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.

 

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.

Equis Boutique A Fresh Take On Equestrian Fashion

By Lindsay Brock

With an ever-evolving eye for bringing European equestrian brands to North America, Equis Boutique co-founders César Hirsch and Elena Couttenye rang in 2017 with big plans. Their goal was to couple Equis Boutique’s success in show jumping circles with a move toward establishing a name for themselves within the dressage community.

Originally from Venezuela, both Hirsch and Couttenye now call Wellington home. Drawn by the thriving equestrian community here, they are international judges and horse sport enthusiasts themselves. Their latest equine-inspired endeavor, however, had them stumbling upon a successful business at the hands of the equestrian buyer.

Launched in 2014, Equis Boutique started by specializing in horse boots by Kentucky Horsewear. That quickly morphed into a much larger endeavor: curating luxury tack and apparel items from European countries and introducing them to the North American buyer. Their method of delivering to the consumer is via pop-up boutiques, which provide a mobile shopping experience at top horse shows throughout the United States.

The preliminary brands they chose to kick off the business quickly grew in popularity, proving that the market was ready for Equis Boutique’s vision. Hirsch prides himself in Equis Boutique not being an ordinary tack shop, and even coined the phrase “live the experience” as the boutique’s motto.

“We never wanted to become a tack shop,” Hirsch said. “Our goals were to collaborate with select high-end brands and offer a place where a rider can come to relax, be introduced to new products and have a pleasant experience, all while at horse shows.”

By introducing new products to the market, Equis Boutique quickly became known as the go-to mobile shop for brands including Dy’on, KASK, Kentucky Horsewear, Kingsland Equestrian, Manfredi Equestrian and Parlanti.

“North America was hungry for new brands and new ideas,” Hirsch said. “With every new brand, product or line we started carrying, we found more and more demand for quality and innovation among equestrians.”

Equis Boutique was an important player in helping brands like KASK and Parlanti, both based in Italy, break into the North American market. To that end, the boutique again welcomed two new brands to the 2017 line-up.

Euro-star, one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality equestrian sportswear in Germany, and Flex-on, innovative stirrups for equestrian sports based in France, are two new brands making their debut in Wellington this winter. With new merchandise in tow, Hirsch and Couttenye made another leap into new territory. Their pop-up boutique at the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival is the first-ever Equis Boutique location at a dressage event.

“We experienced such great success within the hunter/jumper community, but we knew there was an untapped customer base among dressage riders,” Hirsch said. “We are very excited to introduce the dressage industry to our approach to sales, as well as our brands.”

Embracing the fashion-forward trends spotted both in and out of the dressage show ring, Equis Boutique will carry the Manfredi Shadbelly with a customizable collar that includes options ranging from color variety to textures and prints. In addition, KASK has been widely accepted among dressage riders, thanks in part to its sponsorship of U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Steffen Peters. The helmet company blazed a trail into equestrian sport last year with a legacy of manufacturing protective headwear for downhill skiers and cyclists.

Equis Boutique is also doing its part to add a splash of color to the traditional riding apparel with a selection of breeches from Euro-star and Kingsland. Dressage riders can also indulge in comfort thanks to the boutique’s promotion of Parlanti dressage boots.

While the Equis Boutique name has become synonymous with top apparel for the rider, it also carries tack and accessories to keep any horse looking its best. From Kentucky Horsewear exercise and turnout boots, to quality dressage bridlework by Dy’on, the boutique has come full circle by dressing both horse and rider.

“We are very excited to set roots within the dressage industry and to hear from riders on what they look for in their tack and apparel choices,” Hirsch said. “Being at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival is the start of a new chapter for Equis Boutique, and it’s already an exciting one.”

Visit the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and stop by the Equis Boutique pop-up locations at the Winter Equestrian Festival and the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. For more information, visit www.equisboutique.com.

 

Get Healthy This Month With Help From Ultima Fitness And The Village Of Wellington

Story and Photo by Julie Unger

It’s time to lace up those walking shoes and pull up your calendar. Ultima Fitness & Wellness, arm-in-arm with the Village of Wellington, is providing extensive opportunities to get up and move during the Palm Healthcare Foundation’s fifth annual “Let’s Move: Commit to Change Physical Activity Challenge” throughout the month of March.

Let’s Move is a free program, modeled after a national campaign that former First Lady Michelle Obama started for people to get more active and eat more nutritious food. The Palm Healthcare Foundation challenges participants to be active at least 30 minutes each day.

Wellington Community Projects Manager Scott Campbell is looking forward to the kickoff event, which is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater on Saturday, March 4.

The Green Market at Wellington will also be going on at the same time, and residents will be able to walk over to the new Wellington Community Center to sign up for classes.

“What we’re really looking to do is show what the village and its partners have to offer in terms of physical activities,” Campbell said.

The focus, he explained, will also be introducing residents to various programs, events and activities that take place throughout the year organized by both the village and Ultima.

Last year, Wellington was one of 48 teams competing in the challenge, ending up in fifth place in the county for recorded activity.

“The whole point is to get people out and active within the community,” Campbell said. “We really want to enforce that mentality throughout the entire year, rather than just in March.”

Jill Merrell, owner of Ultima Fitness, is looking forward to being the fitness provider for Wellington and continuing to participate in this initiative. Ultima became involved in Let’s Move early, liked the program and partnered with the village to help expand it.

“Ultima’s goal is to see how we can help make our community be the healthiest community in the county,” Merrell said.

Ultima Fitness General Manager Jeffrey Keller is looking forward to welcoming Wellington residents who are not members, and encouraging those who are, during March’s special events.

“This is our fourth year doing Let’s Move. Each year it has gotten bigger and better. This year, we’re hoping to make it even more so,” Keller said.

From March 1 through March 7, Wellington residents can redeem a free guest week just by coming in to Ultima, located in the Wellington Plaza at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd.

Starting March 8, there will be special free guest days, complimentary martial fitness classes, barre classes, small group training classes and a taekwondo class. Spaces do need to be reserved for specific classes, he said.

“On each Saturday in March, those are free guest days as well,” Keller said. “So anyone can come in, utilize the facility and take these classes throughout the month. We want to encourage people to be active.”

To sign up for classes, call (561) 795-2823. To register with “Well Wellington,” the Ultima/Wellington team with the Palm Healthcare Foundation, visit www.letsmovepbc.org.

Let’s Move participants, who can also create their own teams, will visit the site regularly to log minutes once the month-long event begins.

Margaret Duprey Instills Importance Of Education Through Philanthropy

By Annan Hepner

For lifelong horsewoman Margaret Duprey, supporting charitable programs that align with her passion for education inspires her involvement not only in the equestrian industry, but in many international philanthropies.

Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, Duprey was immersed in the horse world from a young age. “I come from a family that owned racehorses throughout my childhood — horses are in my blood,” she explained.

Duprey, a Grand Prix dressage rider, owns and operates Cherry Knoll Farm, with locations in Wellington and West Grove, Pa. In addition to it being a haven for retired horses, the Pennsylvania location breeds Black Angus cattle that are nationally competitive and sought-after. Operated with the philosophy of “quality over quantity,” the farm is recognized in the market for its attention to premier genetics in the Black Angus it produces.

Since moving to Wellington 11 years ago from the west coast of Florida, Duprey has come to treasure the unique atmosphere of the world’s winter equestrian capital.

“I love that the winters are warm and Wellington has so much to offer,” she explained. “Wellington is an area where people from all over the world come to enjoy the best of horse sport. It has the ability to house all of these talented horses from different disciplines. It is always nice to watch the best riders train and show, and I enjoy watching great jumping.”

Besides her personal dressage endeavors, Duprey is involved at all levels of the sport, from importing high-quality young horses to train up through the levels to owning high-performance horses. She owns Beijing Olympic gold medalist Cedric and decorated grand prix show jumper Constable, both competed by Laura Kraut, as well as Rio Paralympic mount Schroeter’s Romani, ridden by Rebecca Hart. She is also a partner in a syndication for top international show jumper Andretti S.

“Watching my horses progress into Olympic athletes is a joy and a profoundly rewarding experience,” Duprey said. “It is every rider’s childhood dream to go to the Olympics. The only way you can go to the Olympics is to have horses of that caliber, so that was my goal. There was a point in my life when I realized I personally could not compete; however, I could help sponsor someone who could go to the Olympics and still be a part of the team.”

In addition to owning world-class equines, she has a deep passion for horses and the people involved with them. Duprey is an active board member for numerous organizations in the equine realm, as well as philanthropies with education initiatives.

In 2015, Duprey became Brooke USA’s first ambassador with the goal of taking international animal welfare to a new level and educating owners and laborers to take better care of their animals. Brooke USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of working animals all over the world.

“It is a great organization that educates people for the benefit of the animals — how to take care of them and educating people in the community,” she explained. “It’s being able to make a difference. By working directly with animal-owning communities and providing practical education, it comes full circle. Brooke USA is a charity that helps the animals and the people. No matter how well-educated, where you come from or how old you are, change is always hard. There is always going to be that resistance. Brooke USA approaches this challenge with strategy, education and proven techniques, which help those individuals build their own understanding. In turn, they have developed a sustainable program that is effective.”

Duprey has also given unwavering support to JustWorld International, a nonprofit based in Wellington, as well as the Caridad Center. As a graduate of Cabrini University in Radnor, Pa., she served on its board of trustees for numerous years, and now serves as a trustee for the United States Equestrian Team Foundation.

In addition to her contributions to various nonprofit organizations, she recently gifted Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa., a donation to enhance its veterinary medical technology (VMT) program. The new Equi-Assist program trains VMT students to provide horses the best veterinary care possible while they remain in their home to ease stress and make the recovery process more efficient.

“The program was launched last year and creates a team approach between the veterinarian, the vet tech, the owner and the groom to ensure that the horse receives the best care while recovering at home,” Duprey said. “It is something that is being well-received in all aspects of the equine industry.”

She plans to continue these efforts to help the horse community.

“When I choose philanthropies to support or design initiatives myself, I like to think outside of the box,” Duprey said. “I often select programs that are educational for the children or young adults because they are the ones who are the future of the sport and the community. They are the ones who are going to follow in our footsteps, and education at the lower level is important.”

To learn more about Margaret Duprey, visit www.cherryknollfarminc.com.

Wellington-Based Tota Comfort System A Leap Forward In Headgear For Horses

By Deborah Welky

Word is spreading quickly between barns, behind the scenes and along the sidelines at Wellington’s equestrian venues about the Tota Comfort System for horses. In less than a year, the nosebands and bridles designed by Charles Tota of the Dressage Connection have revolutionized tack that has been in use for thousands of years.

A rider himself, Tota grew up alongside a father, who was a master carpenter and “Italian perfectionist,” and he has been intrigued by design ever since he was a boy.

“Everything my father did had to be perfect, and that’s the way I look at things, too,” said Tota, already well-known in equestrian circles for his expertise with saddles. “No matter what it is, I want it to be better. I see so many products on the market that weren’t completed properly, where the stitching is not right, where I can see the shortcuts they’ve taken.”

In his Wellington shop, Tota carries only the highest quality products imported from Europe; saddles he designed, then commissioned from German craftsmen, and other equipment that he would put on his own horse.

Tota’s strong reputation is what prompted one frustrated Olympic rider to call him with a problem. The Olympian’s horse had developed such an aversion to its headgear that the mount could not be ridden.

“They were having tremendous issues with the pull and TMJ in the horse to the point where it resisted having its bridle put on. It had become tremendously sensitive,” Tota recalled. “I worked with the veterinarian, who showed me the medical diagram and explained what needed to be done regarding the facial nerves.”

He learned which parts of the horse’s face to stay away from.

“Now, we redesign bridles all the time, but this one took about a month and a half of different prototypes,” Tota said. “We kept fine-tuning it and modifying it and, over the course of the next six months, we came up with this whole new system.”

Necessity had, once again, become the mother of invention.

“Initially, we started out with just the noseband, trying to make the horse comfortable using the client’s existing bridle, but the functionality wasn’t working,” Tota explained. “That’s how we ended up designing an entire bridle line — the noseband, the bridle, the whole package. We submitted it to the FEI, and it was approved in under two weeks. They saw the medical background — it wasn’t a training gimmick or a wacko invention with a high-profile rider to sponsor it — it had medical guidance and approval.”

The Tota Comfort System works because its unique, contouring cheek piece relieves pressure along the poll and facial nerves of the horse. When traditional bridles put pressure on the poll and temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the natural connection between the horse’s mouth and the rider’s hands is hampered. The cheek piece, browband, crownpiece and throat latch all converge over the TMJ, and all of the equine facial nerves run parallel to the cheek pieces that connect the crown and browband to the noseband.

The Tota Comfort System noseband reduces poll pressure by eliminating the forward angle of traditional nosebands along the cheekbone, freeing the TMJ and facial nerves.

Inspired by the success of his new design, Tota began fitting and experimenting with the nosebands on horses around Wellington. The results were happier, more engaged athletes and major performance boosts for the horse-and-rider team.

While the noseband was intended to help relieve poll and facial pressure, it became clear that the curved cheek pieces and overall design simply provided a more comfortable bridle. In the past year, a number of top professionals and world-renowned trainers have embraced the Tota Comfort System. It has been called a “game-changer” by industry experts. Tota also noted that the testimonials on his web site were not solicited. He’s proud that he never gave any bridles away in exchange for an endorsement.

“I’m very proud that it was used in the Olympics. It stands on its own merits. It actually works,” Tota said. “And the horse’s size doesn’t matter, or whether it’s jumping or eventing. Riders of all disciplines are using the system with positive results… Considering last year was our first full year — for a product to come out and be in the Olympics and everywhere — it’s just exploding.”

The Dressage Connection, home of the Tota Comfort System, is located at 3500 Fairlane Farms Road, Suite 10, in Wellington. For more information, call (561) 790-7858 or visit www.thedressageconnection.com or www.totacomfortsystem.com.

 

Car Lover Scott Levinsohn’s Dream Is Driven To A Reality Of Success

Scott Levinsohn took a circuitous route to his career in the automobile industry. He and his father shared a passion for cars. Levinsohn’s love of cars developed as he watched his father collect them. He grew up around cars and always felt that he would eventually work in the automobile industry.

Scott Levinsohn took a circuitous route to his career in the automobile industry. He and his father shared a passion for cars. Levinsohn’s love of cars developed as he watched his father collect them. He grew up around cars and always felt that he would eventually work in the automobile industry.

“I always wanted to do something with cars, but I never knew what,” said Levinsohn, managing director of The Finest Automobile Auctions.

As the reality of life set in, Levinsohn put his passion aside to pursue a more grounded and financially secure path. After graduating from Hofstra University, Levinsohn worked as a financial adviser and wealth manager. However, a void was not being filled.

After six years, Levinsohn left the corporate financial industry and drove down an alternative career path in event-based marketing. While transitioning between a few different positions, Levinsohn concentrated mainly on luxury goods and specialized in the cross-branding of products and services using event-driven marketing. Levinsohn focused on partnerships, tie-ins and bringing products to the market.

Working in luxury goods led Levinsohn to the Wellington community, the equestrian capital of the world, which was unfamiliar territory for him. He had never been a part of a tight-knit community like Wellington.

“I loved doing events in Wellington because the community welcomed us and appreciated the quality of events we were producing,” he said. “We were selective in order to maintain the integrity of our brand. We were always very cognizant of how other brands are represented in accordance with ours because we worked together to achieve an experience.”

When in Wellington, Levinsohn and his team worked closely with and became familiar with the International Polo Club Palm Beach as they orchestrated Sunday polo VIP parties and sponsored a polo team each season.

“We organized many events in conjunction with IPC,” Levinsohn said. “While working and coordinating these events in Wellington, I learned a lot about the luxury space.  Most importantly, I learned how to put events together, produce them properly, showcase the products and the selection of sponsors.”

He developed an appreciation for the community. Its passion for horses reminded him of his passion for cars. The more time he spent in Wellington, the more Levinsohn saw similarities between the automotive and equestrian communities.

“They are all pursuits of passion,” he said. “We try to stress the importance of automobiles in people’s lives in a different capacity than just transportation. We want to convey the experience of owning them much as participating in polo is an experience and riding a horse is an experience… so there are correlations between them.”

After changing lanes and driving full-speed straight into the automobile industry, Levinsohn was brought onto The Finest’s team to pursue his passion as managing director, where he is responsible for overseeing all daily operations and event productions.

“How can I take a love of cars and turn it into a business?” he asked, just as he queried of himself. “I always loved cars but never knew what the end product would be. I knew it was going to be something with automotive events. The opportunity to work with cars wasn’t necessarily a dream but something really fun. Thankfully it turned into a successful, growing business.”

The Finest Automobile Auctions is a new auction house that focuses on delivering the finest experience for collector car enthusiasts and offers customized buying opportunities for onsite and online buyers.

“We believe that it is important to work together to achieve an experience, as this is seen through our live auctions,” Levinsohn explained. “We want to promote it as an experience for people, one that is enjoyable and unique, which sets us apart from other companies.”

The Finest will conduct quarterly online auctions. At this point in time, it is the only automotive auction house to engage collectors in this way. The company found an opening in the industry that it is well equipped to fill. “I have been very fortunate to work with a lot of very accomplished and intelligent people,” Levinsohn said. “No one person makes a successful event or company; it’s everyone you work with. I’m very humble in business, and I believe that we learn from everyone we come into contact with. I attribute the intelligence of the people around me to assisting us in becoming successful.”

Due to Levinsohn’s Wellington ties, a week before the Feb. 11 auction in Boca Raton, The Finest staged a preview event at The Patio at Polo. Levinsohn enjoyed the time he spent in Wellington so much that a few years ago, he purchased a house in the community.

For more information about the auction company, visit www.thefinest.com.

Xcelerate Wellington 2.0 Awards Grants To Coffee Roaster And Menswear Store

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

Amy and Scott Angelo of Oceana Coffee wowed a four-judge panel at Xcelerate Wellington 2.0, a special entrepreneurship event hosted by the Young Professionals of Wellington on Jan. 25 at the Wanderers Club.

Oceana Coffee edged out runner-up Aquaco Farms and finalists AllerCheck and Direct Dispatch.

After presenting their company, winning the grant was a milestone accomplishment for the Oceana Coffee owners. “We were surprised and kind of overwhelmed, but it definitely makes you feel validated in what you’re doing and that you’re on the right track with your business. It’s an amazing achievement,” Amy said. “We’re super passionate about the product and where it comes from. We’re all about the coffee.”

Judges Tre Zimmerman of Ubicquia and Wellington Regional Medical Center CEO Robbin Lee were impressed with the company. Lee felt that the owners showed entrepreneurial drive and epitomized the American spirit. Zimmerman looked for scalability and sustainability with the business model and where the $10,000 grant would have the greatest impact.

“We weren’t looking at it as awarding a prize,” Zimmerman said. “Where would we put our money? That was where we all agreed. If we were going to place our own personal capital into funding and growing a business, it was going to be the coffee business.”

Working with groups such as the Young Professionals also helps them refine their pitch, Scott said, which, as the company grows, will help them when approaching larger investors.

The grant will help toward opening at kiosk at 189 Bradley Place on Palm Beach and is also helping with a new cold-brew program. “We have our ready-to-drink cold brew in cans, and also in bottles coming,” Amy said.

Growing the company and reaching as many people as they can, as well as opening the new location, is what Amy is looking forward to in the coming months. They already have two locations in Tequesta — one with a roasting facility and a café, and the other with a café and a rentable conference room, in addition to approximately 60 wholesale clients in Palm Beach, Martin and Broward counties.

Roasting and grinding their own coffee, the company hopes to change the way people enjoy and drink coffee.

“It was a selfish necessity,” said Scott, who is from Australia. “I couldn’t find any coffee here that was good enough for me to drink, or that I really enjoyed.”

Scott realized that creating specialty coffee was a passion that would change his future. “The whole landscape of coffee is changing quite dramatically. Florida is probably a long way behind the rest of the country,” he said. “For me, it’s like a fine red wine. There’s wines you can just go and drink for the sake of drinking, or there are wines that you can certainly really enjoy.”

Each coffee that they roast, they know the farmer and the best way to roast the beans.

“People are learning and catching up to the fact that coffee’s not just a brown liquid — it’s something to enjoy and to find our own flavor,” he said.

Oceana Coffee is available for order online and ships around the world. Wholesale partners, such as local bakers, candy makers, chocolatiers and other vendors, are welcome to contact the company for more information.

“We’re always bringing in new products. Everything that we have is made locally,” Amy said. “It is a higher-end product. It is luxurious, but it’s not out of reach. It’s something that anybody can experience.”

Learn more about the company at http://oceanacoffee.com.

Also winning at Xcelerate Wellington 2.0 was Wellington businessman Henry Mosley of HNM Menswear.

Mosley’s pitch to the audience, including that HNM offers a uniquely large necktie collection, won him the “Homegrown” People’s Choice Award, a $2,000 grant. Other candidates were the Med Writers and Rich Oak Vineyards.

“It was a great opportunity,” Mosley said. “I was very excited.”

HNM Menswear epitomizes the evolution of fashion, working to style men — including those wearing big and tall sizes — for a night on the town, polo, special events, an anniversary or casual everyday wear.

The grant will allow Mosley to continue growing his business, increase his inventory to keep styles up-to-date and increase his marketing and advertising to let men in the community know that HNM Menswear is here and ready to help.

Mosley’s personal touch, rather than a major retailer, makes a huge difference.

“When guys come to me, they get my personal service. I pay attention to the details,” he said. “I look at things such as what colors light them up… I pay attention to the colors that they like, the styles that they like. With me, every time you come, you’ll see the same guy.”

He also tracks what is purchased, allowing customers to avoid unintentionally buying duplicates and making it easier to add complementary items.

“You have to put the right colors together that complement their skin tone, their height, their size and their weight,” Mosely explained.

Lee was impressed with how Mosley offers both a service as well as a product. HNM Menswear is a local, growth-stimulating company with entrepreneurial spirit, and that is what impressed Zimmerman most.

For more information, visit www.hnmmenswear.com.

Xcelerate 2.0 presenting sponsor the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center made both the event and the $10,000 grant possible, while the “Homegrown” award, presented by TD Bank and CBIZ, included a $2,000 grant and business assistance from Anidea Engineering, CRGO Law, RM5 Design and Peter Marcus Coaching. Learn more about the Young Professionals at www.ypwellington.com.