One Of The Best Shows In The World
The success of the Winter Equestrian Festival would not be possible without the dedication and generosity of many wonderful supporters.
An iconic sponsor of equestrian sport since 1957, Rolex stepped up to become the “Official Timepiece” of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in 2014 and has since taken competition at WEF and PBIEC to the next level.
Rolex is the title sponsor of the Week 11 CSI 5* competition this year on March 22-26. An important change to the schedule in 2017 will see the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* featured in Week 11 on Saturday, March 25.
Of course, there is plenty of action before then. As the 12-week circuit began, WEF Week 1 kicked off Jan. 11 thanks to title sponsor Wellington Regional Medical Center, which also served as the presenting sponsor of the always popular $75,000 Battle of the Sexes. Week 1 then hosted the $75,000 Rosenbaum Mollengarden Grand Prix on Sunday, Jan. 15.
International competition began with Week 2’s CSI 2*, sponsored by Marshall & Sterling Insurance, which ran from Jan. 18 to 22. They presented the $86,000 Marshall & Sterling Grand Prix CSI 2* on Saturday, Jan. 21.
Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is a longtime supporter of the Winter Equestrian Festival, and returned as this year’s title sponsor for the Week 3 CSI 3* competition on Jan. 25-29. Week 3 featured the $130,000 Adequan Grand Prix CSI 3* on Saturday, Jan. 28, under the lights of the International Arena.
Ariat International is the sponsor of Week 4’s CSI 4* on Feb. 1-5, which features the highlight $216,000 Ariat Grand Prix CSI 4* on the grass jumping field at the PBIEC Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 5.
Week 4 also features the Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, on Saturday, Feb. 4. The event is a unique pro/am team challenge where the world’s top riders join forces with equestrian sport’s most prominent families to earn a sliding scale of prize money for Palm Beach County charities. In addition, Fidelity Investments is the title sponsor of Week 5’s CSI 5* competition on Feb. 8-12, which will feature the $380,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Suncast sponsors the 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, which runs throughout the 12 weeks of WEF competition, and is also the title sponsor of Week 7’s CSI 5* competition on Feb. 22-26. The week will feature the $380,000 Suncast Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Lugano Diamonds presents Week 8’s CSIO 4* event on March 1-5. The exciting week hosts the $150,000 Nations Cup on Friday, March 3, which sees teams of riders representing their countries on the world’s stage. That Sunday, March 5, also features the $216,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO 4*.
Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the title sponsor of Week 9’s CSI 5* competition, running March 8-12. The week will feature the $380,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, March 11.
Week 10 brings longtime WEF sponsor Horseware Ireland back to present CSI 3* competition from March 15-19. The week’s major grand prix will present a $130,000 purse on Saturday, March 18.
The 12th and final week of WEF hosts CSI 4* competition from March 29-April 2, sponsored by the Wanderers Club, and features the final Saturday Night Lights event, the $216,000 Wanderers Club Grand Prix CSI 4*, on April 1.
Along with its weekly sponsors, WEF welcomes Hollow Creek Farm as the new title sponsor of this year’s U25 Grand Prix Series. With 10 events throughout the circuit totaling $215,000 in prize money, the series gives young riders a valuable steppingstone from the junior and amateur ranks to the grand prix level.
The Winter Equestrian Festival comes together each year thanks to these and many other generous supporters. Learn more at www.pbiec.com.
