already, and we’re expecting that number to grow throughout the season,” AGDF Director of Sport Thomas Baur said. “It’s the first time that we have seen a rider from Asia, as well as the first rider from Africa will come to join us.”

AGDF Judge Natalie Lamping has been impressed by the wonderful turnout for Friday Night Stars. “It’s wonderful for the sport,” she said. “To see the bleachers, the pavilion here, the [tent on the] end full, people were wall to wall. That’s wonderful, and it’s just going to get bigger.”

Allyn Mann of title sponsor Adequan is proud to support the growing dressage circuit. “To envision this, we’re all blessed beyond our wildest dreams. These riders here are at the top of the sport,” Mann said. “When you have an operation and a facility like this, with people dedicated to making it one of the most enjoyable experiences in the dressage world, it’s a dream come true. We’re very humbled that we can participate.”

While Friday nights garner crowds, people can enjoy dressage all day from Thursday through Sunday during CDI events in multiple arenas. Enjoy watching young riders, young horses and combinations at every level compete in the sport of dressage. Food vendors are available, and there is shopping on Vendor Row. The AGDF offers a perfect way to introduce friends and family to the sport of dressage.

For those who want to see the next generation of riders, the entertaining AGDF Leadline Series offers up the perfect opportunity. Held at 5:30 p.m. before Friday Night Stars festivities, see the littlest riders take to the ring.

Everyone is welcome at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to enjoy the spirit of the horse and to learn and embrace the sport of dressage. The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is located at 13550 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington.

For more information about the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, and to see a full schedule of competition, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

 

 

2016 Adequan Global Dressage Festival Upcoming Schedule

 

March 3-6: AGDF 8 Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W/1* and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, presented by Everglades Dressage; FEI Grand Prix & Grand Prix Special, presented by Today’s Equestrian and Diane and George Fellows; and FEI Small Tour, presented by Peacock Ridge Farm.

 

March 17-20: AGDF 10 CDI 4* and FEI Grand Prix CDI 4*, presented by Havensafe Farm; CDI 3*, presented by the Dutta Corporation; and CDI 1*, presented by Mike and Roz Collins.

 

March 30 – April 2: AGDF 12 CDIO 3* featuring the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup, and FEI Large Tour, presented by Stillpoint Farm; CDI 3*, presented by Harmony Sporthorses; and CDI 1*, presented by YellowBird Farm.

 

Tentative schedule, subject to change. AGDF events are held at the Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, located at 13550 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington. For more information, call (561) 793-5867 or visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.