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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

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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.

 

 

 

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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

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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.

 

 

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Growth Of Dressage Festival Serves As Biggest Reward For Dedicated Sponsors

Growth Of Dressage Festival Serves As Biggest Reward For Dedicated Sponsors

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) has grown into one of the most renowned dressage circuits in the world. Now in its sixth season, it has surpassed expectations and continues to draw riders of diverse nationalities to Wellington for the winter season. This year’s AGDF competition began Jan. 12 and continues through Saturday, March 25 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s Equestrian Village site on South Shore Blvd.

Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) returns as the title sponsor for the entire circuit, serving as one of the most influential sponsors and supporters of the sport in the past decade. The commitment that Adequan has displayed to the sport of dressage has revolutionized the popularity and interest in the sport, helping to make Wellington one of the most iconic destinations for dressage.

The first week of the festival (Jan. 12-15) welcomed AMCI Group in benefit of Brooke USA as title sponsors of the week’s CDI-W competition. AGDF 1 was the first of four highly anticipated FEI World Cup Qualifiers. The 2017 FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha, Neb., is one of the only major championship-caliber competitions of the calendar year. Mtica Farm, an original AGDF founding sponsor, presented the FEI Grand Prix and FEI Grand Prix Special.

Alongside the seven FEI CDI weeks, the AGDF is proud to welcome back para-equestrians, hosting two CPEDI 3* events during the 2017 season. The first CPEDI 3*, presented by Mission Control, Mane Stream, courtesy of Rowan O’Riley, Nutrena and Adequan, offered competitors the opportunity to compete Jan. 20-22 at the Stadium, in preparation of the atmosphere horse and rider combinations will face in major championships around the world. The second CPEDI 3* of the season will be hosted March 9-12.

CDI-W competition returned to the venue during AGDF 3, held Jan. 26-29, as the U.S. PRE Association presented the second Friday Night Stars FEI Grand Prix Freestyle of the season, while Yeguada de Ymas sponsored the FEI Grand Prix and FEI Grand Prix Special. Chesapeake Dressage Institute recognized combinations as the week’s FEI Small Tour presenting sponsor.

Serving as one of the annual highlights of the AGDF season, the only CDI 5* hosted in North America graced the grounds Feb. 8-12 and featured CDI 3* and CDI 1* competition. The CDI 5* was presented by Diamante Farms, while Wellington Equestrian Realty presented the CDI 3*, which ran simultaneously throughout the weekend. The Small Tour had Engel & Völkers lead as presenting sponsor.

AGDF 7 was another CDI-W, presented Feb. 22-26 by the Axel Johnson Group. The Axel Johnson Group sponsored all three large tour classes, including the FEI Grand Prix, FEI Grand Prix Freestyle and FEI Grand Prix Special. Wellington Regional Medical Center had presenting honors of the FEI Small Tour during the week.

The historic Palm Beach Derby CDI-W will be held March 2-5. The fourth and final FEI World Cup Qualifier, the derby is a staple of the circuit for the dressage community. Everglades Dressage presents the week of competition and the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, while Peacock Ridge is set to take presenting honors for the FEI Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center will sponsor FEI Small Tour competition for the week.

Havensafe Farm will honor riders during the AGDF 10 CDI 4* set for March 15-19, presenting both the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, as well as the FEI Grand Prix and FEI Grand Prix Special. The Dutta Corporation will recognize combinations competing in the CDI 3*, which will run in conjunction with the CDI 4* during the week. CaptiveOne, a new sponsor this season, will honor riders as the Small Tour presenting sponsor.

The 2017 AGDF season will be capped with the Nations Cup, a team competition where riders represent their home country, presented by Stillpoint Farm. The FEI Nations Cup at the AGDF is the only team competition in North America or South America for dressage riders outside of championships. The week will also feature the first Under 25 Nations Cup competition to be hosted outside of Europe. Harmony Sporthorses will present the CDI 3*, while Yellow Bird Farm will present the FEI Small Tour to conclude competition.

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival would not be possible without the continued and dedicated support of the sponsors that help to make the annual circuit one of the most successful dressage competition destinations in the world.

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Feature Stories

Horses A Lifesaver For Dressage Lover Ann Romney

Horses A Lifesaver For Dressage Lover Ann Romney

By Deborah Welky

All of us have that one special something that elevates our spirits and makes us happy. For Ann Romney, that special something is the always-challenging sport of dressage. You can hear it in her voice.

“I had the best ride of my life today!” Romney enthused, unbidden. “There’s no one happier on the planet than me today! It’s like I won the lottery, and all I did was have a good ride on one horse.”

A breakthrough? Perhaps.

“He’s been tricky for me to learn how to ride, but I’m learning to figure him out, and he’s learning to figure me out,” she said of her current mount.

If you ride, you know that joy. It was a joy that Romney, however, had lost for a time.

“I rode as a kid,” Romney recalled. “I galloped around bareback and had a great time. But when I was 16, I started dating and moved away from horses. In fact, I see this as kind of a common pattern in girls of that age.”

Fast-forward through college at Brigham Young University, marriage to high school sweetheart Mitt (the former governor of Massachusetts and Republican U.S. presidential nominee in 2012) and the raising of five boys. Horses remained on the back burner almost out of necessity. But Ann’s athletic side would not be denied.

“I played tennis when my kids were young,” she said. “I could get out of the house and be athletic. I had a friend with whom I could play tournament tennis, and it was a great social and physical outlet for me. It kept me sane while I was raising all those boys.”

It was a health crisis that eventually led her back to her equestrian roots.

“Just before I turned 50, I started getting sick,” Romney said. “It took a few months to diagnose, but I was losing function very quickly. I lost feeling in my right leg and half my torso. But worse than that was the unremitting fatigue.”

When the diagnose finally came, it was not good. Ann Romney had multiple sclerosis (MS).

“It was sobering,” Ann recalled. “Mitt was with me, and we both cried. Then he said, ‘Ann, we’re in this together.’ And that’s the name of my book — In This Together: My Story. In life, we think we can do it by ourselves, but when we hit the bumpy road, we need emotional support. We need to learn how to put one foot in front of the other and find joy.”

In addition to providing emotional support to readers struggling with overwhelming health issues, Ann supports the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (www.bwhannromneycenter.org), which works to accelerate treatments, prevention and cures for the world’s most complex neurologic diseases: multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and brain tumors.

“MS has two stages,” she explained. “It can be relaxing-and-remitting where you’ll get attacked and then go into remission, or it can be progressive, where you get weaker and worse. MS is very treatable for some people. People can stay in relaxing-and-remitting. Or they can go into remission permanently, like I did. The medications are getting way more targeted. However, once you’re progressive, there’s no drug for that.”

Not yet, but Romney is working on it.

At the time, however, she looked to her future and didn’t like what she saw: “I thought: ‘Oh dear, this is not going well. My life is over. I’d better go do some things that I love.’”

That’s when she started riding again.

“I mistakenly fell into dressage,” Romney said. “I didn’t want to start jumping, weak as I was, and I thought, ‘This sport can’t be all that hard to learn.’”

Knowing what she does now, she laughed. “I had no idea what I was doing,” Romney said.

The year was 1998 — right about the time her husband took over control of organizing the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

“We went west, and I reinvented life. I couldn’t ride for long because I was so weak but, after I did, I’d have energy for about a half hour or so. And I continued to get stronger! Not physically stronger, but I had more energy,” she recalled. “I was on IV steroids — very aggressive — but through the combination of drugs and riding, I got my energy back.”

For close to three years, all Romney did was get out of bed, ride her horses and go back to bed.

–“The horses were my healing partners and my joy,” she said. “The fact that it was difficult was intriguing; that each of the partners had a different personality; that one could do a beautiful half-pass and the next one struggled with it. It’s always hard, always intriguing.”

Once she was back in good health, riding took on another purpose. As involved with dressage as she is now, riding served as a welcome escape during the years Ann spent on the campaign trail alongside her husband, first in his successful bid for governor of Massachusetts, and then in his two unsuccessful bids for the presidency.

“I didn’t ride very much then and, when I would, it was just to get my mental health back,” Ann said. “The campaign workers knew when I would get overly fatigued. Everybody knew that I had to get to the horses. It was like watering a flower if I had a few days with them. But I couldn’t compete. It was more of a ‘get to the barn, get dirty’ break.”

She’s not the only one who rides, by the way.

“Mitt rides. We had trail horses. But he gets on, and it’s more of a ‘let’s see how fast we can go’ thing. But he’s very supportive. He watches me go in 20-meter circles, and he can’t figure out the intrigue, but it works for me.” Romney said.

She enjoys riding so much that, when her horse Rafalca earned a spot at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she just had one regret — she wasn’t the rider. That honor went to Rafalca’s co-owner, Jan Ebeling.

“When it comes to the Olympics, it’s fun to watch the best horses and riders in the world, but then I’m thinking, ‘OK, put me on!’ That’s just where I come from. I enjoy competing more than watching,” she said. “I had good success in Wellington last year.”

Indeed. At the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, Romney placed first with her horse Donatello in the FEI Intermediate II, then was honored as “Premier Equestrian” for the week by Premier Equestrian, an arena and footing company, for demonstrating “exemplary sportsmanship and admirable qualities.” While in town, she also held a book signing for her fans. Her book details how equine therapy and dressage helped her in her recovery.

She was back in Wellington this season as well. While dressage was on the agenda, Romney was also the featured speaker at the Feb. 2 installment of the Lunch & Learn series at WEF.

Last fall, Romney guided Donatello, a Hanoverian gelding, to victory with a 62.171 percent in the Intermediate 2 Adult Amateur Championship class at the 49th Annual California Dressage Society Annual Championship Show and GAIG/United States Dressage Federation Region 7 Championships in Burbank.

“I’ve really got that horse put together,” Romney said with pride. “For an amateur, I’ve climbed the mountain. ‘So aren’t you done?’ Mitt asks. But you always have the hope that you never have to quit. You never want to quit.”

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Dressage4Kids Winter Intensive Training Program Advances Young, Up-And-Coming Dressage Riders

Dressage4Kids Winter Intensive Training Program Advances Young, Up-And-Coming Dressage Riders

By Emma Miller

For many equestrians around the world, training in Wellington is a far-off dream. But for 14 youth riders, their dream was granted after being selected to participate in Dressage4Kids’ Winter Intensive Training Program.

Running from January through March, the program provides opportunities for young riders to participate in consistent and extensive training not only in riding, but in all areas of horse care, training and competition. Each day has a full schedule of learning, which includes fitness, dressage theory, horsemanship tests, riding lessons, field trips and lectures on many pertinent subjects.

Designed by two-time Olympian and United States Dressage Federation Hall of Fame inductee Lendon Gray, the Winter Intensive Training Program is designed for young dressage riders aiming to enhance their education and riding skills in a structured setting. The program started in 2012 and gives its students first-hand experience and exposure to the rich equestrian culture of Wellington. Since the Adequan Global Dressage Festival is nearby, participants have the option to compete in weekly shows if they wish.

“I wanted to create a program where the riders are getting as full an education as they can,” Gray said. “Fitness is part of it, and they get a lecture or a field trip every day. If you’re a working student, you may get to ride more, but are you getting the fitness and all of the other knowledge about the equestrian industry?”

Ranging from ages 11 to 19, the 14 youth riders who were accepted into the program either bring their horse to Wellington’s Hampton Green Farm or they can acquire a mount to lease for the season.

The participants adhere to an intense daily schedule that includes barn chores and caring for their horses, as well as the facility, before they begin their exercise program and lessons with Gray, Liz Caron, Stephanie Beamer and Anna Buffini. After the morning session, the riders attend educational lectures such as sports psychology, saddle fitting, how to acquire sponsorships and media training, in addition to balancing their own academic work.

“I try to expose them to as much in the horse world as possible,” Gray explained. “That’s what makes Wellington so special. I want to make it possible for as many kids [as are able] to participate. Very few of the kids are financially able to do whatever they want, so they fundraise to be able to participate. None of it would be possible without the support of Kim Van Kampen — it would just be way out of their price range. With her generosity, we are able to keep our expenses down.”

Leah Tenny of Maine explained what she sees as the most valuable aspects of the program. “The opportunities and the people we are being exposed to are really amazing,” she said. “Being immersed in these surroundings is really helpful for developing our riding.”

She also praised the physical-fitness component of the program’s daily routine. “One of my favorite parts has been the fitness,” she said. “We’re all getting really strong!”

Many of the students balance their academic work with their busy days of dressage education. Tessa Holloran, 12, from Massachusetts, participates in remote schooling while in Wellington —  completing learning packets from her teachers while schooling First Level with a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare.

“I love that you’re allowed to make choices about training and showing, and who you can ride with,” Holloran said. “All of the lectures are different and very helpful. We had an opportunity to go to the FEI-Level Trainers Conference, which we learned a lot from.”

Kendall Cox from St. Louis explained the value of the experience they are gaining in Wellington. “I love the Winter Intensive Training Program,” she said. “Riding one-on-one every day — you can have private, semi-private or group lessons, and we have four trainers. We get lessons every day from top people.”

Cox is leasing a horse while participating in the program, schooling at the Prix St. Georges level with hopes of competing in the FEI Young Rider division later in the season. Following the program, she aims to secure a working student position in the Wellington area before attending the University of Findlay in Ohio in the fall, where she plans to double-major in psychology and equine studies.

Throughout the duration of the program, the students have been welcomed into top-notch facilities to observe world-class training from Grand Prix trainers, including Catherine Haddad Staller, Alison Brock, David Marcus and Nicholas Fyffe.

In January, Marcus Fyffe Dressage hosted the young riders for a tour of the facility and an interactive clinic where they were able to ask questions as Marcus rode a developing young horse and Fyffe taught a lesson.

“This program did not exist when I was a child, and it’s something I would have killed to have been a part of,” Fyffe said. “I love to support the program because we will see in the future that these kids coming through the program are turning into talented and successful riders. It’s developing the sport at the baseline in this country.”

For more information about the Dressage 4Kids Winter Intensive Training Program, visit www.dressage4kids.org. Training Program.

 

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A Mutual Love Of Horses Brings The Dutta Family Together

A Mutual Love Of Horses Brings The Dutta Family Together

 Story and Photos By Julie Unger

The Dutta family is well-known in the equestrian world. Susan Dutta — most know her as Susie — is an international dressage rider, while her husband Tim and son Timmy both play polo.

The Dutta family is well-known in the equestrian world.

Susan Dutta — most know her as Susie — is an international dressage rider, while her husband Tim and son Timmy both play polo.

“We’re a family that is truly all about horses — and all about each other,” Susie said.

While the family business is transporting horses through the Dutta Corp., working with horses is a passion for the family.

“I’m not only a rider, but a mother and a wife. That’s also really important to me. I love my family. I love my horses. It’s not a business for me. It’s 100 percent a high-end hobby that I am really passionate about,” Susie said. “I love the sport and competing. I love the horse show. I get up in the morning to go to the barn to get ready to go to shows. I really enjoy that. I love the day-to-day stuff. I’m still a girl who loves horses. You can’t lose that. You have to love to give them treats. You have to love to play with them.”

Her love affair with riding began at a young age.

“I started my dressage with my first pony. I was around other event riders, and I would lengthen my stirrups and pretend I was doing their dressage part, which was part of eventing,” Susie recalled. “I was first an event rider. I rode up to the advanced level. When I was finished with young riders, I realized that I needed to find something in the equestrian sports that I knew I could carry on with, but I wasn’t going to be a top, top event rider. I switched to dressage when I was 21. I did my first Grand Prix, I think, when I was 24, so I’ve been doing it a long time.”

Though dressage is typically explained to non-equestrians as “ballet on horseback,” Susie explains dressage as more like working with horses that dance.

“You have an extremely fine-tuned, trained animal,” she said. “Using small aids with your body, you train them to do all sorts of different movements. It’s taking training a horse to the ultimate level.”

Her hard work and dedication has paid off.

Currency DC, Susie’s primary Grand Prix horse, has traveled and competed around the world. As he gets older, she is looking to bring two of her other horses into higher-level competition — Figeac DC and Dimacci DC. Some of Susie’s competitive goals this year are to bring these less-experienced mounts into the small tour internationally, and bring one into Grand Prix competition by the end of the year.

Susie competes internationally in some of the biggest dressage shows at Aachen, Hickstead, Falsterbo and Rotterdam. “Any good rider dreams of these shows,” she said.

Based in Wellington, Susie trains at Stillpoint Farm. In the off season, she is happy to have the opportunity to travel to Europe and ride shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best riders in the world. Each summer, the Dutta family gets on a plane, with Tim and Timmy coming to Susie’s shows to lend their support.

“The three of us together are a force to be reckoned with,” she said. “I really believe that. We’re a power family. We support each other, and we pool together our resources.”

A native of India, Tim chased his dreams when he came to the U.S. for a summer vacation when he was 17 years old. Thirty-four years later, he’s still living that dream. He and Susie met at Dressage at Devon in 1992 and have been together ever since.

“I was always interested in dressage as a kid growing up,” Tim recalled. “Dressage to me; anybody who rides horses is dressage. We do dressage with our polo ponies every day.”

Though Tim and Timmy took up playing polo three years ago — they’re now playing full-force — Tim has been a rider his whole life.

“He rode in India,” Susie said. “His father was a rider in the army, and he got a chance to ride horses. He has competed in a lot of disciplines: eventing, show jumping, polo, so he had a huge equestrian background. He has been my driving force. He has always been not only my sponsor, but the person who drove me to become better. You need someone like that behind you.”

For the Duttas, raising a horse and training it is a challenge they not only enjoy but also seek out.

“My favorite thing about the sport is making my own horses — buying a young horse and training it,” Susie said. “I think that’s the most rewarding thing, training them myself and getting them to the top level. I love to compete. I live to compete… There’s nothing else I’d rather do.”

Tim and Timmy have worked together to build their polo string, enjoying training their horses along the way.

“That will be our core focus eventually, to start with embryos and produce champions. We love the journey of training horses,” Tim said. “We love buying young horses — we only buy young horses, and we make them. This is our journey, and it’s the journey and not the destination. But we keep the destination very much in focus.”

Though Tim and Timmy don’t compete in dressage, they utilize various movements that horses and riders are judged on in dressage when playing polo.

“Anybody who rides horses is dressage. It’s riding and training a horse,” Tim explained. “Dressage is training a horse step by step, having control, having submission, having the horse totally believe in you, in your aids. In the end, grand prix dressage is the highest level of collection a horse can have… The beautiful art of dressage is seamless communication. It’s man and horse becoming one.”

That relationship, with mutual respect, is important.

“You cannot force a horse to do anything; it’s not possible,” Tim said, explaining that their horses want to do the work with them.

For Susie, the connection with her horses is apparent in how they interact with her, coming over for scratches and cuddles, watching her to see what she is going to do.

“I’ve tried to pass that on to Timmy,” she said. “Tim already had that. He’s the only polo player out there kissing his horses before he gets on.”

“You might pet yours, but daddy kisses his,” she said to Timmy, who at 15 years old has had the opportunity to travel internationally and support his mother at horse shows.

For Timmy, horses are central to the family.

“Loving horses is what brings us together,” he said. “What really has made us special in the horse community is that my father made his business and made the family about horses. He came to this country and built his love, which is horses, on the business, which is shipping horses. The reason he’s the best is because that’s what he loves, and the reason my mother is so good at what she does in dressage is because she loves it, and if you don’t love the sport, then you’re not going to win.”

Unique to their family, Timmy said, is that if they’re doing something wrong on a horse, they’ll mention the problem and figure out a solution to fix it. Most people will just say you did something wrong, without explaining how to fix it, he said.

“In equestrian sports, it’s a lot of hard work,” Susie added. “It has got to be your passion. It has got to be something that you love more than anything, because the work that you put into it is tremendous. It has to come from the heart, not the pocketbook. It can’t be money. You have to be crazy for it.”

Giving back is also important to the family, Tim explained. They support dressage, jumping and polo, and always give back to the sport, whether it is through sponsoring Dutta Show Stables, the U.S. Dressage Team, the American Gold Cup, the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the Winter Equestrian Festival or the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International in Maryland, they’re happy to help the sport that stole their hearts.

“I come from a country that believes in giving back to children,” Tim said. “We always give back to the sport.”

To learn more about the Duttas and their family business, visit www.timdutta.com.

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