Husband-And-Wife Team Jaimey And Tina Irwin Have Grown With Wellington’s Dressage Circuit

By Jennifer Wood

Canadian dressage riders Jaimey and Tina Irwin grew up riding in Ontario, Canada. As a husband-and-wife team, they have each been successful in the dressage world and are familiar faces at Wellington’s Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF).

Tina’s sister, Sarah, and Jaimey ended up on the same Young Riders championship team, and Tina connected with Jaimey immediately when they met at a horse show.

Their partnership began nearly 20 years ago, and a business relationship at Stoney Lake Equestrian began soon after.

Jaimey and Tina were both born into families involved with horses and quickly took to the sport themselves. Jaimey’s family ran the Irwin Inn resort on Stoney Lake in Lakefield, Ontario, where Jaimey got his start teaching lessons and leading trail rides. Tina’s mother, Ute Busse, was a successful dressage rider in her own right, so Tina competed at local shows around Ontario from an early age.

The Irwins first came to Wellington in 2006 after a client found the young couple a six-stall barn in Palm Beach Point to operate out of for the winter. They brought with them six horses to train and compete and lived in the barn’s small apartment. With no support staff, the Irwins did everything themselves.

“We knew about Florida, but we just didn’t think it was possible for us until a client pushed us and said, ‘You can do this,’” Jaimey recalled.

At the time, the Winter Equestrian Festival hosted both hunter/jumper and dressage competition, and additionally there were dressage shows at Littlewood Farm and the White Fences Equestrian Center. Wellington was still evolving toward what it is today. But even then, Wellington’s grandeur was a lot for the Irwins to take in. As Jaimey noted, it was “like Disneyland for horse people.”

“It was a little overwhelming at first,” Tina added. “Our first experience was very eye-opening.”

Wellington has grown dramatically in the past 15 years, and the Irwins’ careers and Stoney Lake Equestrian business have as well. They balance their own competition schedules with the training of clients and the marketing of sales horses. From Canada, they arrive with a full barn of 20 horses, their own as well as horses belonging to clients in training with them.

Being in Wellington allows the Irwins to simultaneously operate their business, continue toward their personal goals, and keep an eye out for new, promising equine talent. In addition, the mild Florida climate helps keep the Irwins and their horses in the best possible shape, giving them valuable months of making progress and advancing their careers.

AGDF itself provides seven international events during the three months of their stay in Wellington, giving them the opportunity to earn scores to be considered for championship teams.

“We wouldn’t be able to qualify for some of the major competitions like the World Cup Finals and the Pan American Games. I don’t think our careers would be where they are without Wellington,” Tina explained.

“It’s unfortunate we don’t have indoor competitions at home at the beginning of the year, and the deadline for qualification happens so early in the year. It’s not really possible most years to qualify only in Canada,” Jaimey added. “If you are trying for a team, then you do have to come to Florida. Without AGDF, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we’ve done.”

In 2011, Tina represented Canada at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, riding Winston and brought home a team silver medal.

In 2013, Jaimey qualified for the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he and Lindor’s Finest made their overseas debut representing Canada.

After a remarkable 2016 for Tina and her mount Laurencio, a then 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding the Irwins owned themselves, Equestrian Canada — the national governing body of equestrian sport — named Laurencio the Horse of the Year. True to his title, Laurencio and Tina achieved a world-record score at WEF in the small tour, a 78.708 percent. Then, in 2019, Tina and Laurencio competed at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, where Canada won the team gold medal, and Tina took home the individual silver. With the exception of 2021 due to the pandemic, the Irwins have made Wellington their winter home every year since 2006.

Many riders from around the world have also realized the benefit of being in Wellington, and consequently, the equine professional community here has boomed. The community has become a great business resource for the Irwins, who rely on the connections they make in order to buy and sell horses both for themselves and for their clients.

Since the birth of their children, the Irwins have made Wellington a family affair. With the support and aid of their own parents, Tina and Jaimey have been able to bring Gavin, 11, and Marlies, 8, to Wellington every year. They recognize that traveling each winter has the potential to be jarring for their kids, so it was important that Wellington was a place the children could also enjoy. As a family, they are able to enjoy the beaches, nature preserves and other local activities such as visiting Lion Country Safari. Sometimes, however, it’s equally as nice to just be at home together by the pool.

“They feel really at home here,” Tina said. “We work hard all year to make Florida a go, so when we come here, we want to really immerse ourselves and enjoy the whole experience.”

For the 2022 AGDF circuit, Jaimey and Tina are very enthusiastic about the horses they have in their string. Tina has younger developing horses, as well as her trusted, longtime partner Fancy That, a 16-year-old Oldenburg mare. Tina and Fancy will be working on a strong return to international competition, after COVID-19 disrupted their plans to aim for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Jaimey has a coming-seven-year-old named Flirtfaktor, a horse he brought to Wellington for the invaluable experience. He also has Stiletto, a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare co-owned by Tina’s mother, Ute, and Ute’s friend, Patricia Scherrer, that Jaimey is competing in the national Grand Prix and building toward the international level.

Perhaps most exciting is Simsalabim, a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Kimberly Wynd. While Simsalabim has not shown at the Grand Prix level yet, Jaimey competed her in small tour classes last year and Intermediare II at home in Canada. Based on what they have seen of the mare, Jaimey has his eyes set on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Amid all the moving parts, Jaimey and Tina have found it easy to work together, despite their kids telling them they have incompatible astrological signs. “There’s an exception to every rule,” Tina laughed.

Though they each have mostly their own horses and students to train, they are always collaborating to run a successful business and communicating about any issues.

“It’s great to have the support emotionally, and to have that other person to bounce ideas off of,” Tina said. “I feel lucky to have Jaimey as my business partner.”

“And I feel lucky to have Tina,” Jaimey added.

While luck may have played a part, it has been the Irwins’ hard work that has paid off in a successful business, dressage careers and the ability to make Wellington their winter home for the foreseeable future.

To learn more about the Irwins, visit www.teamirwindressage.com. For more information about the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Faces of Dressage
The unique elegance that is the sport of dressage has returned to Wellington once again with the 2022 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where some of the best horse-and-rider combinations can be seen in action. While classes exist for all levels, the most popular are the top-level Grand Prix events to the amazing Musical Freestyle classes. Dressage is often called “ballet with horses.” This comparison helps people understand the extraordinary level of dedication, training and effort it takes for a rider and horse to become one in a sport dating back centuries. Many of the top dressage riders are here this winter, including Adrienne Lyle, Sabine Schut-Kery and Steffen Peters, who won the silver medal last summer in Tokyo. From elite, international dressage to the sport’s more introductory levels, to the uplifting sport of para-dressage, all levels of this unique discipline are on display here in Wellington. In Faces of Dressage 2022, we highlight just a few of these riders.

Steffen Peters
German-born Steffen Peters, who competes for the U.S., began riding at age 7, and by age 15 was competing at the international level. After receiving his first horse, Udon, at age 16, he began seriously training in dressage. It was aboard Udon that Peters won the team bronze when he represented the U.S. at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Peters has represented the U.S. at numerous other international competitions, including the World Equestrian Games in 2006 and 2010, when he secured bronze medals, and 2018, when he took silver. He returned to the Olympics in 2016 and helped the U.S. to the bronze medal in team dressage. At the Olympics last summer in Tokyo, Peters and Suppenkasper helped the U.S. win team silver. He is a regular at the AGDF in Wellington.

Adrienne Lyle
Adrienne Lyle was raised on a small cattle farm in Whidbey Island, Washington. She originally rode western, then switched to English at age seven. She tried eventing before dressage became her calling. Lyle was a member of the silver medal team at the 2002 Cosequin Junior Dressage Championships and the bronze medal Region 6 team at the 2004 North American Young Rider Championships. Career highlights include competing in the 2012 Olympics in London and contributing to a fourth-place team finish at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in France. Lyle and her mount Salvino qualified for the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, where the U.S. team won the silver medal. At last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, Lyle and Salvino again led the U.S. to the team silver.

Nick Wagman
Nick Wagman is a California-based rider with big wins on the Wellington circuit. He represented the U.S. at the 2019 FEI Dressage Nations Cup in the Netherlands and the FEI Dressage Nations Cup France with his longtime partner Don John. Also in 2019, Wagman won the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix National Championship with Ferano and the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship with Don John at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. With Don John, Wagman collected second-place finishes in the CDI3* Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special during week five of the 2020 AGDF. Wagman also collected victories during the 2021 AGDF, including the CDI3* Grand Prix during week five and the CDI3* Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special during week eight.

Yvonne Losos de Muñiz
Born to Canadian parents in Nigeria, Yvonne Losos de Muñiz rides for the Dominican Republic, her home since 1990. She became the first Dominican rider to participate in the Olympics when competing at the 2016 games in Rio. Her career began early with support from her parents before formal training in Germany. Listed among the best riders in Latin America, Losos de Muñiz won bronze at the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio, repeating the feat of the 2003 Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo. Prior to that, Losos de Muñiz won individual gold and bronze as a team in the 2002 Central American Games in El Salvador. A regular on the Wellington circuit, she was back representing the Dominican Republic at the Olympics last summer in Tokyo.

Kevin Kohmann
Kevin Kohmann grew up around horses in Germany. His success started with ponies, where in 2002, he won the pony regional championships. After that, Kohmann was regarded as a talented young professional and recruited to the U.S. to work under top trainers. This gave him the opportunity to ride more difficult horses. It was soon apparent that Kohmann could take even the most difficult horses and turn them into successful and willing partners. During this time, he managed to show several horses at the Grand Prix level. Kohmann joined the Diamante Farms training team in 2014, and he remains based in Wellington. He was part of the winning German team in the 2021 AGDF Nations Cup CDIO3*. Now an American citizen, he plans to ride for the U.S. in the future

Camille Carier Bergeron
Camille Carier Bergeron is a talented Canadian dressage rider. She has been a regular at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington since 2015. That year she rode in the FEI Pony with Monte Carlo and the FEI Junior with Lowelas. In 2018, she was part of the Canadian team that won the North American Young Rider Championship. Bergeron, riding Acouer, served as the anchor rider for Team Canada, which won 2021 CDIO-U25 Nations Cup at last year’s AGDF in Wellington. Also last year, she claimed the 2021 Florida International Youth Dressage Championship and earned the overall high point combination with a score of 73.629 percent riding Sound of Silence 4, a horse she has been working with since 2017.

Alice Tarjan
Alice Tarjan, a dressage rider from New Jersey, has had a stunning few seasons, both at the AGDF and elsewhere. She capped last year’s season by winning the Lövsta Future Challenge/Young Horse Grand Prix Series Final, making it the second year in a row that Tarjan won the prestigious honor. The 42-year-old has a history of success competing her own young horses through the levels. In 2020, she took home multiple titles from the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, including the Markel/USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage National Championship with Donatella M. She was reserve in the same class with Harvest. Last summer, she won the 2021 U.S. Grand Prix Championships, undefeated aboard her mounts Candescent and Donatella M.

Beatrice de Lavalette
U.S. Paralympian Beatrice de Lavalette was born in France but now lives in Wellington. Growing up in a horse-loving family, she started riding early, studying both dressage and equitation. Her entire life changed on March 22, 2016, when, at age 17, she was critically injured in a terror attack at the Brussels airport. Suffering massive internal injuries, burns, a spinal cord injury and the amputation of both lower legs, she worked her way back into the saddle of her beloved mare, Delegada X. She has since become an accomplished para-dressage rider, competing in her first show in April 2017. As a member of U.S. Para Dressage Paralympic Team, de Lavalette represented her adopted home country at the Paralympic Games last summer in Tokyo aboard her mount Clarc.

Rebecca Hart
Rebecca Hart was born with a progressive genetic disease that causes her muscles to waste away, but this disability hasn’t stopped her from becoming an elite dressage Paralympian. Hart, who has hereditary spastic paraplegia, has competed in Wellington and around the world, including four Paralympics and three World Equestrian Games. She won the bronze and silver medals at the 2018 WEG in Tryon. Hart, who lives year-round in Wellington, is a regular in the para-dressage classes at the AGDF. She frequently represents the United States at top para-dressage events, such as the Perrigo CPEDI3* at the Tryon International Equestrian Center last October. Last month, Hart was on the team sent to compete at the CHI Doha in Qatar with her mount El Corona Texel.

Kelly Layne
Kelly Layne is an elite Australian dressage rider based out of Wellington who competes regularly at the AGDF. She is an international competitor with dozens of CDI starts at the Grand Prix level in Australia, Japan, Germany, Austria and here in the United States. Layne is the daughter of Helen Anstee, a Grand Prix rider, FEI judge and breeder of dressage horses. Her riding career started before she could walk, and by the time Layne was 12 years old, she was the Under 12 National Dressage Champion twice on two different horses. Layne rode in her first Grand Prix at age 18. She has worked with a number of top trainers, including Ulla Salzgeber. Layne represented her native Australia at the Tokyo Olympics and is back in action this winter in Wellington.

Party For A Cause
Brooke USA’s White Party Goes Green For St. Patrick’s Day

By Kendall Bierer

This year, St. Patrick’s Day is about more than green beer and bar crawls. Locally, attention is turning to a celebration for the Brooke USA Foundation, a charity near and dear to the hearts of many Wellington residents.

Brooke USA’s annual signature event will be held Thursday, March 17 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Wellington National Golf Club. The coveted event is a special edition of the annual Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo & White Party series, returning in 2022 with a twist, as Brooke USA’s White Party Goes Green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The event boasts a Las Vegas-style casino under the stars, where guests will enjoy an evening of fun while raising funds for working horses, donkeys and mules, and the people who depend on them for survival worldwide.

Brooke USA’s White Party Goes Green with St. Patrick’s Day Casino Night is planned to be a spectacular affair as guests fittingly test their luck. Appropriately, Wellington National will transform into a Celtic-themed extravaganza, including décor, food, drinks and entertainment. Upon arrival, partiers will be greeted by Irish River Dancers from the Kelly Irish Academy of Dance, sure to set the mood for the St. Patrick’s Day-inspired event. Guests will also be able to meet miniature horses and donkeys brought to the party by Millar Brooke South. The equine ambassadors are an icon of the annual event.

Upon entering, guests will secure their play chips and arrive at the grand patio, where they will experience the sights and sounds of a real casino as players roar with every roll of the dice at the craps table or try a hand at outhustling the blackjack dealer while sipping on the signature drink of the night, sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

The roulette tables are sure to be popular as participants decide on what to bet only moments before the dealer flicks the ball into the spinning wheel.

When taking a break between bets, guests are encouraged to take part in the fabulous silent and live auctions, as well as the luxury travel auction provided by AmFund. Music will fill the air as guests move to the rhythm of acclaimed DJ Adam Lipson, who has played some of the most prestigious parties and events in South Florida and is brought to the event by entertainment sponsor, Celebrity Cruises, Hotels at Sea and the International Polo Tour. The March Madness games will also be shown throughout the night, so guests won’t have to miss a beat.

This event is yet another milestone in Brooke USA’s remarkable journey, raising more than $2 million to date from the annual signature event series, Brooke USA’s Sunset Polo & White Party. What began as a humble nonprofit just six years ago has turned into an inspiring tale of what board members, donors and volunteers can do for those who are less fortunate, human and equine alike.

General admission tickets are $100 per person, while children’s tickets are $50. The price of tickets increases March 1. Each ticket includes an Irish-themed buffet dinner, a welcome drink for those over 21 (soft drinks and water for children), as well as admission to the party; casino chips need to be purchased separately. VIP Poolside Lounges and VIP Tables are also available, taking the experience up a notch, with 2,500 gaming chips for each guest to kick off casino play. The casino gaming tables are provided for entertainment purposes only by Casino Party Nights Florida Inc. Guests must be 18 years or older to play.

Do not miss the opportunity to purchase your tickets to the soiree of the season and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for a great cause. All donations and proceeds go to the Brooke USA Foundation.

For more information about Brooke USA’s White Party Goes Green, visit www.brookeusaevents.org.

The Perfect Fit For Every Occasion Wellington-Based Parlanti International Leads The Market For Show Jumping Boots And Is Expanding Into Dressage Products

By Lily Yampolsky

Walking the showgrounds anywhere in the world, riders can be seen wearing Parlanti boots at any level and in every discipline. After becoming a household name in Europe, Parlanti International brought its boots to North America.

Headed by President Francesco Iannelli and CEO Alan Greenstein, Parlanti continues to extend into all spheres of the equestrian community, making it the No. 1 show jumping boot in the sport.

Basing their headquarters in Wellington has given Parlanti International the opportunity to grow exponentially. With both a storefront in Wellington and a booth at the Winter Equestrian Festival, Parlanti has become an integral part of Wellington’s renowned equestrian community and the village itself. Wellington is the epicenter of all equestrian disciplines during the winter months, giving the brand the ability to quickly integrate into the North American market.

“There’s no other city in the world that attracts so many riders,” Iannelli said. “You have three different disciplines from show jumping and hunters, to dressage and polo. Parlanti is very famous for hunter and show jumping boots, and now we are expanding into the dressage market as well.”

Parlanti International’s brand is a well-known name in nearly every hunter and jumper barn. Iannelli has headed the Parlanti brand for many years, starting in Italy and then expanding to all of Europe and Asia. Iannelli saw an opportunity in North America for Parlanti to expand further, and he spearheaded Parlanti International in 2015.

Greenstein and Ianelli joined forces in 2016, and with Greenstein’s vast business experience, they quickly made Parlanti the top show jumping boot in the sport. Greenstein’s daughter, Leah, competed on the Wellington equestrian circuit, while Greenstein and his wife owned a law firm in Palm Beach that represented many equestrian athletes, giving him both the industry and equestrian experience to help grow the Parlanti International brand.

“It has just been a great friendship and partnership with Francesco,” Greenstein said. “Francesco focuses mainly on the sales front, and I’m really focused on the administrative and marketing side of the business. Our goal is to remain in the forefront of innovation and technology, resulting in the most comfortable and durable boot.”

Recently, Parlanti decided to expand its dressage offerings by creating the Evo ready-to-wear dressage boot, in addition to the company’s established custom and semi-custom dressage offerings.

Ridden in by top dressage athletes like Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist Steffen Peters and Rio 2016 bronze medalist Kasey Perry-Glass, the Evo boot is quickly becoming a go-to for dressage riders across all levels. Peters likes the quality of Parlanti dressage boots. “They provide the best combination of comfort and rigid support for both the competition arena and daily training,” he said.

After more than a year in research, Parlanti International has taken the dressage world by storm in combining the tradition of a stiff dressage boot with the comfort the Parlanti brand is known for, culminating in the Evo ready-to-wear dressage boot. While Parlanti has specialized in the show jumping arena for more than 30 years, the creation of the new dressage boot is completely different than developing show jumping boots.

When producing a dressage stock boot, Iannelli explained the need to create a totally different fit and style than the show jumping models. “The legs, the muscle, the structure of the dressage rider’s boot is totally different from a jumper rider’s,” he said. “The fit is totally different.”

Established as a leader in the hunter/jumper circuit, Parlanti boots are being worn by the very best athletes on the hunter and jumper circuit. Two-time Olympian Kent Farrington, Tokyo silver medalist Jessica Springsteen, and world champion hunter rider and trainer Scott Stewart all choose the Parlanti International brand as their steadfast boots.

Top professionals trust that Parlanti boots will be made with the highest standards of craftsmanship and detail, while also enjoying the right-off-the-rack perfect fit. Parlanti boots are made to have virtually no break-in time, so riders can enjoy their new tall boots right away with no pain. Parlanti constantly experiments with new materials and technologies, so riders know they are getting the best possible boot design on the market. Athletes from pony divisions all the way to the international Grand Prix level feel confident in and trust Parlanti to manufacture tall boots with the best quality materials — from the leather, to the zipper, to the sole.

Generations of athletes recognize Parlanti International for its show jumping boots. With the addition of the new ready-to-wear dressage Evo boot, the firm is ready to dominate the dressage market as well. In 2022, Parlanti will continue to research new technology and styles, while keeping the traditional look of the beloved tall boot. Parlanti is perfectly situated to remain as the preferred choice for top athletes around the world, no matter the discipline.

For additional information about Parlanti International products, visit www.parlantiinternational.com.

Next Level Performance Center
Newly Constructed World-Class Dressage And Jumper Facility Is Now Open

Story by Cassidy Klein  |  Photos by Olivia Airhart/Phelps Media Group

A newly constructed, world-class facility, Next Level Performance Center was established in June 2020 with the intention of providing a top-notch establishment for athletes of the dressage and jumper disciplines.

The training and boarding facility provides a boutique environment to a select number of dressage and show jumping clientele with a luxury European experience. The team behind Next Level designed the state-of-the-art facility with the latest amenities for the everyday professional rider in mind.

The newly built facility is located in the horse-centric community of Davie, on the outskirts of Miami. This prominent location provides easy access to those flying in and out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and is a short drive to Wellington. With many cutting-edge amenities, Next Level aims to provide services to clientele all over South Florida.

The founders of Next Level Performance Center chose the location due to the welcoming horse community in the western Broward County area, along with easy access to the airports, so clients can easily fly in to buy a horse or even just to ride. Its location between Wellington and Miami gives clients easy access to both the horse world and city life.

Next Level sets the bar high with its offering of premier care, boarding, rehab and training at the new facility, made up of 32 Roewer & Rueb stalls offered to top horses and competitive riders. All 32 stalls are spacious and fully equipped with cameras for 24-hour monitoring of every horse. Each stall also has Nelson automatic waterers to monitor each horse’s water consumption, while 16 of the stalls include a runout.

The facility was also built to accommodate stallions, providing them with special stalls and turnout. All 12 paddocks at the Davie location contain permanent concrete run-in sheds fully equipped with fans for the warmer summer days.

The indoor and outdoor arenas contain premier footing and an innovative underground drainage system specifically designed to withstand the six-month rainy season in South Florida.

With access to some of the world’s top international trainers, Next Level clients will have full access to unprecedented education and knowledge. In addition to an impressive lineup of talented in-house staff, Next Level Performance Center has partnered with renowned dressage trainer Austin Webster, and top Brazilian show jumper and World Equestrian Games rider Celso Luis Camargo Ariani, to provide its dressage and show jumping clientele with the best training opportunities.

Next Generation’s founders understand that show jumping is a huge industry all across the world, especially in the United States. They have also noticed that dressage is starting to take off like show jumping and decided to merge the two disciplines under one umbrella so that everyone’s needs are met in one place.

Offering an all-inclusive experience, Next Level Performance Center will house a private rehabilitation center that will offer multiple amenities, including hydrotherapy, electromagnetic therapy, a dry treadmill, and both indoor and outdoor walkers. The hydrotherapy includes a sea salt water spa and an AquaTred, which is an underwater treadmill renowned for its ability to rehabilitate and condition horses without additional stress being added to their joints.

Not only does the Next Level Performance Center offer on-site exercise and training equipment for clients and their mounts, the Davie facility is uniquely located just a five-minute ride away from renowned Vista View Park. Vista View Park has more than 70 miles of trails and rolling hills perfect for horses.

As one of the highest elevations in South Florida, Vista View Park is a highly sought-after destination for conditioning and training horses. This is known to help horses mentally, as they are able to get outside of the ring and enjoy the beautiful trails, which are very safe, offer a great view and have amazing footing.

The professionals at Next Level Performance Center also operate a world-class sales program featuring some of the top up-and-coming, young dressage and show jumping prospects in the United States. They are currently developing two top dressage prospects, Sonata MF, a 6-year-old mare by Sir Donnerhall out of EM Duet MF, and Dreamgirl, a 4-year-old mare by Dreamline out of EM Duet MF. They are also currently working with the talented up-and-coming show jumping prospect, Pacha Van Het Costersveld, a 7-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Casall out of Kornetta D’Heyboght.

The owners aim for Next Level Performance Center to be known for the highest standards of quality sportsmanship and are seeking clients who enjoy their discipline and want to take their riding to the “next level.”

Learn more about the Next Level Performance Center at www.nlpc.co.

Calling All Axe Throwers!
Seven Axes Brings The Unique Sport Of Axe Throwing To The Wellington Area

Story by Mike May | Photos by Abner Pedraza

You can now add a new activity to the diverse list of sporting, athletic and recreational interests in the Wellington area. In addition to the many equestrian sports, team sports, individual sports, recreational endeavors and fitness activities that are popular here, the newest activity to hit the western communities is axe throwing!

Yes, people are having fun throwing axes. Fortunately, they are being thrown at wooden targets and not people.

If you visit Seven Axes in the Marketplace at Wycliffe, which opened in mid-November, you’ll be able to practice and hone your axe-throwing skills on a regular basis. It is the place to go if you want to have some target-shooting fun with a small axe or hatchet.

The owner of Seven Axes is not who you expect it might be. It’s a 45-year-old single mother without a long history as an axe thrower. In fact, her professional experience is in the world of education. Her name is Laura Delgado, and she’s thrilled to be in the fast-growing, axe-throwing business.

“I work in the early learning education field. A couple of years ago, while traveling across the country looking at preschool investments, I kept seeing axe-throwing venues,” recalled Delgado, who is also the vice president of curriculum and professional development for Learning Beyond Paper in West Palm Beach. “One day, curiosity got the better of me.

That’s when she first went into an axe-throwing establishment.

“It was a lot of fun!” she said. “I took my daughter, and she loved it as well. I then started looking at this from a business perspective and thought it would be well-received in the Wellington and western communities area. There aren’t many options for active entertainment — and 90 percent of our customers make a similar comment and have thanked us for opening in this area.”

For Delgado and her new business, the number of potential clients is quite large, which helps the bottom line.

“We require that all throwers be at least six years old,” said Delgado, currently an intermediate axe thrower who is improving every day. “There are no other requirements. This sport is very inclusive of all heights, weights, genders, abilities and skill levels. We have seen people in their 90s, people in wheelchairs, as young as six years old, and everyone in between successfully throw hatchets. It’s a very inclusive sport.”

To expand its reach, Delgado started a series of youth clinics in December. And there are now a number of seniors taking regular trips during the week to Seven Axes. They take part in a new senior citizen league called the Silver Axes.

Normally, Seven Axes is open Thursday through Saturday to the general public. Tuesday and Sunday nights are set aside for league competition. For the winter season, Delgado also will be opening her doors to the general public on Mondays, while Wednesdays are by appointment only.

While nearly everyone who walks in the door is allowed to throw an axe, the vast majority of customers have little or no experience in throwing these sharp objects. Delgado bridges that gap.

“We’re all about safety,” said Delgado, whose business is an officially sanctioned affiliate of the World Axe Throwing League (WATL), which is based in Canada. “We have six qualified coaches on staff who provide instructions on how to grip and safely throw an axe. Our coaches are very hands-on and present with each group of participants. The key to success in axe throwing is mental focus and not strength. Axes can be thrown with one hand or two. I think axe throwing is a great stress reliever.”

The coaches at Seven Axes have been professionally trained by two-time world axe-throwing champion Miguel Tamburini.

Two of the safety rules which are strictly enforced focus on footwear and form. Customers are required to wear closed-toe shoes and to not take trick shots with axes. Flip flops and sandals must be left at home when you visit Seven Axes.

At Seven Axes, there are 10 axe-throwing stations where the action takes place. The targets are circular and made of poplar, which is a soft wood. There are points attached to each target, similar to what you would see while shooting a bow and arrow. With each axe throw, you can get up to eight points. If you hit the red bullseye in the middle of the target, you get six points. If you hit one of the two circular targets, known as either the “kill shot” or the “clutch,” you get eight points, but you must declare your intention to hit them before you throw the axe. When you compete against an opponent, you get 10 axe throws each. The winner is the person with the most points. A game can be completed in less than 10 minutes.

One of the great, unexpected benefits of Seven Axes’ location is its next-door neighbor, Hurricane Grill & Wings. According to Delgado, Hurricane Grill sends its customers next door to have fun throwing axes, while food and drink specials are offered by Hurricane Grill to the clientele who visit Seven Axes.

When you walk in the door at Seven Axes, the charge is simple and reasonable. It’s $25 per hour, per customer. And just like at a restaurant, Delgado’s team of coaches willingly accept tips for their time, teaching and tutelage.

So, why is this business called Seven Axes? It’s simple, really. “Seven is a lucky and spiritual number for me,” Delgado said.

If you are curious about Seven Axes, visit www.sevenaxes.com and follow its growth and popularity on social media @sevenaxespb on Facebook and Instagram. Seven Axes is also a great place to visit if you like artwork, as the artistic creations of artist Nelson Perez adorn the walls and are for sale.

Are you ready to join the growing number of people who are having fun throwing axes? If so, plan your visit today.

Seven Axes is located at 4075 S. State Road 7 in the Marketplace at Wycliffe at the northwest corner of Lake Worth Road and State Road 7. For more information, call (561) 420-7552 or visit www.sevenaxes.com.

 Olympian Laura Kraut Has Competed All Around The World, But Wellington Is Still Home

By Deborah Welky

Show jumping champion Laura Kraut has spent a lifetime around horses, and it has led her to victory on the highest stages of the sport.

Kraut grew up around horses, taking her first leadline class at the age of three, graduating to ponies, and then to junior hunters. At age 19, she turned her attention to jumpers and never looked back. “I had a really good horse, so that helped,” Kraut said.

Now in her 50s, Kraut has been a professional, working in the industry since the 1980s.

“Back then, I was basically doing everything. I broke young horses, rode young horses, rode hunters whenever I was given the opportunity, and would do anything I could with jumpers,” Kraut recalled. “The sport was quite a bit different than it is now. Now it’s so big and so busy. You’re a specialist at hunting, jumping, equitation or teaching. It’s not even possible now to do it all well. I got to try everything, and I feel I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to do all of it. I worked with thousands of different horses, and I learned something from each of them.”

Kraut credits her initial love of riding to her mother Carol, also a horse lover.

“I was around horses before I can even remember,” she said. “My mother rode saddle seat and taught and raised horses. She was all-around in love with horses and wanted to be near them.”

It was her mother, probably cheering her on the most vigorously, who watched as Kraut competed at the recent Olympics in Tokyo as part of the U.S. Show Jumping Team, taking the team silver after an intense jump-off battle against Sweden.

“I was a little bit worried that it was going to give her a heart attack,” Kraut laughed.

As Kraut remembers, her Olympic experience in Tokyo — delayed one year due to the pandemic — was a bit different than she would have liked.

“The people that we met in Tokyo were very friendly and nice, very well-organized, but, due to COVID-19, our activities were limited,” she said. “We arrived, were driven to a very nice hotel, got up the next morning and met for breakfast, were driven to the venue, got out, rode, got back in the van, and went back to the hotel for the extent of our two weeks in Tokyo. But it was fine. We were lucky because our hotel had a gym, restaurant and room service. However, we would’ve loved to tour the city and, especially, to have seen the other sporting events going on all around us.”

The horses may have had the better time.

“It was quite warm there, and the venue was beautiful. There were nicely air-conditioned stables, perfect for horses,” Kraut said. “We’d get there in the morning about 8:30 to 9 a.m. and spend around two hours riding the horses on a beautiful outside course with a mile-long gallop up and down hills. So, the horses weren’t stuck going around and around in the ring, they were out and about. My horse loved to gallop on a hack-out or a trail ride. Oftentimes, we’d work them two times a day, but we were aware of the heat and what effect it might have. The grooms took them for long walks in the grass in the afternoons, so the horses had a really beautiful experience. As for us, we would’ve loved to have been able to see our friends, but we were all in different hotels and on different schedules. Yet, it was nice. We had a lot of team bonding and a great group of people.”

At the Tokyo Olympics, Kraut was riding Baloutinue, a Hanoverian gelding owned by St. Bride’s Farm.

“He’s just one of the best horses I’ve ever had the privilege to ride,” Kraut said. “When you’re talking about a horse, an equine athlete, or even a human athlete, Olympic competitors rank in the .01 percentage worldwide. Baloutinue has reached that point.”

So few horses have that athletic ability, Kraut said. “It’s intelligence, determination, health and stamina all wrapped up in one package. I’d like to say that we each contributed 50-50 to the win, but I think, without that horse, I would not have an Olympic medal. He contributed a great amount. I guide him and steer him and make sure he’s doing the right things but, in the end, he’s the one who has to jump the jumps,” she explained.

Yet it was Kraut who got the honor of standing with her teammates Jessica Springsteen and McLain Ward to accept the silver medal.

Now 40 years into her career, Kraut’s competition résumé is impressive. In addition to her win in Tokyo, she was a member of the silver medal team at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in 2006 and gold winning team at Tryon in 2018. Aside from her recent team silver in Tokyo, she was part of the gold winning team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She has also taken part in numerous World Cup Finals and several Nations Cup teams. She is highly ranked on the money list in career earnings, with more than 100 Grand Prix wins.

Today, Kraut divides her time between Europe and Wellington, where she owns a home in the Aero Club.

“The first time I came to Wellington was in 1978,” Kraut recalled. “I was 14 or 15 years old, riding a green pony. That was sort of the beginning of Wellington. South Shore ended at Pierson Road, and I’m pretty sure Pierson was a dirt road. But it was great. I saw Rodney Jenkins and Katie Monahan [now Katie Monahan-Prudent] ride out at the old polo stadium field. I, like everyone, thought, ‘This is fantastic! There’s beautiful weather in the winter; the best horses and best riders come. Why wouldn’t you want to be here?’ I absolutely love it.”

The biggest difference between Wellington life and her life in Europe is also, seemingly, one of the smallest. “It’s the convenience,” Kraut said. “Here, everything is open all the time. There, the bank or dry cleaners could close for a week, and you don’t know why. We’ve lived there so long that we’ve adjusted, but here, you’re used to being able to get anything you want. Europe is lovely and beautiful, but the convenience is not the same.”

This season in Wellington, Kraut will continue to work with Baloutinue.

“I’ll compete with him a bit, but not excessively. I want to continue to get to know him,” Kraut said. “I’ve also brought a lot of young, up-and-coming horses, so I want to develop them. Hopefully, I’ll be able to jump around Wellington, whether at Global or the Ridge, and try to get them exposed to different things — all while enjoying the weather!”

That quintessential Florida experience of going to the beach is not a major factor in Kraut’s plans.

“I love to go the beach, but I work pretty hard all week,” she said. “Most of my time is taken up with the horses. Monday is usually my day off, so I run around doing all the things I need to do. I’ll go down to the beach for dinners, look at the beach, but if I was a real serious beach person, I’d make time for it. The truth is, I’m happy to hang around in my backyard in Wellington. It’s still a small community, and being here presents a good opportunity to be able to be with our friends and go to dinner and entertain. One of the nicest things about Wellington is that there are plenty of nice restaurants only five or 10 minutes away. It’s a good place to be social.”

Learn more about show jumping star Laura Kraut at www.laurakraut.com.

Faces of WEF

The Winter Equestrian Festival is back in action at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Once again, riders have come to Wellington from all corners of the globe to compete at the longest and richest horse show series in the world. From the steady beat of hooves to the graceful movement as a rider and horse soar over a jump, the amazing sportsmanship is a sight to behold. As these riders — from world champions to amateurs and juniors — put their abilities to the test, aiming for the blue ribbon, Wellington The Magazine once again presents our annual Faces of WEF section. Over the next few pages, you’ll get a glimpse at just a handful of the incredible riders competing this season, from Olympic-caliber superstars to up-and-coming riders to keep an eye on. Turn the page and enjoy Faces of WEF 2022.

For The Gibbs Family, Life Revolves Around Horses And The Busy Schedule Of Up-And-Coming Riders

By Mike May

For the Gibbs family, show jumping is the focal point of their existence. That’s especially the case for Erin Gibbs and two of her children, daughter Jordan and son Dominic. Erin’s husband, Gordon, and their other son, Patrick, are not as involved in the horse industry, but they remain supportive of the family’s equestrian way of life, which sees them divide their time between Colorado and Wellington.

“We are a horse family. It’s what we breathe, eat, dream, discuss and do every day. Our family is like a three-ring circus, as we are a family with three kids, and three members of our family ride horses. Something is always happening,” Erin said. “Although, when I first was married, my husband rarely had seen a horse in person!”

Gordon has come around to the benefits of the equestrian lifestyle, as has Patrick.

“They are supportive and love the variety of activities that Wellington and South Florida offers outside of horses, such as tennis, golf, great restaurants, professional sports and everything ocean,” Erin said. “Otherwise, they are mountain boys and fond of hiking, skiing, mountain biking and enjoying the Colorado Rockies.”

For Erin and Gordon Gibbs, horses remain a constant in the life of their family and will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve raised my children with horses,” Erin said. “We’ve done everything from horses at home to a DIY boarding facility, up to the full board and training experience.”

The family’s equine interest can directly be tied to Erin’s 40-plus years in the presence of horses.

“I am a lifelong equestrian and was born with a love for horses,” she explained. “My childhood was spent riding on a very local level in Colorado, but I took what I learned, and combined it with a love of travel to ride all around the world. I’ve had some great adventures. When I finally settled down, married and started a family, I picked up three-day eventing and competed through the Preliminary level in the Midwest.”

Erin has always had this passion for horses.

“My parents would always say they would not allow me to live in a barn, but really — that’s all I ever wanted,” she said. “My dream was just what my parents didn’t want — to live in my own barn with my family and a lot of animals.”

That dream of owning a barn filled with animals eventually came true.

“We had that for a while at home in Colorado at our ranch,” Erin said. “The house was attached to an indoor arena.”

As her children became immersed in the equestrian world, it gave them a chance to see if they truly liked this unique lifestyle.

“When my kids were ready for real lessons, I wanted them to have a traditional and classical hunter/jumper foundation,” Erin explained. “This is what ultimately shaped our journey and brought us to Wellington.”

The passion for horses and show jumping that the Gibbs family has crafted has put the family in a unique place here, living among the royalty of the horse world.

“To someone who has never ridden a horse, we are experienced,” Erin said. “But to professionals who are teaching, running a top-level barn or competing internationally, we are pretty low-level. I’m a true amateur. My daughter is a competitive junior rider, and my son just turned professional.”

Dominic has been racking up some impressive wins on the circuit, including being awarded the Alfred B. Maclay Trophy as the 2020 National ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Champion, the most prestigious award for junior riders that has been won previously by equestrians who have gone on to compete at the top levels of the sport. He also took third place last year in the WEF Equitation Championship. He trains at Plain Bay Farm and Beacon Hill Show Stables.

His younger sister Jordan is a rising star in the equitation and jumper rings, forging her own path in her upcoming junior career after taking key victories at the North American Youth Championships last summer in Traverse City, Michigan.

All this makes the equestrian futures for Dominic and Jordan very promising.

“I believe both my daughter and son will someday run a successful equestrian business, but for now, they are in a learning mode, and I enjoy watching them grow,” Erin said.

Meanwhile, the family follows an equestrian-centric lifestyle. On Monday through Friday, Jordan goes to the gym for a workout at 6 a.m. At 8 a.m., she heads to the barn. There’s no jumping on Mondays and Tuesdays, jumping lessons take place on Wednesdays, and Thursdays are dedicated to fine-tuning her performance, since her age group competitions are held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jordan does attend school Monday through Thursday. Classes start at 2 p.m.

As for Dominic, who recently graduated high school, he’s a working student. He leaves the house as early as 5:30 a.m. to get to the Plain Bay Farm barn to feed the horses and muck the stalls. He’s also trying to balance riding for his other barn. He also enjoys working out at the gym, and he gets home for dinner around 7 p.m.

A typical weekend competition day can be a long, whirlwind experience.

“The kids leave the house before sunrise to practice in the rings and feel out the mood and energy of their horse. Since horse shows are a ‘hurry-up-and-wait’ setting, they are usually fitting in all the extra work of the day in between competition rounds, like riding other horses, schoolwork and barn chores,” Erin said. “It is not unusual that they will leave before sunrise and get home after dark. As a parent, I show up to watch and cheer — but I don’t get involved in their routines, preparation or coaching. I have a busy job on those days being photographer and videographer. I will usually bring my laptop and find a quiet place in between events to catch up on work.”

Erin and Gordon Gibbs feel they have given Dominic and Jordan the best foundation for a successful career in show jumping.

“As parents, we always saw our roles as opening doors for our children, but they had to have the talent, personal drive, work ethic and will to walk through those doors and make things happen for themselves,” Erin said. “To be successful in horse sports, they needed to have the passion to pull us as parents instead of us pushing them. It appears that Jordan and Dominic both have the equestrian equivalent of the will to win.”

After the show jumping season ends in Wellington, Dominic will head to Europe this summer to compete there for the first time, while Jordan will stay in the U.S. to gain more experience. This fall, Dominic returns home and will attend the University of Miami. There, he will integrate his riding experiences with business studies, working toward a future as a professional rider and competitor.

Eventually, Jordan may very well follow a similar career path. Moving forward, Erin is content with her current role in the equestrian world.

“My personal riding accomplishments are from what seems a lifetime ago — so long that people are sometimes surprised that I ride,” she said. “There just isn’t enough time and money for me to commit to horses in the way I used to because I still work heavily for our family business, in addition to managing the kids and all the logistics it takes to train and compete at the higher levels. At this point, my favorite things are trail rides and travel riding.”

The image of a horse continues to personify the way of life for the Gibbs family, and this hectic lifestyle does not appear to be changing anytime soon.

Southeast Florida Honor Flight’s Buck Off Challenge Returns To Wellington March 18

By Y.A. Teitelbaum

Vietnam War veteran Jim Boldon is grateful for his memorable trip aboard a Southeast Florida Honor Flight in 2019.

The 73-year-old Boldon reminisced how he had not received any thanks after returning home from the war until his Honor Flight, a one-day trip from Palm Beach International Airport to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built to honor war veterans’ service and sacrifices.

“It was a brutal war, and not to have any recognition [upon returning home] was not fair,” said Boldon, an U.S. Air Force veteran who has lived in Wellington since 1985. “People weren’t kind to us.”

The reaction was the complete opposite when Boldon and about 80 other veterans returned from their Honor Flight. “Our family was at the airport to welcome us home, people were waving flags and cheering,” Boldon said. “It brings tears to your eyes. After being forgotten for almost 40 years, it was absolutely awesome.”

Southeast Florida Honor Flight is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that flies World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans four times a year free of charge to the veteran. Each flight costs about $120,000, according to chairman Janet Hoose.

Numerous fundraisers are held throughout the year, highlighted by the popular AmberWay Equine Buck Off Challenge, a family-friendly mechanical bull-riding competition scheduled for Friday, March 18 at 6 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center. The event is co-sponsored by the Village of Wellington.

“The veterans are treated like rock stars on their Honor Flight,” Hoose said. “I’m honored and privileged to help honor these heroes. The Buck Off Challenge is a fun way to raise money to help our veterans.”

The AmberWay Equine Buck Off Challenge is a fundraising event started by Wellington’s Bobbi Rottman of Eques Solutions, which primarily specializes in bringing the equestrian community and businesses together. Rottman and her team started this event almost 10 years ago, and for the last four years, Southeast Florida Honor Flight has been the beneficiary. They spend months going over every detail to make sure the nonprofit receives enormous support from the community and gets the opportunity to educate more people about the organization.

“This is a fun and entertaining event that the entire community can participate in, and it is a great tool to raise awareness for Southeast Florida Honor Flight,” said Rottman, a lifelong equestrian who started Eques Solutions in 2008. “The veterans deserve our support and respect, and I’m happy and proud to be able to offer an event that can impact their organization.”

Four-person teams compete in the AmberWay Equine Buck Off Challenge, where individual rides are scored by a panel of celebrity judges and totaled to determine the winning team. Riders are scored on their ability to stay on the bull while keeping one hand in the air at all times, as well as the style of the ride. Higher scores may be achieved for character, team spirit and costumes. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams. The entry fee is $100 per team.

A limited number of individual VIP reserved seats are available for $75 and includes dinner and a cash bar. General admission/unreserved seating tickets are $15 each.

To register a team or purchase tickets, visit www.honorflightsefl.org/events.

Korean War veteran Stanley Levin distinctly remembers his Honor Flight trip in 2018. “It was one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had,” said the 92-year-old Levin, who served in the infantry with the U.S. Army. “Most of us were in tears. Everywhere we went, we were hugged, bands were playing for us. We were so overcome with the emotion people showed us. It was tremendous.”

Levin, who has lived in Wellington for more than 20 years, also remembers how Honor Flight had family members write letters to the soldiers, which were delivered to them on the plane. And when they returned home to PBIA, they were greeted by thousands of well-wishers.

Vietnam War veteran Frank Malec echoed Levin’s and Boldon’s emotions about the Honor Flight trip, as he vividly remembers being called vile names upon returning home. He appreciated the amount of work done to coordinate the trip that made it a very special occasion.

“With Honor Flight, it helped me heal that hurt,” said the 75-year-old Malec, who has lived in Wellington since 1976. “I was amazed that people took time to come and welcome us home. There were kids with signs. I remember a girl gave me her sign. I almost started crying.”

Malec admitted he didn’t initially want to go before being persuaded by a friend.

“I’m glad I did it, very glad I did it,” said Malec, who served as an infantry squad leader in the U.S. Army.

He had simple advice for his fellow veterans regarding Southeast Florida Honor Flight. “I would say, go. It’s very healing. It’s incredible. It’s very beautiful,” Malec said.

For more information about Southeast Florida Honor Flight, visit www.honorflightsefl.org or www.facebook.com/honorflight or call (855) FLYAVET (855-359-2838).