R.J. Classics Celebrates Its Diverse, Passionate Customers Through Clothing That Encourages Equestrians Of All Ages To Be Themselves

By Cassidy Klein

Founded in 1999 and established in 2000, R.J. Classics has taken the equestrian community by storm with affordable and inventive clothing. The team behind the R.J. Classics name — sisters Michelle Seltzer and Jennifer Eisenberg, along with Russell Smith — have worked tirelessly to build an extensive and thoughtful catalog of equestrian clothing at a variety of price points.

Today, the brand continues to pay tribute to its loyal customers with clothing that aims to inspire the next generation of equestrians to be themselves in and out of the saddle.

The idea of starting up an equestrian clothing brand came to be when Eisenberg began riding horses at the age of eight. Her mother, Roberta Weintraub, would take her shopping at various retailers, only to find a gap in craftsmanship and affordability among equestrian clothing brands, leading her to create R.J. Classics in 1999. With the help of their grandfather, who was successful in the men’s suit business at the time, Weintraub had the tools she needed to create a lasting and impressionable startup company.

“Our family has been in the clothing industry for at least 50 years, starting with my grandfather,” Seltzer explained.

“We had everything we needed to get it off the ground. We had different contacts for fabric, mills, trim and more, so we were really lucky in that way,” Eisenberg added.

Most closely related to men’s suits, R.J. Classics started out creating and designing show coats for both men and women. This flagship product laid the groundwork for what consumers could expect from the brand in quality and price, making the company’s show coats an integral part of the brand’s growth before branching out and creating various types of shirts and breeches.

“Our mother started with a very small line of coats, and I think her continuous ability to deliver a quality product on time, and being a reliable source, really laid the foundation for R.J. Classics’ reputation. It has allowed us to build upon that positive customer experience,” Seltzer said.

Now at the helm of the business, Seltzer and Eisenberg, with the help of Smith, are continuing R.J. Classics’ legacy of paying great attention to detail and producing quality products that set them apart from other riding apparel companies. They continue to foster great relationships through the help of loyal retail partners.

This past December, R.J. Classics launched its Spring 22 line, featuring an expanded girls offering. This comprehensive collection of ladies and girls show and schooling attire features amazing fits, an array of stunning new color options, high-performance fabrics and fun new patterns.

With this new line, the brand launched its “Be You” campaign as a tribute to its loyal customers, who are all unique and diverse in their own way, but share an equal passion for horses. R.J. Classics hopes to inspire the current and next generation of equestrians to be the best version of themselves in the saddle that they can be, with the help of clothing that makes them feel comfortable and confident.

“Confidence is an amazing emotion and sentiment to achieve, for many different reasons, among young riders and just people in general,” Seltzer said. “Having clothing that fits you well will give you that extra confidence to feel good.”

By putting out a line of riding apparel full of bold colors and patterns, R.J. Classics hopes to give equestrians the self-assurance and fearlessness needed to feel their very best, in and out of the saddle. “I hope that our clothing makes riders feel inspired,” Smith said. “To succeed, to take chances and to have fun out there.”

R.J. Classics designs its apparel with the rider in mind to ensure the offerings meet the wants and needs of those who are dedicated to the equestrian lifestyle.

“I want the riders wearing our clothing to feel confident and happy. Not just the young riders, but riders of all ages,” Eisenberg said. “It’s something small, but it all contributes to how you might act that day or how you might ride. It just gives you that extra little boost.”

R.J. Classics’ commitment to its customers has continued to aid in its growth throughout the last 20 years. Its loyalty to those who affectionately wear the clothing, keen eye for quality in each design and attention to detail has given it a reputation for dependable clothing for equestrians around the world. As the “Be You” campaign sets the stage for a new era of equestrians, Seltzer, Eisenberg, Smith and the entire R.J. Classics team look forward to continuing to provide top-of-the-line clothing for every equestrian.

To learn more about R.J. Classics, visit www.rjclassics.com.

A Look Behind The Scenes At One Of Wellington’s Leading Equestrian Operations

By Cassidy Klein

It takes a village to run a successful equestrian business, especially during the flourishing winter season in Wellington. For Kelianda Farm, a love for horses runs in the family. Whether related by blood or brought on the team as an honorary member of the Kelianda family, the hunter-jumper training and sales operation relies on family values and teamwork to navigate the ups and downs of the equestrian industry.

Kelianda Farm prides itself on the family foundation of the high-performance operation. Owned and operated by Linda and Kenny Langmeier, Kelianda Farm is a full-service hunter-jumper show facility offering boarding and training at home and on the road to clientele from all over. The name Kelianda derives from the first two initials of each of Linda’s four siblings in the order they were born. The KE stands for Kevin, LI stands for Linda, AN stands for Ann Marie and DA stands for Danielle.

Head trainer Linda works alongside manager Cyndi Mottolese, as well as her daughter McKayla Langmeier as lead assistant trainer, with additional lead assistant trainer Addyson Cord. This dynamic core group helps keep Kelianda running smoothly during the long show days and busy travel schedule over the course of the year.

“Having a family-owned business is great. Everyone shares the same interest, goals and the same passion for the sport,” Linda said. “The disadvantage is that we can continue disagreements over the dinner table,” she added with a laugh.

For a large portion of the year, Kelianda Farm is based out of East Granby, Connecticut, traveling the nation to compete at some of the top equestrian venues. The Kelianda Farm team travels south to Wellington each winter to take advantage of the numerous opportunities provided to equestrians while showing at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

Linda is an accomplished horsewoman herself who has been riding since she was five years old. As a junior rider, she won the historic ASPCA Maclay National Championship in 1983, and continued on to win multiple top Grand Prix events throughout the country. She has earned numerous championships at competitions such as the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, Lake Placid Horse Shows, the Vermont Summer Festival, the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, the American Gold Cup, the Washington International Horse Show, the Winter Equestrian Festival and the National Horse Show.

With all the success and achievements throughout her career, Linda has also faced trials and tribulations along the way.

“The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was finding a way to combine my business that I started from scratch in my early 20s with my husband’s business,” Linda said. “I then had to learn how to raise a family while maintaining and expanding our business over the last three decades.”

Passing down the torch, Linda’s daughter McKayla has followed in her mother’s footsteps to garner many achievements at the young age of 21. After graduating high school, McKayla moved to Alabama to continue her education at Auburn University, where she competed on the Auburn equestrian NCEA team from 2018 to 2021. Approaching the end of her junior year, McKayla made the decision to take her riding career to the next level and turn professional.

“Having McKayla join the team as a professional in 2021 makes our program that much more diverse,” Linda said.

McKayla has also built a name for herself in the sport during her time as a junior and now a professional athlete. Some of her top wins include the 2015 ASPCA Maclay National Championship, marking the first time a mother-daughter duo have both held the title. She has also held top titles at events such as HITS Saugerties, Spruce Meadows in Calgary, the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals-East, Traverse City Horse Shows and many more.

In addition to running a top-notch training program, Kelianda Farm also owns and operates a successful horse breeding and sales program. Linda started the program with the goal of helping horses reach their full potential. They offer top equitation, hunter and jumper mounts, and Kelianda Farm has found perfect horse-and-rider matches for countless clients, ensuring them a bright future among top competitors.

“When choosing horses, we look for the ones with a big, kind eye and a balanced canter,” Linda explained. “Horses that are versatile and through their expression clearly love to do their job.”

To add to her long list of responsibilities, Linda is also the director of riding and the head trainer to more than 40 girls enrolled in the Ethel Walker School based out of Simsbury, Connecticut. The school is a private, college preparatory, boarding and day school for girls in grades 6 through 12, as well as postgraduate students.

“Ethel Walker was stability for me at a time when my kids were young and I didn’t have to travel as much,” Linda said. “Now that my three children are grown, I enjoy being able to mentor the girls as they journey through their middle and high school years.”

Looking forward to continuing success in and out of the show ring, Kelianda Farm continues to put its best foot forward. The team looks forward to a fruitful year, kicking off the new year with 12 exciting weeks that encompass the beautiful season of the winter circuit at the 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival.

“I’m looking forward to another successful year watching our students achieve their goals. Selfishly as a mom, I’m so excited to watch McKayla grow as a professional in a sport she has been devoted to her entire life,” Linda said.

Follow Kelianda Farm on social media sites at www.facebook.com/keliandafarms and www.instagram.com/keliandafarm.

The Sport Of Polo Runs Deep In Wellington’s Coppola Family

By Y.A. Teitelbaum

Life revolves around the sport polo for Tony Coppola and his son, Matt Coppola.

Tony is widely recognized in polo circles as the “Voice of Polo” and owner of The Tackeria, a full-service equestrian supply store that has been serving Wellington for more than 45 years. His résumé is long and varied, having been a player, a club manager and an umpire before turning full time to the business side.

In addition to his full-time job running a very successful store, Tony is also deeply involved in numerous charitable groups focused around polo. He is in his first term as president of the United States Polo Association, while also serving as president of the Polo Training Foundation. He is a board member of the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, and he co-founded the Polo Players Support Group in 2000 with Dave Offen and Tim Gannon, and remains on that board, too.

In 2006, Tony was awarded the Philip Iglehart Award for lifetime contributions to the sport by the U.S. Polo Museum. But it’s his announcing that has given him the highest profile.

Becoming an announcer early on was a conscious choice for Tony, who grew up on Long Island in New York, interested in polo and horses. His father passed away while Tony was serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Upon returning home, he took over the family’s pool construction business but also resumed an interest in polo throughout the northeast. He sold the family business and started building his polo tack business, in addition to other jobs in the sport.

“I was being paid for being an umpire, but as I started growing my business, I figured being an announcer offended less people than being an umpire,” Tony said, smiling.

And a legend was born.

Almost every Sunday afternoon during winter polo season, the 75-year-old is behind the microphone calling the fast-paced action on the International Polo Club Palm Beach stadium field in Wellington. He has also been the announcer for 42 U.S. Opens, having seen the best of the best on the field for generations.

While his father is behind the mic, being one of the sport’s better players is his son’s goal.

Matt currently carries a 5-goal handicap (10 is the highest) and has had a taste of high-goal polo, the elite tier where many of the best players in the world compete.

He has primarily played high-goal polo at IPC for the last three seasons and previously was a substitute in four games in the 2011 U.S. Open.

“My goal in life, I want to win the U.S. Open,” said the 27-year-old, who came close twice — in 2021 when his team Park Place finished as the runner-up, and in 2019 when his team Las Monjitas was a finalist. “I’m working hard. I have a good staff behind me. It’s a team effort.”

A big part of that team are his parents, who although divorced, remain close. His mother, Jesse, works at The Tackeria, as does Matt, and she is always on the sidelines at his matches. But it was his father who taught him how to swing the mallet and ride.

“He helped me a lot in the beginning of my career to get me mounted with quality horses,” said Matt, who will have 26 horses for the 2022 winter season while playing in the 16-goal league with Tonkawa and the 12-goal tournaments with Meyer Ranch. “Now we buy horses together and have a breeding operation together.”

His mother has also been an integral part of the team. Early on, she used to ride the horses to help get them in game shape, but she has stepped back from that role. She also owns some of the green horses with Tony and Matt.

“We [Matt and I] are both so incredibly competitive,” Jesse said. “I think I always just tell him to play his game. No matter where he is in the world, I send him a text. It’s the same one every time. It’s simply, ‘Play well, be safe, I love you.’”

The Coppolas have a farm in Wellington and recently purchased a place in Aiken, South Carolina, with Matt naming it Sundele, after two of his top horses, Sundance and Adele.

“I’m putting a lot of work and investments into improving my horses,” said Matt, who was born and raised in Wellington. “I’ve really learned how to manage the horses, and I’m investing the right way.”

Tony said the best advice he gave to Matt was simple.

“The first is to keep yourself well-mounted. Second, establish good relationships with sponsors and other players,” Tony recalled. “He has gotten a reputation for being well-mounted, and he is becoming a good horseman and rider.”

Matt is also constantly thinking about his long-term future in the sport.

“Everybody wants to be 10 goals,” he said. “I’m working to be 8 goals and known for good horses. I want to be successful, to be known as a top American player. I’m putting in a lot of work and investments into improving my horses.”

Matt almost chose a different path, because there was a time when he didn’t want anything to do with the sport.

“I enjoyed it, and then I had a little bit of a fall when I was 10 or 11, and I quit for three years,” remembered Matt, who took up baseball and tennis instead. “I was deathly afraid of horses. I was playing bike polo one day and [legendary Hall of Famer] Memo [Gracida] was watching, and he told me I have to start riding again.”

So Gracida had Matt come to his farm, where he put the then teenager on a horse, but not just any horse.

“The horse was an unbroken horse, and he put me on with no saddle, no nothing, and it threw me three or four times in a little corral, and ever since then, I was never scared again,” Matt said. “I overcame the fear and started playing again.”

He has been recognized off the field and is sponsored by Ona gloves and is a global brand ambassador for U.S. Polo Assn., the official apparel brand for the United States Polo Association. He is also a graduating member of Team USPA, a program developed and managed by the national organization to improve young American polo players.

Seven-goaler Jeff Hall, one the few current elite U.S. players, believes Coppola can continue his rise up the ranks. “He is a talented player who just needs more time in the high-goal,” Hall said.

Whether it’s on the polo field or in the announcer’s booth, it’s home to Tony and Matt Coppola.

Honoring The Best In The Sport Of Kings Museum Of Polo And Hall Of Fame Announces 2022 Inductees To Be Honored On Feb. 18

The 2022 inductees for the Polo Hall of Fame, Iglehart Award and Horses to Remember were recently announced by the Museum of Polo. The 33rd year of inductions will honor Tommy Biddle Jr. and the late Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney with election to receive Hall of Fame honors. The Iglehart Award inductees for outstanding lifetime contributions to the sport are Danny Scheraga and the late Dr. Horace Laffaye. Horses to Remember honorees are Charles Smith’s great mare Cynthia Lola, and Jacobs, a notable pony of yesteryear.

The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday, Feb. 18, if conditions at that time allow for gatherings, and will honor not only the 2022 inductees, but also the 2021 honorees. The inductees selected for 2021 — Julio Arellano and John F. “Jack” Ivory for the Hall of Fame; Dr. Paul Wollenman and Bert B. Beveridge for the Iglehart Award; and horses Little Mary and Silverada — were initially recognized through the press, video segments and various types of social media.

Inductees are nominated by the public and selected annually by a committee of knowledgeable individuals from across the sport of polo, who voted to select this year’s winners from a group of worthy candidates.

Tommy Biddle — Born into a polo family, Biddle grew up in Aiken, S.C. At the age of 12, he played his first polo game and became a professional player at 18. At 6-foot-3, with the build of an imposing football player, his presence on the polo field looms large, literally and figuratively. Once called the “quickest big man” to ever play the sport, Biddle is a rare player who has been able to achieve almost equal greatness in both outdoor and arena polo. He became the fourth player in arena history to achieve a 10-goal handicap, while also reaching and maintaining an 8-goal outdoor rating. His list of accolades reflects the best of outdoor and the arena, both in the U.S. and internationally, and includes the 2002 U.S. Open, four Monty Waterbury Cups, four Townsend Cups and a U.S. Open arena championship. Adding to his accomplishments, Biddle has become a highly rated and well-respected umpire.

Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney (1899-1992) — Whitney left a lasting mark not only in polo, but in most areas of life. Although thoroughly immersed in a business career and philanthropic ventures, he rose to a 6-goal handicap during his playing career that started around 1917 and lasted until the 1940s, a time that spanned the “golden era” of polo. Whitney was a formidable factor in all the major tournaments of those eras, winning the U.S. Open three times and the Monty Waterbury Cup once. Whitney carried on the polo legacy of his father, Hall of Famer Harry Payne Whitney. Even with his playing days at an end, Whitney was well-known for raising outstanding racehorses, having 15 horses compete in the Kentucky Derby. The C.V. Whitney Cup was established in his name in 1979, originally played as the handicap side of the U.S. Open Championship and is still played today as part of the USPA’s Gauntlet of Polo series in Wellington.

Danny Scheraga — A guiding figure for the youth of polo, Scheraga is recognized for having spent a good part of his career nurturing polo players and dedicated to improving the quality of the sport. Scheraga began playing at Cornell and went on to be named head coach there in 1975. He established important programs for intercollegiate women, getting them to the finals nine years in a row and winning championships three times. He then went to work for the USPA, focused on instructing clinics. Scheraga spent the next 30 years with the Polo Training Foundation, serving 25 years as its first executive director. He gave birth to a number of ideas that went into developing programs and improving polo infrastructure by creating clinics, running a polo center at Brushy Creek and pushing for more opportunities for intercollegiate players.

Dr. Horace Albert Laffaye (1935-2021) — Laffaye left an impact on the sport of polo that is hard to match. He grew up in Argentina, playing polo there for a number of years before stopping to become a surgeon. He became prominent and respected in this field, saving many lives with his surgical skills. A reawakening to the world of polo led Laffaye to pick up the mallet once again and play for another two decades at clubs throughout the northeast. When his playing days ended, he took his knowledge and passion for the sport and focused it on the avenue that made him such an important part of the sport as its most eminent polo historian. Dedicated and concise, he painstakingly researched, wrote and published what are generally considered to be the most important treatises on polo. In all, he authored and edited nine books and innumerable articles in both Spanish and English. Laffaye contributed his knowledge and talent to serve on the board of directors and nominating committee for the Museum of Polo.

Cynthia Lola — Foaled in 1960 in Missouri, the dark bay, Thoroughbred mare was sold to Cecil Smith five years later. Both Cecil and his son Charles Smith knew she was destined for an outstanding future. She hit her stride when Charles took the reins, playing with distinction in all the major American tournaments ranging from the 1968 Silver Cup to the 1975 U.S. Open, the year in which she earned the Best Playing Pony of the Silver Cup. Over the course of eight years of outstanding performance, she continued to rack up several more Best Playing Pony awards. “I put Lola in polo, and not everyone could play her. But Charles was a goal better on that mare than any other he ever had,” Cecil said. Cynthia Lola would end her legendary career in 1978.

Jacobs — Bred in Texas, Jacobs’ career spanned 10 years playing in all the top tournaments of his era, including the famed international matches of 1913 and 1914. A venerable pony who broke polo tradition in its time, Jacobs is one of the first bigger ponies that defined the approaching modern era of polo. Breaking the archaic height rule of 14 hands, 2 inches, Jacobs was a bay gelding who, standing at the unheard-of height of 15 hands, 3 inches, was big, yet incredibly speedy and powerful. Bringing fame and notoriety to the Texas cowpony, Jacobs was raised by J.C. Jacobs of San Antonio before being sold to Whitney, who made a habit of loaning his finest ponies to his friend Dev Milburn to play. It was noted that Milburn’s best runs were on this mount. Along with a few other top horses, Jacobs was gifted to Milburn as a wedding present in 1913, a fitting gesture to honor the extraordinary relationship of a man and horse.

Polo Star Nic Roldan Back On Ipc Fields The Top American Polo Star Is At Home In Wellington As He Grows His Unique Brand

By Donna Washington

It has been 24 years since top American polo player Nic Roldan became the youngest person ever to win the U.S. Open Polo Championship when he did so at age 15 in 1998. More than two decades later, the star’s trajectory only continues to evolve and grow — and he’ll be back at the U.S. Open this season on the fields of the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Wellington is known as the “Winter Equestrian Capital,” and in many ways, Roldan stands out as one of its truest ambassadors. He’s no transient visitor, but someone who calls Wellington home, since his early years attending New Horizons Elementary School, and later Cardinal Newman High School.

We recently caught up with him early one morning outside of Starbucks, a favorite morning haunt. It’s a great spot for people watching, Roldan explained. He loves his hometown, and despite being fortunate enough to have played all over the world, nothing makes Roldan happier than being back home in Wellington.

He’s often asked in interviews where his favorite place to go for dinner is. Perhaps writers expect him to rattle off a list of the latest, coolest restaurants, not the iconic Wellington eatery Park Avenue BBQ Grill. His repertoire of dining faves in Wellington also includes breakfast at Cilantro’s, Gabriel’s Café or First Watch; brunch at Oli’s; lunch at Field of Greens, Bolay or his parents’ favorite Lemongrass Asian Bistro; dinner at Sushi Moto, the Clubhouse at Palm Beach Polo or Kaluz. For a quick meal, a visit to PDQ hits the spot.

Roldan appeared on the cover of the March 2009 issue of Wellington The Magazine wearing a Pony Express team shirt. He explained how the now late Pony Express patron Bob Daniels was such a key person in his career, to his own family’s life and how today he actually has his horses in the same barn featured back then.

Roldan is palpably excited for the upcoming 2022 high-goal polo season in Wellington.

He’s a stalwart of Marc and Melissa Ganzi’s Grand Champions organization with its 2022 World Polo League season set to be bigger than ever. Additionally, after a three-year absence, Roldan will be back playing in the U.S. Open at IPC.

He is a man comfortable in his skin and at peace with dancing to his own beat. Rather than working with big fashionable organizations, he prefers to work with local charities that he is genuinely passionate about, particularly helping kids. Locally, he works with the Kids Cancer Foundation and the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club. Each year, he takes part in the Kids Cancer Foundation’s 5K run. In normal times, the foundation hosts monthly Parents Night Out evenings, and on occasion, Roldan has been known to visit in full black tie prior to going on to a glitzy social event, making sure to see the kids first. He’s also not scared of having little girls bedazzle his nails and still have it on two days later!

Roldan is fervently passionate about his sport. True to his millennial status, he has his finger on the pulse, wanting to promote the equestrian lifestyle. Not only to more brands, but to a wider audience. Roldan feels it’s key for all disciplines to work together for the collective greater good of equestrianism and the horses in it. Wellington is the perfect spot to make this a reality. “Horses clearly are the common factor here,” he explained. “Although in polo, we deal in much larger numbers of horses, but that does not mean they are looked after any less.”

In Roldan’s case, his horses are part of the family. Not being in the business of selling horses, he will have them as his companions for many years. “The bond between horses and humans is something very special, and it’s great to be able to share that with more people,” he said.

His philosophy of going local shines through in other aspects of his ever-growing brand. He has formed allegiances with a number of local brands, such as Provident Jewelry. He has long been friends with Geoff Fear, owner of the Wellington boutique, and since the start of 2020, Roldan has had a formal partnership with them. Fear is an enthusiastic polo fan, and Roldan may be partial to a dapper timepiece or two. Add to that the fact that polo has a long heritage with watch brands, and it’s a no brainer.

Roldan also explained how fitness is such a vital part of his sport, and that he and his peers spend at least three mornings a week doing extreme workouts. As a man on a mission, he been made an ambassador for Technogym, gym equipment supplier to the latest Olympic games, which is developing an equestrian-specific curriculum. It makes total sense. If you can tone your muscles correctly, you can give better, more controlled signals to your horse, and thus perform better. Maintaining that intensity and longevity is a key for Roldan. He was also keen to add cryotherapy to his repertoire, and he is now working with Revive Wellington to spread the word. Roldan also works with Therabody, the leading percussive therapy device creator, and another key component to his daily routine.

Regarding other business ventures, Roldan enthuses about having formed R Polo Holdings a year ago. His company not only covers everything pertinent to his brand and polo, but a large section is real estate related. Not only has Roldan flipped six properties, but he has also built a high-end horse barn and is now endeavoring on his second elevated spec house, all right here in Wellington.

Each morning, Roldan scours the real estate listings and has an inbuilt radar, identifying each local property for sale and assessing its potential. The properties he has flipped were gutted and then transformed. With the spec house, his involvement is hands on and very visual, from the shape of the roof to the shade of the wooden floor, right through to the plates on the table. Roldan has a touch in all, and nothing has been left to chance.

In 2020, Roldan co-founded High Goal Luxury Gin, which is setting a new, ultra-premium standard for the market. High Goal is American gin reimagined, and Roldan sees it as a gin for everyone, including people who usually don’t drink gin. It’s based on Meyer lemon and mint, making it very smooth.

In October 2021, he launched “Roldan Lifestyle” with his first mini clothing collection. It blends timeless traditions with the modern age in the form of gorgeously soft hoodies and crew sweaters, t-shirts and kids clothing bearing iconic imagery. Again, Roldan’s details are evident throughout, from the design to the quality of the product.

Roldan encompasses all that’s best of Wellington and embraces Wellington at every opportunity he gets — clearly spreading a little Roldan magic wherever he goes and whoever he meets.

Visit www.nicroldan.com to learn more about Nic Roldan and his many ventures.

Top Polo Games Now Available On ESPN Networks
Global Polo Entertainment Signs Historic Deal With National Broadcaster To Carry Gauntlet Of Polo

Every January, the sport of polo returns to Wellington. While the traffic gets busier, the opportunities to enjoy a memorable Sunday polo game increase, too. It is said that the best seat in polo is in the saddle, but now there is a close second. For the first time in the history of the sport, ESPN will carry all of the top Gauntlet of Polo games on ESPN 2 and ESPN 3.

This landmark partnership between Global Polo Entertainment, a subsidiary of USPA Global Licensing, the official licensor for the global multi-billion-dollar apparel brand U.S. Polo Assn., offers fans the opportunity to view polo on mainstream platforms.

The partnership includes broadcasting all three of the coveted United States Polo Association tournaments live on ESPN 3, the top-rated U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship and the National Intercollegiate Championships all accessible through a Disney+ subscription or the ESPN app, and the finals of the most prestigious polo tournament in the United States, the U.S. Open Polo Championship, on ESPN 2. Check your local listings for times.

“The goal of this symbiotic and historic deal with ESPN is to reach more sports fans in the U.S. and attract new audiences by delivering more polo sport and lifestyle content in new ways,” said J. Michael Prince, president and CEO of USPA Global Licensing. “We look forward to broadening access to the amazing sport of polo with some of the most exciting polo tournaments in the world now being broadcast by ESPN, the nation’s leader in sports content.”

The ESPN partnership allows Global Polo Entertainment to also deliver more polo, more often. Through its digital television network, Global Polo TV, the company will also script and produce made-for-television shows that will also air on-demand on ESPN and www.globalpolo.com. Each monthly show is created around the destination polo is traveling to and offers the viewers the ability to truly learn more about players, the horses and the unique stories in the game.

The full schedule of official USPA tournaments will be released through Global Polo TV and will include the top tournaments, women’s polo, college polo and international polo.

The governing body for the sport of polo is headquartered in Wellington and serves as the home for polo in the United States.

With more than 130 years of history, the association provides the rules and handicaps for the game. It has more than 5,000 playing and social members, many of whom call Wellington home. Playing members compete on a circuit around the world, and the Wellington season serves as the kickoff to the year.

In true fashion, Palm Beach County always has the best weather and the best activities for the families and players, and Global Polo Entertainment officials are excited to kick off the 2022 season on Sunday, Jan. 2 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The community is invited to join them in person, or watch on ESPN.

Check out Global Polo TV at www.globalpolo.com to learn more. Visit www.uspoloassnglobal.com to take home a piece of the sport.

50 Over 50: Unique Photography Project Celebrates Women 50 Years And Better

Photography Project Celebrates Women 50 Years And Better

“Beauty has no expiration date.” It’s a popular quote, but putting the idea into action took on a whole new meaning for longtime Wellington resident and professional photographer Dannielle Judd. “It was time to start a conversation about the beauty of aging and to embrace the confidence about being comfortable in our own skin,” she explained. And with that, 50 women joined Judd on an adventure to share the common bond of being over 50. This month, Wellington The Magazine joins them in celebrating the strength, wisdom and beauty of 50 Women Over 50.

Judd has been a professional photographer for the past five years, but she has always loved photography and knew it was her passion. Yet it wasn’t until she turned 48 that she began to look at it as her career. Although she had already taken thousands of photographs, and always had the urge to create, it took her time to make the leap.

Judd is not the first photographer to do a 50 Over 50 project, but when she saw the idea, she knew it was something she wanted to do. Being a woman over 50 herself, she knew there are so many stereotypes out there about aging. She wants people to know that many women are just finding their groove at age 50.

Judd wanted to showcase all different nationalities, personalities and professions in this unique photography project. So many women spend their lives as either a wife, mother or both, that they never really find their own identity. She took to social media about the project and asked those interested to complete a questionnaire.

“After speaking to them on the phone and explaining the entire process, we then would book their wardrobe consultation, where they come into my studio and get to use my ‘Dream Wardrobe Collection.’ It consists of more than 250 dresses and gowns, along with tons of accessories, all for my clients to use during their photo shoots,” Judd explained. “Then the super fun part — the photo shoot! We generally have the ladies wear anywhere from three to five outfits during their session.”

This experience was transformational for many of the participants. Many would come in with low expectations. But after their hair and makeup are done, their inner light shines through. “You can just see them oozing with confidence,” Judd said. “It truly is inspirational for me as a woman, and a photographer, to share this experience with them.”

Judd tries to share her own experiences with clients in hopes of them opening up and trusting the process. Many were just waiting for the opportunity to shine in their own way, to let the world know that today’s women aren’t slowing down just because they’re over 50.

The project took approximately 14 months from beginning to end, and the results are priceless. There was never a moment that Judd didn’t believe the project would work out. “These ladies fed my soul,” she said, adding that their stories of inspiration kept her going. “My confidence going in was a bit shaky, but each lady is so different from the next, that I quickly realized that creating customized sessions was going to be a no-brainer.”

The first woman photographed for the project was Amy. “She came in with the best energy,” Judd recalled. “A breast cancer survivor, her story is so moving. Her resilience is what captivated me.”

Fast forward to the last shoot, which was Clare. “She turned 60 this November and was hosting her own birthday bash and had some fantastic ideas she wanted specifically for her party,” Judd said. “I remember after photographing Clare, I sat in my studio and looked through all the images and was just blown away at the beauty, wisdom, creativity and uniqueness of every single woman who entered my studio.”

Now that the inaugural project is on the books, Judd is ready to do it all again. There will be another round of 50 Over 50 for 2022. “This was such an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to get started,” she said.

While some came in without a clue how they wanted to be photographed, others came in with big ideas.

“I love empowering women,” Judd said. “I think of these ladies as my friends now, and some even as sisters, we got that close. The relationships formed are truly priceless. I believe that we, as women, should support, uplift, embrace and root for each other. Together, we can do anything.”

As a woman over the age of 50 — soon to be 55 in January — Judd wanted to show that women are beautiful at every age. “Beauty has no expiration date,” she reiterated. “You deserve to be celebrated and honored.”

Danielle Judd unveiled the results of her year-long 50 Over 50 project with a celebration on Saturday, Nov. 20 at the Live 360 Studio in the Mall at Wellington Green. Learn more about her upcoming project at

www.danniellejudd.com.