BEEZIE MADDEN

Beezie Madden Only the second person to be named U.S. Equestrian Rider of the Year three times, Beezie Madden has spent most of her life around horses. She was the first woman to pass the $1 million mark in earnings for show jumping. She had a stellar 2017, when she won the Deeridge Farms CSI3*-W riding Breitling LS, then the Ocala CSIO4*, followed by the North Salem CSI2* Grand Prix, before becoming the champion at Calgary’s Spruce Meadows CSI5*, all piloting Breitling LS. She had a coveted European win at the Aachen CSIO5*, followed by a win at the Valence CSI5* and then the Brussels CSI5* aboard Con Taggio. Returning home, she won in Spruce Meadows, then at the Washington International Horse Show. She won the Lexington CSI4*-W navigating HHS Hercules, followed by two classes at Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair. A seasoned athlete, Madden rode in the 2008 Olympic Games and won the individual bronze medal and was a member of the gold medal U.S. team. She was part of the gold medal team at the 2004 Olympics and was on the gold medal 2003 Pan American Games team. She also won gold with 2011 Pan American Games team and returned in 2012 to the Olympic Games for her third appearance.

MCLAIN WARD

Whether it’s Wellington, the Olympics or the World Equestrian Games, McLain Ward is well-prepared for the challenge. Ward utilizes WEF each year as part of his strategy to win the big championships. Last year, he took a full sweep of victories in four days of high-pressure competition in Omaha at the Longines FEI World Cup CSI-W Final Championships riding HH Azur. He completed the week with no penalties after five rounds of jumping, one rail ahead of the second-place rider. At his 17 appearances at the World Cup finals, the highest Ward had ever placed before was second. He went on to rank No. 1 in the Longines FEI world rankings for the first time. He stayed at the top through June 2017, until fellow U.S. rider Kent Farrington took over, leaving Ward the No. 2 rider in the world. It was the first time two Americans stood at the top of the world rankings. Last year, he won two North Salem competitions riding HH Carlos Z. He won at Devon riding Rothchild, then took two CSI5* competitions at Spruce Meadows riding HH Callas, two CSI5* classes riding Tina La Boheme and three riding HH Carlos Z. The momentum continued in Europe with a big win at Aachen. A talented rider, Ward is a dominant force to watch.

LAURA KRAUT

Laura Kraut’s list of competition wins is impressive. She has represented the United States at the Olympic Games, winning team gold at Hong Kong in 2008 with her horse Cedric. Her record of winning top-level competition spans back to 1988, and she is a familiar face in Wellington. Kraut had a stellar year in 2017, winning a Wellington CSI5* aboard Nouvelle and a CSI3* riding Caelle. During her summer tour through Europe, Kraut won the Windsor CSI5* riding Whitney, then a Nations Cup CSIO5* in Sopot, Poland riding Deauville S, and a CSI5* in Villach, Treffen, Germany riding Whitney. In Opglabbeek, Belguim she won piloting Caelle and SFS Vincomte, and returned to the states to win the Lexington CSI4*-W aboard Whitney. Kraut’s successful international career gives her a wealth of knowledge and ability to succeed in the big competitions. Highly ranked on the all-time money list in career earnings with more than 100 Grand Prix wins, she has represented the United States in the Olympic Games, World Cup Finals, and many Nation’s Cup teams. Kraut will be vying for one of the coveted spots to qualify for the U.S. team for the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018.

JENNIFER GATES

Jennifer Gates is preparing to become one of the top riders through the Under 25 division. The 21-year-old daughter of tech magnate Bill Gates, she is one of the nation’s top up-and-coming Under 25 riders. The senior at Stanford University balances completing her studies, where Gates majors in human biology, and competing in the big Grand Prix classes. She began riding at the age of six, when she and her childhood friend decided they would like to take lessons together. A few years later, she discovered the hunter/jumper world and pursued a more serious path. Gates quickly progressed through the levels and currently competes in some of the most prestigious equestrian sporting events in the world. In 2017, during the National Horse Show in Lexington, Ky., Gates took home the $100,000 USEF Under 25 Show Jumping National Championship aboard Alex. She went on to have a victory in the U.S. Open $25,000 Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in September, and she also finished fourth in a world-class field during the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Lexington riding Pumped Up Kicks. A talented and intelligent rider, she will be one to watch this year.

LUCY DESLAURIERS

At only 18 years old, Lucy Deslauriers regularly competes on the big stage against the best riders in the world. Deslauriers has grown up with big ambitions. Her father, Canadian Olympian Mario Deslauriers, also found success at a young age. He still holds the record as the youngest rider in history to win the FEI World Cup Final. These days, he waits anxiously near the in-gate whistling in encouragement. In 2017, Deslauriers had her biggest win to date during Week 8 of the Winter Equestrian Festival in the 1.50-meter $100,000 Suncoast Jumper Classic CSIO4*. Of the field of 49, she had a fault-free finish to the top of the leaderboard. Often one of the youngest riders in her class, Deslauriers is not intimidated by age differences. She also won the 2015 George Morris Excellence in Equitation Award at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. In 2016, she was awarded the Lionel Guerrand- Hermès Trophy by the United States Equestrian Team. The award is for young riders who exemplify both sportsmanship and horsemanship. In 2017, she had victories riding Hester in Wellington, Spruce Meadows, North Salem and more. As her relationship with Hestor continues, Deslauriers looks forward to more victories.

MEREDITH MICHAELS-BEERBAUM

German Olympian Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum grew up as a successful American rider through the junior equitation and young rider systems in the U.S. She went on to learn from George Morris during her college years at Princeton, where she began her success in the Grand Prix ring. Moving to Germany to learn, her skills in precision timing are legendary. Michaels-Beerbaum is impressive to watch as she rides in perfect harmony with her horses. She was the first women to earn a spot on the German team at the European Championships and the first German woman to be ranked No. 1 on the FEI World Ranking. She has won the World Cup Finals three times. In 2006, she took home the bronze individual and team medals at the World Championships, then at the 2008 Olympics, she took fourth place. In 2010, she returned to the World Championships and won team gold. In 2016, at the Rio Olympics, she won the team bronze. Michaels-Beerbaum builds her horses’ confidence throughout the Florida winter season. Notable wins in 2017 at Aachen include the eight-year-old Sparkassen-Youngsters-Cup Final, where she placed second with Calle 67. She placed first in Munich, and second in the Falsterbo Nations Cup CSIO5*.

GEORGINA BLOOMBERG

Georgina Bloomberg is both a top equestrian and a philanthropist, putting her well-known name to work protecting animals and aiding equestrians in need. Daughter of Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg, she began riding at age six, choosing to follow the equitation path exclusively as she quickly started winning top prizes. Bloomberg won the 2001 USET Talent Derby, won team gold at the North American Young Rider’s Championships in 2002 and individually in 2003, won the USET Maxine Beard Award in 2004, and made her debut at the FEI World Cup Final in 2005. In 2009, Bloomberg won the eighth round of the WEF Challenge Cup and won round one of the WEF Challenge Cup Series in 2010 before winning the Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix and placing top in 2012 and 2013 throughout Europe and America. More international competition and success followed in 2014 before a third-place win at the Grand Prix at the Longines L.A. Masters and the National Horse Show. She helped the U.S. claim the team bronze at the 2015 Pan American Games. In 2017, she won a CSI3* riding Manadie II H and then placed third in North Salem and at the Washington International Horse Show aboard Calista.

ERIC LAMAZE

Canadian show jumper Eric Lamaze became the most decorated Canadian equestrian athlete when he claimed the individual bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. In 2007, Lamaze became the first Canadian jumper in 20 years to make the top ten in the world rankings. He was also the first North American jumping rider to exceed $1 million in prize money a year. In 2008, he won both the individual gold and the team silver medals at the Olympics. He was ranked the No. 1 show jumper in the world at the end of the 2008 season, as well as in 2010 and 2011. The Quebec native began riding at age 12 and reached the Grand Prix level in 1992. In 2016, Lamaze placed top 10 in more than 70 competitions. A regular at WEF, he has more than 25 top 10 finishes at WEF. During 2017, Lamaze won a Wellington CSI3* aboard Houston, and then riding Fine Lady 5 in a CSI3* and a CSI5*. In Mexico City’s CSI5*, he rode Fine Lady 5 to a win, and then in Lummen, he piloted Thalis de la Roque for the win. At Aachen, he won the Aachen CSIO5* Turkish Airlines-Preis von Europa aboard Fine Lady 5. In Rome’s Foro Italico, he won the CSI5* riding Chacco Kid. Lamaze’s riding ability is a mastery of skill and something to admire.

Exciting Equestrian Action Takes Center Stage At PBIEC During The 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival

World-class equestrian sport has returned to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center this winter for the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival, which opened Jan. 10 and continues until April 1.

With more than 70 divisions of hunter-jumper competition featuring everything from short-stirrup up to Olympic-level show jumping, WEF is the premier winter equestrian destination for many of the world’s best horses and riders.

Managed by Equestrian Sport Productions, WEF is the largest and longest-running equestrian festival in the world, with more than 7,000 horses competing throughout the winter circuit. The managing partners of WEF also run the Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina, which hosts international events throughout the year, and will host the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games from Sept. 11 through Sept. 23.

The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center has long been recognized as one of the finest equestrian venues in the world. Each winter, riders from 33 countries and all 50 U.S. states travel to Wellington to compete there. The venue covers 500 acres, with 80 acres of competition rings alone. Over the course of the 12-week circuit, more than 6,500 horses will descend upon the venue and host more than 100 divisions for professionals, amateurs, juniors and children.

“Each year, we see the Winter Equestrian Festival grow in the number of exhibitors and in competition opportunities, and we feel that is a great sign as to where equestrian sport is going in terms of mainstream exposure,” said Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners. “It has been our goal to bring these talented riders and athletes, and this unbelievable sport, to a larger audience, and are committed to doing so long term as we look toward the future of WEF and PBIEC.”

The four CSI 5* Grand Prix classes, the highest designation of international show jumping in the sport, will take place on Feb. 10 (WEF 5), Feb. 24 (WEF 7), March 10 (WEF 9) and March 31 (WEF 12) in the International Ring at PBIEC. These competitions feature the top horse and rider combinations in the world, and include four FEI World Ranking classes during each week.

The final CSI 5* competition of the circuit is in WEF 12, when PBIEC hosts the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*, the most prestigious international class of the 2018 season. This year, the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* will once again take place on the final Saturday of the season.

The $75,000 Battle of the Sexes, presented by Wellington Regional Medical Center, kicked off the Saturday Night Lights season on Saturday, Jan. 13, pitting males against females in a battle to see which gender comes out on top.

WEF welcomes Equinimity LLC as the new title sponsor of the popular WEF Challenge Cup classes, Thursday’s weekly highlight competition. The Equinimity WEF Challenge classes began Thursday, Jan. 11 and will continue through Thursday, March 29, ranging from $35,000 up to $132,000 in prize money.

The 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic classes also welcome a new sponsor, as Hollow Creek Farm takes over presenting honors in 2018. The Hollow Creek Farm Championship Classic competitions are set to take place throughout the circuit at both PBIEC, Equestrian Village and on the Derby Field, culminating with a final class under the lights on Saturday, March 24 with the $132,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50m Championship Classic Final.

The season will also see a return of the prestigious Under 25 Grand Prix Series, this year presented by Hermès, showcasing the next generation of talent for five editions of competition. Hosted at both the PBIEC main grounds and at Equestrian Village, the Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix Series is sure to impress once again with many of the world’s top riders under the age of 25.

The Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, a profound philanthropic event hosted annually at PBIEC, is set for the evening of Saturday, Feb. 3. The GCC has raised more than $10.5 million for more than 250 Palm Beach County charities through a pro-am style relay race between teams of riders in costume. This year’s theme is “A Night Where Everyone’s a Star,” and teams will dress as their favorite iconic Hollywood movie characters. The winning team will present more than $150,000 to their paired charity, while all participating charities receive at least $15,000.

A continual crowd favorite, the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO 4*, featuring team format competition between riders representing their home countries, will be part of Saturday Night Lights on the evening of Saturday, March 3 during WEF 8. Last year, Team Ireland claimed top honors and went on to capture the coveted team gold at the FEI European Championships later in the season.

The $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Hunter Spectacular during WEF 6 draws eyes to an evening of beautiful hunter display, as riders competing for one of the discipline’s yearly top honors take to the International Ring for an evening of traditional and classic hunter competition. WEF 6 also features a varying group of hunter divisions competing in the International Ring throughout the week, while FEI CSI 3* jumper classes will take place at Equestrian Village.

WEF concludes on Sunday, April 1 with the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on the Derby Field to officially end the 12 weeks of the season. Top hunter riders will set out on the Derby Field in an attempt to capture the final major prize of the winter circuit. Spectators are encouraged to enjoy the final day of WEF from the berm on the Derby Field or on the adjacent grassy hill.

Palm Beach International Equestrian Center general admission is free to the public during the WEF circuit, which hosts competitions from Wednesday mornings through Sunday afternoons. Numerous vendors and shops are open throughout the circuit, showcasing items and products ranging from horse wear and tack to art, jewelry, fine clothing and emerging technologies.

The Saturday Night Lights competitions serve as the highlight class of the week for top international show jumpers and the most popular for spectators, and take place on each Saturday of the season beginning at 7 p.m. Family-friendly entertainment is offered throughout the evening, including live music, face painting, carousel rides, children’s activities and more.

For more information about the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and the Winter Equestrian Festival, visit www.pbiec.com.

There’s Plenty To Do At The Winter Equestrian Festival This Season

The Winter Equestrian Festival is the largest and longest-running circuit in the horse sport industry. The 12-week schedule offers a variety of competition for all ages and experience levels in the hunter, jumper and equitation divisions.

Beginning in January and concluding in April, WEF sees riders from more than 40 countries and all 50 U.S. states, competing for nearly $10 million in prize money. Simply put, there is a reason that it has been named the world’s premier winter equestrian event.

But WEF is not just an exceptional competition hub. It also provides many activities outside of the show ring throughout its 12 weeks.

From shopping and casual dining, to exhilarating entertainment and educational opportunities, WEF offers a unique experience for all those who come to visit.

Looking to purchase a new outfit for your night out on the town? Hoping to find the perfect birthday present for your non-equestrian boyfriend? Maybe you just need a new pair of boot socks. Whatever you are searching for, you’ll find it within the WEF shopping boutiques. More than 100 vendors occupy the show grounds each week, offering a wide variety of products, styles and sizes, spread across several locations at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Vendor Village hosts the majority of vendors in the center of the grounds. Be sure to also check out the boutiques located by the International Arena. Both areas have shopping that caters to equestrian and non-equestrian needs and range from luxury products to inexpensive merchandise. For those looking to commemorate their visit to the show grounds, the WEF Boutique offers clothing, posters and souvenirs with the popular WEF logo.

In addition to a multitude of shopping opportunities, WEF also has an abundance of food and drink options. If you are searching for a quick bite during the day, visit one of the on-site vendors offering everything from burgers and fries to salads and wraps.

A few fan favorites include Tito’s Tacos, a Mexican-style eatery with tacos, burritos, chips and salsa, and of course, margaritas. Another is the popular Oasis Café, located in Vendor Village. Oasis Café offers an assortment of fresh and light meals that can be ordered on-site or ahead of time by phone.

Guests can also sit down at the Tiki Hut to eat a delicious meal while overlooking competition in the International Arena. The Tiki Hut menu includes a variety of burgers and sandwiches, customized salads, grilled chicken and fish, and more. If you are looking for a more upscale dining experience, try out the White Horse Fashion Cuisine restaurant. Located by the main entrance to the show grounds, White Horse provides the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing and refreshing dinner with a wide range of food and drink choices.

No matter what type of food you are craving, there is something for everyone at WEF.

Of course, the main attraction at WEF is the high level of show jumping competition. And there is no better night to witness this exhilarating entertainment than on Saturday night. The Saturday Night Lights attraction has become a favorite for both competitors and spectators.

Beyond watching the best riders in the world, there are many activities for the whole family to enjoy. Pony rides, petting zoos and stilt-walkers are just a few of the many things you’ll see when you walk through the front gates at WEF on Saturday night, and it is all free to the general public.

But Saturday Night Lights is not just for the kids. Adults can have fun at one of the many bars located around the International Arena both during and after the Grand Prix. If you can only attend WEF one day a week, Saturday is the best choice.

Outside of the ring, the Winter Equestrian Festival continues to offer several learning experiences and activities. Come take a tour of the world-renowned facility followed by a catered lunch. Explore all 12 of the competition rings, the stabling area where horses prepare for competition and stroll through Vendor Village.

Maybe you would like to forgo the tour and participate in one of the Lunch & Learn events. Hosted weekly during WEF, the Lunch & Learn series provides educational platforms for horse enthusiasts to expand their knowledge on a variety of equine-related topics, including management and maintenance, horsemanship and care, as well as emerging technologies and treatment methods available in the equine veterinary industry. Admission is free for riders, trainers and owners, so come check it out while you are in town.

Whether staying for the entire 12 weeks of competition, or just passing through for a few days, there is plenty to do at the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival. You can witness the world’s best riders compete daily, dine at a variety of restaurants, shop until you drop, entertain the kids, enjoy an adults-only night out and learn more about various equine topics — all within the show grounds property.

For more information about the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, visit www.pbiec.com.