Feature Stories

Show Jumper Nicole Loochtan Makes A Career Move To Wellington

Show Jumper Nicole Loochtan
Makes A Career Move To Wellington

Wellington holds a special place in the heart of many equestrians. Every winter, its doors swing open to welcome athletes to its annual competitions. Every spring, many head home until next year. However, this season, the Wellington community will say goodbye to one fewer competitor, because Nicole Loochtan intends to stay in Wellington.

“It’s the place to be if you want to be successful in the horse world,” Loochtan said. “You have endless opportunities here.”

The Lincolnshire, Ill., native is one of the newest additions to the Wellington community. She established herself in South Florida for the chance to train with legendary horsemen Ronnie Beard and Michael Dorman of Wyndmont Farm. They were introduced through Grand Prix jumper and trainer Candice King. After the initial meeting, Loochtan flew to Tryon, N.C., in August 2015 to compete under the guidance of the Wyndmont team and never left.

Since joining the renowned competition barn, the 19-year-old has improved her riding and has an entire new roster of horses. She credits her trainers, as much as the Wellington community, for her growth.

“When I first started with Ronnie and Michael, I was competing in the junior jumpers, and I didn’t necessarily have the correct horses for me,” she explained. “Now, I have completely different horses that suit me very well, and I just competed in my first U-25 on the grass field.”

Loochtan enjoys the competition available in Wellington.

“Being able to watch the best of the best and feel the competitive atmosphere around you, pushes you to want to be better,” she said. “When you do well, it’s more encouraging, because the competition in Wellington is so fierce. Many divisions have more than 90 people in each class, so if you place at all, you feel like you belong here.”

The first-generation equestrian, who was once terrified to canter in a western saddle, is now soaring over jumps measuring 1.40 meters. Her string of horses includes Carla de Kalvarie Z, Quarterman 5 and Cuchica. Beard and Dorman, who have mastered the art of matching horse and rider, found all three mounts for her.

Loochtan has experienced success aboard all three horses. Some of her most recent finishes include two second-place ribbons in the $10,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner class and three of the summer series at the Tryon International Equestrian Center atop Carla de Kalvarie Z; a sixth-place finish in the $15,000 1.45m SJHOF High A/O Classic during week five of the Winter Equestrian Festival with Quarterman; and 12th in the $2,000 1.30m during week six of WEF aboard Cuchica.

Each of her horses plays an intricate role in Loochtan’s plan to move up the ranks in the equestrian industry — a path that has become more clear since moving to Wellington and training with Beard and Dorman.

“Chicago is very competitive; however, the atmosphere is different here,” Loochtan said. “Before, I knew I wanted to pursue this as a career, but I didn’t know it was a realistic thing. When I arrived, and started training with Michael and Ronnie, the big question was, ‘Can I really do this?’ Now, I know I can. In Chicago, it was just a dream. Since I came to Wellington, it’s more of a reality.”

Although Loochtan dedicates the majority of her efforts to riding, she finds time to enjoy everything the community has to offer.

“I think my favorite part about being in Wellington is that it’s so close to the beach,” Loochtan said. “When you’re not riding, you get to hang out with your friends and enjoy the weather. It’s such a horse community that you get to meet so many different people who share a passion for horses. Honestly, just going out to dinner or walking around the mall is nice. Wellington is a great place to be.”

Facebookpinterestmail
Feature Stories

Time In Wellington Helps Leatherdale Farms’ Vanessa Creech-Terauds Gain Experience

Time In Wellington Helps Leatherdale Farms’ Vanessa Creech-Terauds Gain Experience

Each winter, Vanessa Creech-Terauds, an FEI Young Rider, packs up and leaves her frigid base in Caistor Centre, Ontario, with her mother, Diane Creech, to join the ever-growing group of dressage athletes in the winter equestrian capital of the world — Wellington.

The 17-year-old Canadian dressage rider began riding at a young age with the help of her mother, an international Grand Prix competitor who won a silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. Just like her mother, as Creech-Terauds grew into an adolescent, her passion for the sport of dressage continued to grow.

“When I was 12, I decided I wanted to train in dressage more seriously, and ever since then it has been dressage every day,” Creech-Terauds explained.

She is inspired by her mother’s dressage experience and success.

“Many people believe that I have a lot of pressure to live up to my mom’s expectations, but it just gives me more drive and helps me believe in myself,” Creech-Terauds said.

With the support of the Minnesota-based Leatherdale Farms, Creech-Terauds has achieved great success in the dressage world. She competed Leatherdale Farms’ 8-year-old Hanoverian mare Fleur de Lis L to individual and freestyle silver medals at the 2016 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) in Colorado. It was their first year competing together as a pair, and they earned impressive scores of 70.184 percent in the FEI Junior Individual test and a 70.55 percent in the FEI Junior Freestyle.

“Fleur is one of Louise Leatherdale’s talented youngsters by their Hanoverian stallion First Dance,” Creech-Terauds said. “I am so grateful to Louise for giving me the opportunity to compete her up through the levels.”

Having had the opportunity to experience competing at prestigious international competitions, such as NAJYRC and in multiple CDIs, Creech-Terauds has developed her skills at a rapid pace.

“NAJYRC is such a great experience to get in the ring and learn what big competition is like,” Creech-Terauds explained. “It has helped me learn about traveling long distances with horses and riding in high-pressure situations where your team is counting on you. I’ve learned how to keep my cool in the ring and step up my game, which has progressed my riding.”

Throughout the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Creech-Terauds will move Fleur de Lis L up from Juniors to the Young Rider division, as well as compete her second Young Rider mount, Rob Roy, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Leatherdale Farms.

She also plans to compete in the Florida International Youth Dressage Festival with Fleur de Lis L, and has hopes to compete in the international CDI ring.

Even in the midst of her rigorous training and competition schedule in Wellington, Creech-Terauds focuses on achieving her academic goals online.

“I come to the barn to ride in the morning, return to the house for a couple of hours to do my schooling in the afternoon, then come back to the barn,” Creech-Terauds said, adding that she is able to work with her teachers and school remotely. “I’m driven enough to tell myself, ‘You have to keep up with your school work,’ as well as have fun in the barn.”

Her mother expressed her gratitude for Leatherdale Farms’ support of Creech-Terauds.

“I am very grateful to Louise Leatherdale for sponsoring Vanessa and helping her live her passion and have her dreams come true,” Creech said.

Creech-Terauds is also thankful.“It has all come together due to the support from Leatherdale Farms and the help from my mom,” she said. “I’m confident and thrilled to be able to train and compete in Wellington, and I am so happy to be a part of the Leatherdale team.”

Facebookpinterestmail
Wellington Table - Signature Dish

Cask + Shaker Brings A Unique Gastropub Experience To Wellington

Cask + Shaker Brings A Unique Gastropub Experience To Wellington

Cask + Shaker Craft Bar and Kitchen recently opened at the Mall at Wellington Green adjacent to the new Paragon Wellington 10 movie theater.

With a separate exterior mall entrance, and lounge seating in the lobby of Paragon, Cask + Shaker offers classic cocktails, local brews and gastropub entrées.

Executive Chef Chuck Gittleman is particularly proud of the restaurant’s signature dish, Steak Frites.

“It’s my favorite dish. I’m from Miami, so it has a lot of Latin flavors to it,” he explained. “The cut of meat itself is a really tender cut. It’s one of my favorite steaks, the hanger steak. It reminds me of my youth.”

The entrée consists of a marinated mojo hanger steak, sautéed broccolini (a relative of asparagus that looks like a long broccoli spear) and yucca fries.

“The yucca itself is Latin, so it lends itself to the mojo flavoring of the steak, and it’s a little spin on French fries,” Gittleman said.

Historically, the hanger cut wasn’t particularly popular with the public, he said, and was considered the butcher’s cut to take home.

“It’s a really tender piece of meat. It’s pretty popular right now. A lot of places use it. It’s kind of a trend. We mojo marinate it, which is a lime juice, orange juice, chili, garlic, onions, cilantro and cumin. And then just salt and pepper, and it’s grilled,” Gittleman said.

The steak is topped with a chimichurri sauce, which has parsley, cilantro, lime, garlic, oregano, olive oil and hot chili.

Steak Frites is one of the popular dishes at Cask + Shaker, which has a gastropub atmosphere. Because there are farms nearby, Gittleman is focusing on getting more “farm to table” foods.

The menu has comfort food items to share with friends, such as Honey Sriracha Firecracker Shrimp, Fried Manchego Cheese, Angry Fried Calamari, Bacon-Wrapped Brussels and Char-Grilled Chicken Wings, which are baked instead of fried. There are also cheese boards with creamy, flavorful cheeses, and salads, including the Rustic Root + Fruit, which includes artisan lettuces, roasted beets, gorgonzola cheese, spiced cashew, dates and an apple cider vinaigrette.

Sides range from Truffle Fries to Old School Mac & Cheese, featuring semolina pasta, gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese and bacon Dijon crumbs. Handheld items, be it the BBQ Brisket Burger, the New School Grilled Cheese or the Crab Cake Sliders, offer delicious and interesting flavor combinations. Meals such as the Steak Frites and Pulled Chipotle Chicken Tacos round out the menu.

Family-friendly, there’s also a children’s menu with mac and cheese, flatbread pizza, grilled cheese and chicken tenders. Along with the food menu, gluten-free options are available, and Cask + Shaker features 32 draught beers, cocktails, bottled beers, hand-crafted specialty cocktails, wine and a full line of non-alcoholic drinks.

General Manager Brooke Camposano explained that most of the beers on-tap are local, South Florida craft beers. “We worked with a mixologist and created 10 of our own hand-crafted cocktail drinks that we serve here,” she added.

The wine menu includes “Interesting Whites” and “Interesting Reds,” Camposano said.

“They’re not your average wines, like your pinot grigios and chardonnays. They’re a little bit different, so that people would actually take a look at them and hopefully try them. They’re a little more popular, but not everybody knows about them,” she said.

Some of the interesting wines include Red Blend, Ferrari Carano “Siena” from Sonoma County, Calif.; Malbec, TerrazasReserva from Argentina; and the Riesling, Chateau Ste. Michelle “Eroica” from Washington.

“We offer tastings for anything that you’d like to sample,” Camposano said.

Inside the theater, there are trays that hold Cask + Shaker’s to-go boxes perfectly, Camposano said, which allows customers to comfortably enjoy their meal, and drinks, while watching the movie of their choice.

Customers have many options for seating, including an indoor lounge, outside seating with heat lamps when it is chilly out, indoor booth seating, indoor table seating, bar seating, and, of course, in-movie seating.

The windows at the bar open, allowing guests to sit on either side of the bar and enjoy the convenience of an indoor-outdoor bar.

Cask + Shaker is currently open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Food and drinks are available for takeout, eat-in (reservations are suggested), and to be brought into the theater and enjoyed during a movie.

Cask + Shaker is located at 10312 W. Forest Hill Blvd. on the second level of the Mall at Wellington Green. For more information, call (954) 320-7112 or visit www.facebook.com/caskandshaker.

 

Facebookpinterestmail
Feature Stories

Palm Beach Central’s Lisa & Tony Gullo Enjoy Coaching Young Athletes

Palm Beach Central’s Lisa & Tony Gullo Enjoy Coaching Young Athletes

Sports play an integral role in Lisa and Tony Gullo’s lives. The couple, married for almost 20 years, coach at Palm Beach Central High School.

Lisa Gullo was a three-sport athlete in high school who played college softball and now coaches the Broncos’ cross-country team.

“I always loved playing sports and was voted ‘most athletic’ by my senior class,” said Lisa, who graduated from North Shore High School in 1987. “One of the reasons I changed my major in college from accounting to education was because I wanted to be a coach.”

Lisa credits her interest in running to Dennis Cox, who was her cross-country and softball coach at North Shore and now teaches at Wellington High School.

“I have always enjoyed running and wanted to share my love for running with others. I love coaching high school cross country,” added Lisa, who teaches digital information technology at PBCHS.

Tony Gullo was a high school baseball star who played in college. He is embarking on his first season as the Broncos’ manager, taking over for the legendary Scott Benedict, his friend and mentor. Tony is just the second head baseball coach in the school’s history.

Previously, he was the head baseball coach at William T. Dwyer High School for nine years before moving to Palm Beach Central, where he has been teaching mathematics classes since the school’s inception in 2003. Gullo was Benedict’s assistant head coach and infield coach for the first four years at Palm Beach Central.

During that time, the Broncos were the first public school in Florida to make an appearance in the state final four in its first season. They followed that up by winning the district title the next three years. And in 2006, Palm Beach Central was ranked as high as No. 2 nationally.

Tony also attended North Shore High School, graduating in 1985, two years before Lisa.

“He was friends with my older brother, but we didn’t really know each other,” Lisa said.

Not surprisingly, they met through sports.

“I was coaching softball at Santaluces, while he was coaching at Dwyer,” Lisa recalled. “We were playing at Dwyer, and we saw each other there.”

They started dating about a year later. After attending the 1997 Florida State vs. North Carolina football game in Chapel Hill, Tony proposed, and they were married on July 4, 1998.

They each took a hiatus from coaching at PBCHS; Tony after the 2007 season, and Lisa after the 2013 season.

“We had young kids of our own playing baseball, and I was missing the opportunity to coach them,” Tony explained. “Our families and friends were telling us to enjoy our children while they were young. Time would fly by, and then it would be too late. We decided to heed their advice. I decided to coach their teams, and Lisa helped with coaching, being the team mom, organizing snack schedules, practice times, etc. I never thought I would coach high school baseball again.”

But now he’s back and looking forward to the challenge of keeping the program at an elite level. Pre-season began in mid-February and the regular season ends on April 25, followed by the playoffs.

“Our goals this season are to become better baseball players, better students and better people,” Tony said. “I would like for our players to experience a post-season. In high school sports, you have to earn your way deep into the post-season. You don’t just pay and enter a tournament like many travel teams do. You have to win to move on. I hope our hard work and preparation affords us this honor.”

The cross-country season is in the fall, with practice beginning in late July and the regular season ending in early October, followed by district and regional meets to qualify for the state championship in early November.

“Athletics has always been a passion of mine, and I have transitioned that love of sports into coaching,” said Lisa, who started as an assistant coach for the cross-country teams.

She was elevated to the head coaching position in 2011.

“Two years later [in 2013], my younger son asked me, ‘Why do you have to coach? You are never home.’ It broke my heart, and though it was a tough decision, I resigned as coach since my family is my priority. After two years away, with the blessing of my family, I returned to coaching. Upon my return this year, our team was the largest cross-country team in school history with 43 members.”

The Broncos finished second at the county meet and third in the regional finals, and Lisa was the coach of the 2014 girls and 2016 boys teams when each qualified for the state finals for the first time in school history.

Their sons, 15-year-old Colby, a freshman at Palm Beach Central, and Brody, 13, a seventh-grader at Polo Park Middle School, each play on a travel baseball team.

“It is very challenging to try to be the best coach and teacher we can be, while trying to be an active parent to our two teenage sons and a good spouse,” Lisa said. “There is still a home to take care of, food to prepare, family and friends to get together with, practices and games to get our own children to.”

“I am honored to take over the Palm Beach Central baseball program from Scott Benedict,” Tony said. “I have known ‘Bene’ for more than 40 years. My father coached Scott in Little League, and I played for ‘Bene’ at American Legion Post 12. He helped me receive my baseball scholarship.”

Tony is proud to be carrying on Benedict’s strong baseball tradition at Palm Beach Central. –“I know he wants us to continue the tradition and reach our highest potential,” Tony said of Benedict. “He has done an outstanding job throughout his coaching career, touching many players’ lives in a positive manner. I have and will continue to pick his brain whenever needed.”

 

Facebookpinterestmail
Wellington Real Estate

Andrew Burr Leads TheRealtorAndrew Team At Century 21 Wieder Realty

Andrew Burr Leads TheRealtorAndrew Team At Century 21 Wieder Realty

Realtor Andrew Burr of Century 21 Wieder Realty heads up the RealtorAndrew Team with four other real estate professionals. They specialize in residential purchases, sales and leasing of luxury homes and farms throughout central Palm Beach County, including Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee.

Real estate was not Burr’s first career. Years ago, he did his work in the kitchen. Somehow, he has found a connection between these two seemingly disparate professions.

“I started in auctions, and a lot of people wanted me to move into commercial real estate, but I enjoy the personal interaction of residential real estate and the satisfaction that comes with making customers into friends,” Burr said. “It carries over from my time as a professional chef, I think. When I was a chef, I loved that I knew how well I did my job every single night. I still have friends I made due to being an excellent chef, and I see a lot of parallels between the two businesses.”

Matthew Tarantino is a key member of the RealtorAndrew Team. As one of the “fab five,” he is counted on to perform the sometimes tedious but always essential job of facilitating the stacks of paperwork involved in the average real estate transaction.

“In addition to being a great real estate agent, Matthew is an extraordinary administrator,” Burr said of Tarantino. “When it comes to keeping the ‘I’s dotted and the ‘T’s crossed, there is none better. Matthew is also intimately familiar with the coastal communities of Palm Beach County and is our expert in that area. He has an engaging personality and an extremely professional demeanor which, combined with almost 10 years’ experience as a Realtor, allows him to step into any role needed. All of these things free me up to concentrate on urgent needs of current customers, as well as developing new business.”

Tarantino, a longtime Wellington resident, enjoys his role on the team. “Andrew is the hunter-gatherer, and I am more of the provider of services to the clients, whether it’s showing a property or doing the paperwork required,” he said.

The word “team” is not used lightly by Burr and his co-workers.

“Our entire team focus is on each individual customer,” Tarantino said. “We limit ourselves to no more than 15 customers at a time, including both buyers and sellers, so that we can focus on quality representation rather than quantity.”

Tarantino believes that the group he’s part of is a true example of the old adage put forth by Aristotle: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

“We work for our customers by approaching the sales process as a team,” he said. “Some of us are better than others at certain aspects of the process, and so we utilize each others’ strengths. We creatively advertise the property and competitively, selectively market it to the community and beyond. We have a longevity in the communities we work in, which gives us an edge.”

Burr sees a healthy market both locally and in the surrounding areas.

“Terms that used to be heard often, such as ‘underwater’ and ‘upside-down,’ are starting to become a thing of the past,” he said. “Folks who have wanted to sell but have not been able to due to the value of their home being below the debt on their mortgage are now seeing home sale prices that allow them to cover their debt, and in some cases realize a modest return. Thus, we have a very strong transaction market, but with only a modest uptick in price.”

To contact the RealtorAndrew Team, call (561) 324-8914, e-mail RealtorAndrew1@yahoo.com or visit www.andrewsellspalm beach.com.

 

Facebookpinterestmail
Wellington Home

Equestrian Club Home A Tropical Oasis in The Heart Of The Action

Equestrian Club Home A Tropical Oasis in
The Heart Of The Action

Located in the prestigious Wellington Equestrian Club community, this home sits less than two miles from all of the major equestrian event venues. Its five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and den/office are situated throughout three separate wings, allowing living and entertaining to peaceably co-exist. Oversized picture windows frame stunning views of expansive vistas, which include the neighborhood lake. It’s a tropical oasis in the heart of the action. Coffered ceilings, a chef’s kitchen and a whole-house generator that runs directly off gas lines are among the amenities that make this home unique.

 Family Room: The soaring 22-foot coffered ceiling in the family room extends out through the formal living room, dining room and the entry, adding a touch of elegance to the space. The large corner windows usher in the sunshine during the day and a glimpse of the stars at night. Ceramic tile creates an easy visual flow, connecting all areas of the house but the bedrooms.

Outdoor Kitchen: A giant seamless three-panel window overlooks the outdoor kitchen and lanai. From this cozy curved window seat, the homeowners can take in the activity around the pool or face forward to look into a more casual eating area off of the kitchen.

Living Room: Double French doors and a relaxed floor plan make this living room the real heart of the home. An ornate fireplace located off camera ups the warmth of the space.

Kitchen: Stainless steel gas appliances paired with a black wall oven aren’t the only design details that make this kitchen out of the ordinary. A curved guest bar that seats eight, a granite-topped double island with a built-in wine cooler and a hardworking pantry make this spacious kitchen a chef’s delight.

Master Bedroom: The master bedroom takes on a resort feel with numerous windows offering tropical views, a gently turning ceiling fan in a double tray ceiling and chocolate-rich manufactured hardwood flooring. The roomy seating area offers a place to unwind after a long day.

Dining Room: The elegant formal dining room, with its sparkling chandelier, is located just inside the front entrance with an office nearby. Arched doorways give a silent nod to luxury.

Front Elevation: Pavers lead the way to the grand front portico on the right, while polished wood doors open into a three-car garage. At night, each palm is spotlighted in a dramatic display of landscape artistry.

 Guest Bedrooms: The home has several guest bedrooms, including one with an en suite bath and walk-in closet. Another two share a Jack-and-Jill bath, while yet another is located right off the pool deck.

 Master Bath: Open and airy, the en suite master bath offers a Roman tub, a separate shower with multiple spray heads, a double vanity and more.

 Pool Deck: The pool area features a freshwater pool with a waterfall feature, a tiki hut and a nearby outdoor kitchen.

 

Facebookpinterestmail
Wellington Health

Dr. Marisol Lopez-Belio Specializes In A Wide Range Of Dental Procedures

Dr. Marisol Lopez-Belio Specializes In A Wide Range Of Dental Procedures

Everyone loves the drama of before and after photographs, especially the patients of Dr. Marisol Lopez-Belio of the Wellington Center for Laser Dentistry.

“I’ve done many cosmetic reconstructions that really change people’s lives,” Lopez-Belio said. “A patient may have bad teeth, worn teeth or teeth of an ugly color and, after a reconstruction, their appearance has literally changed. They’re the most amazing success stories.”

Lopez-Belio and her staff have seen many such stories. She started her practice 26 years ago, in 1991, and moved into her own office in Wellington 22 years ago. Office manager Mary Almazan and hygienist Candy Cerbone have each been with her for 25 years. Her clinical assistant, Danielle Prieto, has been with Lopez-Belio for 13 years.

But it’s not all cosmetic dentistry. Lopez-Belio serves all ages in her general dentistry practice. From fillings to mouth guards, she does it all. She particularly likes how the use of lasers has revolutionized dentistry.

“I love lasers,” Lopez-Belio said. “I have four different types. I use different ones for different things.”

For example, the minimally invasive hard tissue laser, which Lopez-Belio purchased in 2010, allows her to fill cavities or restore resin fillings without numbing.

“Patients love that,” she said. “It’s so efficient. You can do multiple fillings in one day, where otherwise you couldn’t because the patient would be numb all over. With the laser, I can almost do as many as needed without them losing work time or having to wait  hours for the numbness to wear off.”

Another plus: as it works, the hard tissue laser is also killing bacteria. With no bacteria left behind, there is less of a chance of getting a cavity there again.

“We also use a laser for gum treatments, removing soft tissue lesions, treating ulcers and trimming the gums for aesthetic purposes,” Lopez-Belio added.

She can also help with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. “I do a lot of neuro-muscular dentistry to correct TMJ, grinding and crunching,” Lopez-Belio said. “These things can destroy your teeth or give you migraines. People who have been under a lot of stress for a lot of years, they’ve been grinding, then they get symptoms. We correct their bite. We have patients who are chronic; they can’t open their mouth and get several migraines a week. We have to do splint therapy, a full reconstruction or orthodontics. They have a bad bite, and we have to fix that. I devise an individualized treatment for each patient.”

Traditional braces are not an option for many adults. In those cases, Lopez-Belio suggests Invisalign, a series of clear aligners that can be removed for meals. “It’s awesome, and it works great,” Lopez-Belio said. “The treatment takes about a year. Every two weeks you get new, custom-made aligners until your teeth are straight. They’re comfortable, and thin enough so that they don’t affect your speech.”

Lopez-Belio can also help with sleep apnea for people who snore or stop breathing while they sleep.

“If you stop breathing, your oxygen level goes down, and it’s very dangerous,” she said. “A physician may order a CPAP oxygen machine, but it’s noisy. The patient needs to wear a mask, there’s tubing and it’s big — not good for traveling. So many patients prefer an oral appliance, which is like two mouth guards. It keeps the lower jaw forward so the muscles in the neck don’t collapse when they’re sleeping, which improves the airway.”

Lopez-Belio also has a Cerec machine — a computer that allows her to do a crown in one day. “You don’t lose time from work getting a temporary crown, and you don’t have to worry about the temporary falling off when you’re eating dinner,” she explained. “We design, mill, stain and glaze the crown, put it in the oven to harden it, then bond it to the tooth.”

A picture is still worth a thousand words. See some of Dr. Marisol Lopez-Belio’s success stories for yourself at www.wellingtonlaserdentistry.com.

The Wellington Center for Laser Dentistry is located at 1200 Corporate Center Way, Suite 101, in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 791-8184.

Facebookpinterestmail
Feature Stories

Lorrie Browne Focuses On Sustainable, Low-Maintenance Interior Designs

Lorrie Browne Focuses On Sustainable, Low-Maintenance Interior Designs

Lorrie Browne of Lorrie Browne Interiors didn’t take the typical route to becoming an interior designer.

After earning a master’s degree in business administration, Browne worked for a financial advisory firm as an analyst before realizing that she wasn’t spending enough time on the creative aspects of her life. She returned to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in interior design.

“It was kind of a roundabout way,” she said. “Since I was a kid, I was drawing, painting, crafting — you name it. I loved going to museums. I grew up in a 200-year-old house that my parents renovated. I was right there with a sledgehammer when I was a kid. I really enjoyed that — the history of houses.”

When Browne began looking for a more creative career, she enlisted the help of a career counselor. Career tests suggested she become an interior designer, landscape designer or photographer. “Nothing in finance,” she said. “The idea excited me the more I thought about it.”

Browne was able to merge her finance and business background with the creative elements of interior design. She attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where she earned her interior design degree. After working for other designers, she took her national licensing exam and began her own company. “Before I was even out of school, I had jobs,” Browne said.

Since then, she has worked on beautifying spaces in an elegant, livable manner, with small details making all the difference. “Design is in the details,” she explained. “When details are done correctly, you don’t specifically notice them, but they help make a space more cohesive.”

For example, Browne often utilizes artificial flowers and plants inside, which are low-maintenance and always look nice, sort of like the accessories and jewelry when you get dressed up.

“We see so many spaces in magazines and online that look very beautiful, but sometimes it’s hard to imagine somebody actually living their day-to-day life in that space,” she said. “With kids, without kids, after a long day, throwing your purse on the counter, letting kids and dogs run through the house — we want people to live in spaces that are comfortable, durable and washable.”

Browne works with her husband, Tim Chance, who serves as project manager, and they are able to make a space livable — and cleanable — by utilizing newer coatings and fabrics.

“A space is going to be more valuable to you the more you can live in it as you always did and you don’t have to modify your everyday life,” she said.

Browne favors wood tables as the primary surface for a home. “I feel like a dining room table is like a living, breathing part of your life and a history of your family,” she explained, adding that the table is where craft projects take place, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are eaten and the family gathers.

She has a vendor that creates large, one-piece wood tables that warm a room and provide a durable, versatile, life-friendly surface, as well as serving as a statement piece.

While the tables may be low-tech, Browne’s firm is high-tech. She works with a program that allows digital, remote access where clients can work with Browne and her team online.

“Our presentation boards are online, and our clients can check off what they like and don’t like and can leave comments,” she said.

All accounting and proposal approval is paperless, online through a secure site. The entire process is virtual, which sets Lorrie Browne Interiors apart from other design firms. “It’s super-efficient on our end, makes clients very happy, and has been super-effective,” she said. “It was a natural fit for me.”

Browne creates turnkey homes for clients: all the sheets and towels are laundered and installed; kitchen cabinets are filled with glasses, plates and anything the client will need.

“When they come in, they can just live. They bring their toothbrush and their clothes, and that’s all they need,” she said. “We try to get every little last thing done for them.”

Browne’s approach to a project is organized, efficient and process-oriented, combined with the artistic approach of what the client likes.

She utilizes Houzz (www.houzz.com/pro/lorriebrowne/lorrie-browne-interiors) to get a feel for what elements clients favor, which helps her understand their needs.

From there, Browne is able to create the ideal home for clients. Having a trusting relationship, where Browne and the client begin by working together, and then the client hands the project over to Browne to run with, is when the best projects happen, she said.

The part that Browne enjoys most is when, after a client has lived in their home for some time, they return to tell her how much they love how things turned out. “You can see that brings them joy and satisfaction, and they feel that the investment they made was worth it,” she said.

Her clientele fits into a particular niche that thrives with her process.

“Most of our clients are equestrians, or, if they’re not equestrians, they’re part-time residents,” Browne said. “We primarily work with people where this is their second, third, fourth, fifth residence. That makes it very different. Because of that, they are only here part of the time. They’re also very busy people.”

A GREENLeader Accredited Professional, Browne takes courses on learning about sourcing sustainable materials. “I’m a believer in that we need to be very careful with our planet and that we need to leave it a good place for many generations to come, so anytime we can, we use materials that are sustainable and come from reliable sources,” she said.

The firm also uses local sources when possible, where Browne can speak to the owner and learn the story of the company.

Browne and Chance have four large dogs, and make it a point to give back to animal rescue groups, as well as Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control.

“At least 10 percent of the profits of everything we do goes back to animals and children,” she said. “Children and animals really have no voice for themselves.”

To learn more about Lorrie Browne Interiors, call (561) 791-8585, or visit www.lb-interiors.com and www.facebook.com/LorrieBrowneInteriors.

 

 

 

Facebookpinterestmail
Feature Stories

Faces of Dressage

Faces of Dressage

Dressage is often called “ballet with horses.” It’s a simplistic term that helps the lay person understand the magnificent level of dedication, training and effort it takes for a rider and horse to become one in a sport dating back to ancient times. Precise, controlled movements from the rider direct the horse. The leading leg matters. How many steps a horse takes matters. Seemingly innocuous details matter. Things only the trained eye will pick up on matter, and they mean everything. The elegance of dressage has returned to Wellington once again with the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where some of the best dancing horse and rider combinations can be seen in action. From elite dressage to more introductory levels to the uplifting sport of para-dressage, all levels of the sports are on display. On the following pages, we highlight just a few of these riders in Faces of Dressage 2017

Facebookpinterestmail
Feature Stories

Enjoy The Experience Of A Lifetime At The Adequan Global Dressage Festival

Enjoy The Experience Of A Lifetime At The Adequan Global Dressage Festival

By Kim Beaudoin

Even if you aren’t personally involved with horses or the art of equestrian riding, chances are that if you are from the Wellington community, you may be familiar with the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF).

Now in its sixth year, the AGDF is hosted at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and is home to some of the world’s most elite dressage competition at the national and international levels. Riders and spectators come together for the 11-week circuit to enjoy the Olympic sport of dressage and the world’s largest international dressage circuit.

When visitors first step onto the show grounds, they will immediately feel calmness in the air. The staff and riders pride themselves on the supportive and educational atmosphere that the festival has to offer. Admission is free, and spectators are encouraged to come out and enjoy all that the venue offers.

“The AGDF is an excellent place for spectators to come and watch some of the best dressage riders in the world compete,” AGDF Director of Sport Thomas Baur said. “There really is so much for the audience to do — shopping, entertainment and fun on Friday nights. There is also a new opportunity this season for spectator participation with a mobile audience test scoring app.”

Dressage has been practiced for centuries and was first introduced to cavalry to create obedient and flexible mounts for the militia. The system of training was first recorded by the Greek historian Xenophon and was built upon throughout history by riding-masters of both civilian and military backgrounds. Dressage is often referred to as “ballet on horseback,” and features movements influenced by the rider’s weight, legs and seat.

Spectators, now more than ever, have a chance to be involved with the competitions. Beginning this season, the AGDF will give the audience the option to use the new Spectator Judging app. The technology was first thought of by international five-star judge Katrina Wüst of Germany and created by software developer and German national judge Daniel Göhlen. Each app user may give a score movement by movement, in a simplified manner, or create an overall score at the end of the ride. The spectators are then able to compare their scores directly with the scores given by the official judges.

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival also encourages spectators to check out vendor shopping for both horse and rider, and there is also an array of food vendors to choose from.

Equestrian Team Apparel owner Staci Rosner is at the show with her business for the second year in a row.

“This is my second year vending at [AGDF]. Everyone has been so nice, and they are all so down-to-earth,” she said. “I have a variety of customers, and this year we are really trying to tap into the junior rider crowd.”

Rosner sells an assortment of apparel brands, including C4 Belts, Kastel Denmark, EIS and B&C.

“I love the relaxed atmosphere here at AGDF,” she said. “As far as the customer base, the riders are very in touch with what they want regarding the products that I have to offer.”

She has been very pleased with her experience. “Overall, it’s really a unique and laid-back show,” Rosner said. “The customers are great, the atmosphere is great and the shopping is spot on.”

On the competition side, spectators can enjoy watching rides from national and international level horse and rider combinations. One popular rider competing this year is 2016 U.S. Dressage Olympic bronze medalist and AGDF veteran Laura Graves.

“I’m just looking forward to being here with the amazing friends that I have made at AGDF — Adequan and the other sponsors of this show who continue to sponsor it and give us this amazing venue that gets packed every Friday night, there is just nothing like it,” she said. “Even competing in Rio, competing at Rotterdam, competing years ago at Aachen, nothing compares to the atmosphere here. It’s even more unbelievable under the lights.”

Select Friday nights throughout the season, part of the Friday Night Stars series, feature a freestyle competition under the lights in the Stadium at PBIEC. A freestyle is a dressage test ridden to choreographed music. The rider and horse execute their movements in a similar system to that of figure skating, and are always impressive to watch.

Professional rider Francine Gentile has been competing and enjoying the educational benefits of the festival for years. “There is no place like it on Earth,” she said. “It’s the place to come where you can see the best of the best, not just for the day, but for the whole season. It’s motivating, and it’s really the place where professionals strive to be.”

There are many aspects of the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival that make it an amazing event for all to come out and enjoy. Great food, great horses, great vendors and entertainment are all contributing factors.

“I think that we are a family,” said Allyn Mann, director of title sponsor Adequan. “It really is just a wonderful experience to have the owners, the riders, the fans, the grooms and, of course, the horses. I feel that if this was as good as it got, it would be wonderful. But we know that there is much more to come.”

The AGDF welcomes spectators and encourages anyone who wants to learn more about the sport of dressage to visit and enjoy the show. The 2017 festival hosts seven CDI events, two CPEDI competitions and national shows through March 25.

The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is located at 13500 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington. For more information, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

 

 

2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival Weekly Schedule

March 2-5: AGDF 8

Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI-W and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle (Saturday, March 4), presented by Everglades Dressage; FEI Grand Prix and FEI Grand Prix Special, presented by Peacock Ridge; and FEI

Small Tour, presented by the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center.

Schedule includes National Show.

 

March 10-12: AGDF 9

Para-Equestrian CPEDI 3*, presented by Mane Stream courtesy of Rowan O’Riley, Mission Control, Adequan and Nutrena; and National Show.

 

March 16-19: AGDF 10

CDI 4* and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, presented by Havensafe Farm; CDI 3*, presented by the Dutta Corp; and CDI 1*, presented by CaptiveOne. Schedule includes National Show and the Florida

International Dressage Youth Championships.

 

March 22-25: FEI Nations Cup Week – AGDF 11

CDIO 3* and FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, presented by Stillpoint Farm;

CDI 3*, presented by Harmony Sporthorses; and CDI 1*,

presented by Yellow Bird Farm. Schedule includes National Show.

Tentative schedule, subject to change. Friday Night Stars freestyles on Friday nights of CDI competition with exception of AGDF 8. Dates are actual competition days. Visit www.globaldressagefestival.com for more information.

 

 

Facebookpinterestmail

Bringing You The Best Of Wellington Since 2004