Celebrate Saturday Night Lights At The Winter Equestrian Festival

Every Saturday night at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, members of the local community are invited to attend the Saturday Night Lights events at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

The 12-week WEF circuit features top horses and riders from around the world competing five days a week at PBIEC, with the best of the best contesting the most challenging obstacles each Saturday night under the lights in the International Arena.

Complementing each week’s action-packed competition, Saturday Night Lights features live music, a variety of performers, shopping, dining and more. Every Saturday night through April 1, PBIEC is the place to be in Wellington.

Equestrian Sport Productions, the management company that produces the Winter Equestrian Festival, welcomes all Wellington-area residents to come and experience the nightlife and thrilling sport. Always family-friendly, Saturday Night Lights features a kids’ fair with a Venetian carousel, bounce houses, face painting, pony rides, magicians, a petting zoo and more.

Prior to the start of competition, each week features members of a different Wellington school showcasing their talents, from singing to dancing, as well as a performance of the national anthem. Wellington Councilwoman Tanya Siskind, who is just wrapping up six years as president of the Binks Forest Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association, enjoys how WEF has brought the community together through Saturday Night Lights.

“I think it has been fabulous to bring the children and their families out to the horse show,” Siskind said. “The Saturday night events really engage the schools and the whole community. I think there were a lot of people who had lived in Wellington their whole lives and never gone out to the showgrounds because they thought they had to be a rider or be involved in the sport.”

She thanked the horse show promoters for working to really engage the whole community. “We have this wonderful facility right in our back yard, and a lot of people started going out there more often,” Siskind noted. “[A Saturday night event] is a really great way for the schools to fundraise and showcase the students and their talents, and it is great for other people who attend these events regularly and are able to see how great the Wellington schools are and what they have to offer. I think it is a win-win event for everyone.”

In addition to her involvement through the school, Siskind’s daughter rides and shows at WEF and trains at the Palm Beach Riding Academy, which is based at PBIEC. They look forward to another successful WEF season.

Also part of the pre-competition fun and community involvement each Saturday night, local dog rescues are given the opportunity to set up at the entrance to the show grounds, where everyone can meet the adorable pups that they have up for adoption. The dogs and their handlers then parade around the arena for the entire crowd to see with hopes of finding those and other dogs their forever homes.

Another fantastic initiative designed to engage the Wellington community is this year’s new Animated Ringside Chalk Art Festival, honoring young talent and Palm Beach County philanthropy, on Saturday, Feb. 4, as part of the festivities for the Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments. Each Wellington school will be provided with a 4-foot by 6-foot giant chalkboard, along with pastel chalk supplies. The theme of the night is “Animated Characters for Philanthropy.”

Students and their art teachers will have from 2 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 4 to bring their creations to life on the PBIEC grounds. Awards for Most Original, Most Inspiring, Best Representation of the Theme and Best Overall will be awarded that evening. Each school’s art department is guaranteed a minimum of a $1,000 donation for taking part in this initiative.

While Saturday nights at WEF offer lots of fun activities for children and their families, the nightlife is also not to be missed for guests 21 and over. Those making it a night out without kids can enjoy margaritas from Tito’s Tacos or beer and other cocktails at the Tiki Hut.

The Gallery Night Club at PBIEC also offers a stylish modern lounge that is open to the public every Saturday night with table seating and VIP bottle service available. The club features great DJs and dancing following every Saturday Night Lights competition.

Put Saturday Night Lights at WEF on your to-do list this winter. General admission is free, and parking is $20 per car. Find a full schedule and more information at www.pbiec.com.

The Torano Family: United By Horses And At Home In Wellington

By Lauren Fisher

The husband-and-wife team of Jimmy and Danielle Torano has been a staple of the Winter Equestrian Festival and the South Florida equestrian scene for decades.

Jimmy grew up in Miami, riding with his mother as a child and competing in the hunter/jumper ranks as a junior with top trainer Don Stewart. At the age of 18, he turned professional and began working as a rider and trainer at Palm Beach Polo & Country Club.

Several years later, Jimmy met Danielle Laurenzo when she came to train at the facility in her final junior year. Danielle started at a young age as well, riding with Leslie (Burr) Howard, before meeting Jimmy in 1990. While Jimmy was training Danielle, the pair also began dating. They became engaged in 1993 and married in 1995.

During this time, Jimmy decided to start his own business, and JET Show Stables found its home base at Danielle’s family farm in Fort Lauderdale. Jimmy and Danielle have since ridden at the Winter Equestrian Festival every season, making the commute from Fort Lauderdale for years, until recently moving to a new facility here in Wellington.

That makes the busy show days much easier, which is now a necessity as the couple also has two children who keep them constantly on the go.

In 2006, daughter Natalia was born, and in 2010, Jimmy Jr., or “JJ,” followed. Each child sat on the back of a pony before they could even walk, competing in the leadline division at WEF as babies, and developing an immediate love of the family sport. Now 10 years old, Natalia is showing this year in the Children’s Ponies, while JJ, at 6, hopes to move up to the Short Stirrup.

The Torano family lives right down the street from the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington’s Equestrian Club. This December, the Toranos celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary, and the couple heads into the 2017 show season with the whole family ready to compete.

“It is so convenient when everything is right here,” Danielle said of the kids growing up at WEF. “They look forward to going to the show, and even when they are not riding, they like being around and hanging out with their friends. This is a huge part of our life, and we are thankful that it is right near our home.”

The winter season is always a busy time for the family.

“I think it is busier than it has ever been in recent years,” Danielle said. “We always look forward to the WEF circuit. At one point we did not do customers; we just had sale horses, so that was a big deal to have horses ready at that time of the year so that people could look at them. Now we do both the sale horses and customers, so WEF is definitely a focal point of our year.”

Jimmy agreed.

“Now that we have a farm here in Wellington, showing at WEF is way more convenient. We are already bursting at the seams with horses. Every day we get calls. We have a lot of new clients and new horses,” he said. “I am riding some outside horses; Danielle and I are both doing the grand prix events; and now the kids are riding, so it is going to be a very busy winter for us. I have been helping the kids at home, and I try to come and watch them and be supportive when they are showing. It is fun having them ride; they seem to be enjoying it.”

A typical day for the Torano family in Wellington is always on the move. During the week, Jimmy is at the showgrounds Tuesday through Sunday, “pretty much sunrise to sunset,” Danielle said. The busy mom is in and out during the week. She rides in the morning and shows during the day, but always tries to be done in time to pick the kids up from school. She then spends the evenings running them around to different activities, and when Jimmy is done for the day, he joins in on the fun.

“The kids are involved in so many things, so they keep us on the move,” Danielle said. “My son plays baseball and basketball, and my daughter does ice skating and ballet, so they are pretty busy. I am the chauffeur. After 2 o’clock comes, I am in the car driving them around.”

On the weekends, it is all about the horse show. With their close home location, the kids are able to ride and then come and go during the days, but when they do not have other activities, the family is at the farm and showgrounds for the duration of Saturday and Sunday.

“Normally, we have around 25 horses in our stable, and they all alternate in and out to show, and then Jimmy has some outside customers that he helps,” Danielle explained. “Then he has a lot of catch rides this time of year in the hunters and jumpers. He has had days where he has ridden more than 20 horses in one day. Don’t ask me how — I couldn’t do it!”

The couple also has fun competing together in some of the same classes and enjoys the friendly competition and support.

“I actually prefer it now when we are both competing in a class,” Danielle said. “It feels like it takes the pressure off of one of us because we kind of have two shots. There have been a couple of times Jimmy hasn’t shown, and I hate it. Then all of the pressure is on me to win some money! We have been showing together for so long. It has definitely been a journey, but we much prefer to do it together.”

While any equestrian will tell you that horses take up most of their time, and any parent will say that kids do the same, Jimmy and Danielle still find time for themselves. Danielle took up tennis four years ago, and the couple enjoys playing every Monday. They also stay in shape with cardio workouts on Mondays and Tuesdays with some fellow equestrians.

During the summers, JET Show Stables is based in Mohrsville, Pa., and the horses are trucked up there in May to compete at the top Northeast venues. Danielle stays in Wellington until the school year is over for the kids, and they join Jimmy up north for the remainder of the season.

As an equestrian family, traveling is a major part of the lifestyle, but for at least part of the year, the Torano family get to stay home in Wellington. The Winter Equestrian Festival unites the family’s love of horses, with competition for every level at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

World’s Top Equestrians Return To Wellington For The 38th Annual Winter Equestrian Festival

The 38th annual Winter Equestrian Festival has returned to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington for 12 weeks of world-class equestrian competition. The largest and longest-running equestrian circuit in the world, WEF awards more than $9 million in prize money and offers unrivaled opportunities for international show jumpers to earn valuable FEI World Ranking points.

The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is home to the season’s major events. It encompasses a total of 500 acres, with competition rings alone covering more than 80 acres. PBIEC has two core facilities containing 18 competition arenas, including a grass jumping field and the largest covered arena in the world.

Making the event unique, WEF hosts more than 70 different divisions for competitors of every level, from leadline to Olympic-level show jumping. Children, juniors, adults, amateurs and professional riders of every age, from 43 countries and all 50 states, bring more than 6,500 horses and ponies to participate in events throughout the winter season. With so many opportunities to compete during the 12-week circuit, WEF provides valuable education and experience for every horse and rider, making Wellington the world’s most popular winter equestrian destination.

Georgina Bloomberg, the No. 8 rider in the Rolex/United States Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Ranking List, has been coming to Wellington since she was junior rider. She enjoys being based in Wellington for the winter in order to enhance her riding and her horses’ education. Having horses at all levels, the Winter Equestrian Festival gives her a chance to improve them all.

Bloomberg is competing with two young horses at WEF this year. Both are 6 years old and are homebreds where Bloomberg rode both their dam (mother) and sire (father). “It’s great to have many classes each week for them to keep getting the experience of competing in the show ring,” she explained. “It really shows how much they develop over the months.”

While young horses are the future, Bloomberg is excited to compete with her top-level horses at WEF against the best in the world.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday Night Lights. I love being in the spotlight and the feeling of pulling off a clear round in front of the crowd that comes to watch,” she said. “WEF is the hardest competition in the world because you not only deal with the best riders, but also the biggest numbers. You are riding against good riders, and a lot of them. You have to be on your game every class if you want to win. There are no easy wins at WEF.”

The extended amount of time that horses and riders spend at WEF can be a benefit to both, Bloomberg added.

“You get a chance to develop yourself as a rider and work on your relationship with your horses,” she said. “We travel so much, and when we are at other shows, we can usually only bring a few horses. To be able to ride and compete all of your horses every week, like at WEF, is rare and gives you more time with them.”

Top international show jumper Lauren Hough calls Wellington home but spends much of her year traveling to compete around the world. She also enjoys the opportunity to show in one location throughout the winter months, taking advantage of the 12-week circuit to develop her young horses, while also competing her more experienced horses in grand prix competition.

“Wellington is home for me, so it is always nice to be in one place, and not have to pack a bag,” Hough said. “Florida is great for developing the young ones, and, obviously, it is top-level competition at the five-stars. There is a place for all of the horses to develop and showcase the best ones at the highest levels of competition.”

Between Hough and her three students, the circuit is going to be busy, with 18 to 20 horses showing.

“I will be bringing along a new group of young horses,” Hough said. “My top horses won’t start until a little bit later, as I am still competing in Europe until the start of the circuit. My students will get going early on. We are all very excited for a new year, and Florida is always a nice way to start it off.”

Oliver Kennedy is another familiar face (and voice) of the WEF circuit each year, serving as an international judge and ring announcer, as well as bringing horses and riders to Wellington from his family’s ESP Farm in Maryland, where his wife Rachel is head trainer.

“This is my 12th year in Wellington working at WEF,” Kennedy said. “It is always fun for me to work at WEF because the quality of the horses and riders is so high. The competition is some of the best we see all year long.”

Spending time in Wellington is always special, he added.

“What is fun for my family is that I can come down and work either judging or announcing all winter long, and my wife Rachel can bring the whole barn and all of the clients down for the winter season,” Kennedy said. “We always have great circuits in Wellington, and we have riders showing in the Low Adult Hunters, all the way up to the big jumpers.”

While trainers from across the country and around the world bring their students to train and compete at every level of WEF competition, the world’s best riders have unparalleled opportunities to participate in top competitions in Wellington.

Highlights of the 2017 WEF circuit include four weeks of CSI5* competition. The five-star grand prix events will be featured on Saturday nights, Feb. 11, Feb. 25, March 11 and March 25. The $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*, previously held in the 12th and final week of competition, has been moved to Week 11 this season.

An international fan favorite, the popular $150,000 Nations Cup, returns during Week 8 of CSIO 4* competition, where teams represent their countries over two rounds of competition to see which nation is best. A fantastic night of sport and fun at PBIEC, the exciting event brings horses and riders from around the globe to compete on Wellington’s international stage on Friday, March 3.

As always, several events are taking place on the grass jumping field at the PBIEC Stadium this season. Two of the big events scheduled for the derby field this year include the $216,000 Ariat Grand Prix CSI 4* on Sunday, Feb. 5 and the $50,000 USJHA International Hunter Derby to conclude the circuit on Sunday, April 2.

The Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series returns in 2017 with events hosted both on the Stadium’s grass jumping field and in the main International Arena at PBIEC. The annual series features great prize money and more opportunities for international riders to earn valuable world ranking points.

While the established show jumpers take on the major grand prix events throughout the circuit, the Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix Series returns this year, offering opportunities for up-and-coming grand prix competitors to gain valuable experience as well.

Thanks to new title sponsor Hollow Creek Farm, the U25 series will offer 10 events throughout the circuit, totaling $215,000 in prize money and giving young riders a valuable steppingstone from the junior and amateur ranks to the grand prix level.

Another highlight is the eighth annual Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, which returns to WEF on Saturday, Feb. 4, with professional and amateur riders competing to raise money for a good cause. To date, the event has distributed more than $9.2 million to more than 200 nonprofits in Palm Beach County. This year, the Great Charity Challenge has a minimum fundraising goal of $1.5 million to add to its already incredible fundraising amount, surpassing the $10 million milestone.

Hot off an Olympic year, many of the world’s best will return to utilize the WEF circuit as an important part of their seasonal training. The Winter Equestrian Festival has proven to be a valuable training ground for both riders and horses at different points in their careers, especially in championship years.

Equestrian Sport Productions looks forward to welcoming international competitors to Wellington for another fantastic season. Don’t miss all of the fun and excitement at this year’s Winter Equestrian Festival. To learn more, visit www.pbiec.com.

Sponsors Continue To Make WEF

One Of The Best Shows In The World

The success of the Winter Equestrian Festival would not be possible without the dedication and generosity of many wonderful supporters.

An iconic sponsor of equestrian sport since 1957, Rolex stepped up to become the “Official Timepiece” of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in 2014 and has since taken competition at WEF and PBIEC to the next level.

Rolex is the title sponsor of the Week 11 CSI 5* competition this year on March 22-26. An important change to the schedule in 2017 will see the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* featured in Week 11 on Saturday, March 25.

Of course, there is plenty of action before then. As the 12-week circuit began, WEF Week 1 kicked off Jan. 11 thanks to title sponsor Wellington Regional Medical Center, which also served as the presenting sponsor of the always popular $75,000 Battle of the Sexes. Week 1 then hosted the $75,000 Rosenbaum Mollengarden Grand Prix on Sunday, Jan. 15.

International competition began with Week 2’s CSI 2*, sponsored by Marshall & Sterling Insurance, which ran from Jan. 18 to 22. They presented the $86,000 Marshall & Sterling Grand Prix CSI 2* on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is a longtime supporter of the Winter Equestrian Festival, and returned as this year’s title sponsor for the Week 3 CSI 3* competition on Jan. 25-29. Week 3 featured the $130,000 Adequan Grand Prix CSI 3* on Saturday, Jan. 28, under the lights of the International Arena.

Ariat International is the sponsor of Week 4’s CSI 4* on Feb. 1-5, which features the highlight $216,000 Ariat Grand Prix CSI 4* on the grass jumping field at the PBIEC Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 5.

Week 4 also features the Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, on Saturday, Feb. 4. The event is a unique pro/am team challenge where the world’s top riders join forces with equestrian sport’s most prominent families to earn a sliding scale of prize money for Palm Beach County charities. In addition, Fidelity Investments is the title sponsor of Week 5’s CSI 5* competition on Feb. 8-12, which will feature the $380,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Suncast sponsors the 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, which runs throughout the 12 weeks of WEF competition, and is also the title sponsor of Week 7’s CSI 5* competition on Feb. 22-26. The week will feature the $380,000 Suncast Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Lugano Diamonds presents Week 8’s CSIO 4* event on March 1-5. The exciting week hosts the $150,000 Nations Cup on Friday, March 3, which sees teams of riders representing their countries on the world’s stage. That Sunday, March 5, also features the $216,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO 4*.

Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the title sponsor of Week 9’s CSI 5* competition, running March 8-12. The week will feature the $380,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, March 11.

Week 10 brings longtime WEF sponsor Horseware Ireland back to present CSI 3* competition from March 15-19. The week’s major grand prix will present a $130,000 purse on Saturday, March 18.

The 12th and final week of WEF hosts CSI 4* competition from March 29-April 2, sponsored by the Wanderers Club, and features the final Saturday Night Lights event, the $216,000 Wanderers Club Grand Prix CSI 4*, on April 1.

Along with its weekly sponsors, WEF welcomes Hollow Creek Farm as the new title sponsor of this year’s U25 Grand Prix Series. With 10 events throughout the circuit totaling $215,000 in prize money, the series gives young riders a valuable steppingstone from the junior and amateur ranks to the grand prix level.

The Winter Equestrian Festival comes together each year thanks to these and many other generous supporters. Learn more at www.pbiec.com.  

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

The Winter Equestrian Festival is not just a horse show. For horse lovers, WEF is the epitome of equestrian sport, but the event also offers family-friendly fun and many activities for everyone to enjoy. From social events, to fabulous shopping, dining and nightlife, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center caters to many different interests throughout the winter season.

Anyone can visit WEF during the day from Wednesday through Sunday to watch equestrian competition in 12 different arenas, featuring everything from children on ponies to Olympic show jumpers riding the world’s most talented horses.

In between competitions, spectators can enjoy a walk through the beautiful tropical gardens and scenery of the venue, sample delicious food and drinks at a variety of dining locations, and shop at many vendor boutiques.

This year’s shopping experience at PBIEC includes something to fit every budget, with low-cost options, high-end luxury items and everything in between. Clothing, jewelry, art, horsewares and much more are offered in various locations throughout the venue, including Vendor Village, Hunter Hill and the Bridge Deck. Shoppers can also find the WEF Boutique located on the South Bridge Deck overlooking the International Arena, and in Vendor Village, where fans can find the perfect WEF clothing, posters or souvenirs.

For the discerning equestrian, the Equis Boutique delivers superior service, while offering top quality brands and made-to-order, customized products. By providing a unique shopping experience, Equis rises above an ordinary tack shop to offer luxury brands worn by some of the top riders in the world. Equis Boutique founder César Hirsch enjoys the experience at WEF each season, as top equestrians from around the world stroll the showgrounds daily.

“Having the opportunity to showcase our products to a concentrated group of elite riders for an extended period of time is a unique opportunity for vendors like Equis Boutique that follow show jumping around the country,” Hirsch said. “The Winter Equestrian Festival offers exactly that, and we are grateful to be involved in the circuit. Equis Boutique carries brands sourced from European companies and strives to introduce their products to a new market in North America. There is no better place to accomplish that than in Wellington during the winter season.”

For anyone looking to grab a bite to eat throughout the day, a variety of food vendors are located around the property, including: Tito’s Tacos, the Tiki Hut, Coliano’s Pizza, Loopy’s Crepes, Nathalie’s Café and much more.

On Saturday nights, the family-fun atmosphere and adult nightlife comes alive at the popular Saturday Night Lights events. The Kid’s Fair is always popular, featuring the Venetian carousel, bounce houses, face painting, pony rides, magicians, a petting zoo and more. As always, families can choose from a variety of food vendors. A live band and different performers from local elementary schools also entertain the crowds each week.

For PBIEC guests who are of age, the Gallery Night Club is a stylish, modern lounge that is open to the public every Saturday night with table seating and VIP bottle service featuring Veuve Clicquot champagne. The club features great DJs and dancing following every Saturday Night Lights competition.

Also available on Saturday evening for those who wish to enjoy the competition in style, the Special Events Pavilion will now be the site of the Veuve Clicquot Suites. With a special signature Veuve Clicquot branded look, the suites will offer the same great gourmet buffet and table service with the opportunity to purchase Veuve Clicquot by the bottle and special Veuve Clicquot highlights throughout the 2017 season.

The Veuve Clicquot Suites offer a spectacular setting to watch the largest grand prix class of the week, as top equestrian athletes and Olympians compete for international titles. Guests are treated to a VIP evening with family or close friends while enjoying live music, food and crowd performers from the comfort of their suite. The suites provide an intimate setting with optimal viewing for small groups of six or parties up to 22 people — all right in the middle of the equestrian action. To book a Veuve Clicquot Suite, call (561) 784-1136.

Beachside at WEF, one of the most popular seating areas to watch show jumping action, is an open-air ringside seating area just steps away from world-famous show jumpers galloping by. Table purchases include buffet and table service, offering Veuve Clicquot with VIP packages. To book a table at Beachside, call (561) 603-2958.

Be sure to make plans to come on out to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center this winter to experience the finest in equestrian sports, shopping, dining and more.

POLO 

THE WORLD’S TOP PLAYERS ARE BACK TO COMPETE AT IPC THIS SEASON FACES OF

It’s the time of year where world-famous athletes come from all corners of the globe to play polo in Wellington. Along with the action — horse and rider pairs flying down emerald-green fields, all eyes on the goal posts — is a whole other set of entertainment, whether it is people watching, high fashion, tailgating, the halftime divot stomp, Sunday brunch and more. The International Polo Club Palm Beach attracts the best of the best, playing in its annual winter high-goal season. Once again, IPC is the place to be to see the action. As we do each year, Wellington The Magazine is highlighting just a small handful of the amazing athletes you will see vying for top accolades on the polo field. Turn the page and meet the Faces of Polo 2017.

Field Maintenance Is A Longtime Labor Of Love For IPC’s Ray Mooney

By Kayla Anderson

Almost as soon as the last polo pony stepped off the field at the end of the 2016 season, the grounds crew shifted into offseason mode: an eight-month process of field repair, grounds maintenance and facility upgrades to prepare the International Polo Club Palm Beach for an even more spectacular 2017 season.

IPC hosts the annual United States Open Polo Championship and several other high-goal tournaments that attract the sport’s top players and teams from around the world.

“It’s an honor to take care of the fields for these guys,” said Ray Mooney, director of facilities at IPC. “To see all our hard work right up front and have the top players in the world appreciate the fields, it feels really good.”

Few spectators realize what goes on behind the scenes to make IPC the showplace it is. The equipment and technological requirements needed to operate the facility (which Mooney likened to maintaining an 18-hole golf course) are extensive, requiring a three- to four-year development plan.

He supervises a 20-person grounds keeping staff, including a mechanic, and contracts a soil expert and a laboratory to analyze soil samples, determine nutrient content and develop a custom fertilizer. Field repairs, particularly after the intensity of the winter high-goal season, are no easy task. The limited sunlight and cooler temperatures during the winter months prevent the sensitive Bermuda grass from growing. So as soon as the season ends, eight polo fields — covering more than 150 acres — must be aerated before the rainy season starts in July to allow for significant root growth.

“For us, summer is the time to keep up with everything,” Mooney said. “As soon as the season ends, we’re out on the field mowing, aerating and making repairs.”

And field upkeep is only the beginning.

“We have thousands of light bulbs in the facility, hundreds of sprinklers, 40 air conditioning units, miles of fencing and acres of landscaping that we look at during the offseason,” Mooney added.

While his responsibilities are never-ending, often entailing 12- to 14-hour workdays during polo season, Mooney’s work is a labor of love. This season will mark his 11th year at IPC, and he takes pride in his team’s efforts to make the fields look and play their absolute best.

Mooney has maintained and prepared polo fields for more than 1,200 high-goal polo matches, including the most prestigious and competitive polo tournaments in the United States. He also has extensive experience in golf course construction, project management, property management and turf management.

To prepare for this season, Mooney and his team began testing different types of Bermuda grass to make sure that the best one is implemented on the fields. A large area of the main field was sodded with a special sod called “419 sod” to ensure that the field stays primarily 419 Bermuda grass this year.

The grounds crew has also installed Latitude Bermuda grass so it can be tested right next to the Celebration and 419 Bermuda grasses. Mooney is always looking for the next and best grass to keep the fields in top condition.

New ownership at IPC brings along upgrades to the maintenance equipment. Mooney and his team have acquired new tractors, several new carts and a new sprayer. They have plans to continue to upgrade the facility’s maintenance equipment.

While Mooney’s primary focus is to ensure that all aspects of the facility are primed to run smoothly for the 2017 polo season, he and his crew also tend to the needs of the club’s other events.

IPC constantly strives to remain an integral part of the greater Wellington community, hosting events such as weddings, lacrosse games, the USA Field Hockey National Tournament, AYSO soccer tournaments and more.

Hard Work And Determination Pay Off For Newly Minted 10-Goaler Hilario Ulloa

By Shayna Tanen

As a boy, Hilario Ulloa always dreamed of playing in the Argentine Open. He also dreamed of being one of polo’s elite 10-goal players.

In 2013, he played the Argentine Open, and in 2014, he not only played in the U.S. Open against Valiente with his team Alegria — he won it.

And now, for the 2017 season starting Jan. 1, the United States Polo Association will officially rate him as a 10-goaler, in addition to his 10-goal handicap in Argentina.

Ulloa’s dreams have come true, and then some.

Ulloa grew up in Argentina watching his father and expert horse breeder Carlos “Polito” Ulloa train and breed polo horses. He was always surrounded by horses and polo players who visited to pick up horses from his father, he recalled. That was the beginning of his relationship with the sport.

He remembers playing polo on ponies as a 6-year-old with his older brother Salvador Ulloa, who preceded him in professional polo.

“I loved horses, and I loved riding horses,” Ulloa said. “So it was a way to have fun with my brother.”

Fun gradually turned into work, as Ulloa started playing professionally around age 16. His brother, now 32, was 17 when he turned pro.

At 30 years old, Ulloa is ranked as the No. 11 scorer in the world, according to the World Polo Tour in December. He won the East Coast Open in 2016, the U.S. Open in 2014, the C.V. Whitney Cup twice, and the Deauville, Piaget and British Gold cups, among a wide array of other victories and achievements.

For the 2017 season, Ulloa will play three 20-goal tournaments and the U.S. Open at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.

He trains for these games every day, beginning his morning at the barn. He checks on his horses, rides them and trains them. Then he goes to the gym for an hour or more midday, and finally practices with his team in the afternoon.

Ulloa’s training isn’t all physical. He prepares mentally by watching videos from his own games and his opponents’ games, “to see what went wrong and see what the team did wrong in several ways.”

And his family is always right there alongside him to provide support, he said.

“They follow us everywhere,” Ulloa said. “They know our horses, they know what happens in our games. We are very united.”

That goes for when Ulloa is in Wellington, too. He has been visiting Wellington and playing at the International Polo Club since 2010.

“It’s an amazing polo club, amazing facility, great polo players,” he said. “I think IPC does a great job in having one of the top clubs in the world.”

When he’s not winning matches and working hard on the field, Ulloa is most likely with his family or hosting a barbecue at his Wellington home. He is married and has two young daughters, and they love going out to eat — especially for sushi at Kontiki.

Like his home in Pilar, located in Centauros, Argentina, Ulloa appreciates the equestrian community in Wellington.

“I love to drive on the road and see people riding horses,” he said. “It’s such a huge city of polo and horses and people who work with horses, and I haven’t seen that anywhere else.”

Additionally, Ulloa said most of the polo players who play in his town in Argentina also move to Wellington with their families.

“Of course, the country is different, but the way to live is quite similar. It’s a big community of polo people around the world,” he said.

While Wellington is one home for Ulloa, his go-to vacation spot would be at his farm in Argentina, about three hours away from his home in Pilar, he said. One of the most memorable and difficult matches he has ever played was in Argentina, too, at the 2013 Argentine Open playing for Alegria.

When asked about his best polo memory, Ulloa said, “It’s no doubt that it’s December 2013, when we won the semifinals of the [Argentine] Open… It was a great moment I’ll never forget in my life.”

In that moment, many of his childhood dreams came to fruition.

“I was so happy, I couldn’t believe it,” he recalled. “It was such a good memory because it was in this country [Argentina], with my family, my friends, the people working on my farm, everyone supporting us.”

The win didn’t come easily, and Ulloa said that playing against Ellerstina in the semifinals was probably the hardest match he has ever played. The level of concentration was unbelievable, he said. With eight chukkers, high temperatures and fast horses, Ulloa said jokingly that after the match, “Me and all of our teammates were dead.”

As a player, he plays for his team, and said he does his best to help the team perform well.

Ultimately for Ulloa, it’s his love for horses that fuels his passion for polo.

“I love waking up every morning to go to the barn,” he said. “And to know how the horses feel… to see if they are all sound and all set… I love what I do. I love that my family has a nice life. I work hard also for my family.”

Now that Ulloa has reached his lifelong dreams of playing the Argentine Open and earning the coveted 10-goal rating, he is looking toward the future to create new challenges and achieve new goals.

While he is in Wellington this winter, his top priority will be to win the 2017 U.S. Open at the International Polo Club. Ulloa made it to the semifinals in the 2016 Argentine Open, and next season, he aims to win the final.