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Wide Array Of Cuisines Available At New Tokyo Bay Buffet On SR 7

Table-Tokyo Bay Buffet

Wide Array Of Cuisines Available At New Tokyo Bay Buffet On SR 7

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

Tokyo Bay Buffet opened this past spring in Royal Palm Beach offering more than 50 kinds of fresh sushi, hibachi, seafood, homemade desserts and more.

Manager Johnny Chen is excited about the new location, which complements another Tokyo Bay Buffet restaurant in Georgia. Tokyo Bay Buffet is special, Chen explained, because it is different from other Asian buffet restaurants.

His favorite dish on the vast multi-part buffet is the Thai Mango Shrimp.

“It’s peeled shrimp with fresh mango sauce and other vegetables,” Chen said. “It’s a little bit sweet, spicy, and it’s really nice. That’s why it’s my favorite.”

It’s also one of the most popular of Tokyo Bay Buffet’s many offerings.

Chen has eight years of experience in the industry and is proud of the unique offerings and style at Tokyo Bay Buffet.

“We serve sushi, hibachi, Asian food, Chinese food, seafood like snow crab, cocktail shrimp and oysters. We have homemade desserts as well, like crème brulee,” he said.

The dishes reflect many different cultures: sushi and hibachi are Japanese, the hot dishes are Asian, mostly Chinese and Thai, as well as the seafood. Some of the most popular seafood items are the snow crab and oysters.

The recipes are also very authentic, Chen explained. Chinese food in China is different from typical Chinese food in the United States, he explained, but Japanese food doesn’t change much, except for the addition of cream cheese in some items. In Japan, dairy isn’t common. “What you see here,” he said, “if you go to Japan, you’ll get these items as well.”

All of the sushi is made fresh on the premises. Every day, special orders of fish are flown in from a Japanese company that provides the freshest sushi-grade fish products. Seasonal fish are often featured, since when a particular fish is in season it has the best flavor, Chen added.

Looking at the vast array of sushi plates available, you may notice something interesting. Some of the sushi plates only have a few pieces out at a time. That’s intentional and by design.

“We serve a lot of different sushi. It’s fresh-made. It’s different from the other buffets. We have people behind the bar. We make it in little bits, and once it runs out, we refill it right away, so all the sushi is fresh,” Chen said. “When people take them and they finish, we make another one fresh.”

There are chefs at the ready by the sushi and hibachi areas, able to skillfully and artfully make whatever is running low. Typical sushi buffets, Chen added, may only have 10 types of sushi. At Tokyo Bay Buffet, they rotate more than 50 different types to keep the menu varied and customers interested as they try new flavors and enjoy their favorites.

Some of the sushi types available recently included: Rainbow Naturo, which is salmon, tuna, white tuna, avocado and cucumber; Philadelphia roll, with cream cheese, cucumber and crab; Mexican Roll, with spicy crab, tempura shrimp and asparagus; Tempura Shrimp, with shrimp, cucumber, asparagus and lettuce; the MVP roll, which has tempura shrimp, asparagus and avocado; the Hawaii Roll, with salmon skin, avocado and spicy salmon; the J&B Roll, with salmon, cream cheese and avocado; the Crazy Tuna, with pepper tuna, avocado and spicy tuna; the Dancing Ell Roll, with cream cheese, cucumber, masago, eel and avocado; the 7 West Roll, with cucumber, avocado, crab, asparagus, spicy tuna and spicy crab; and many more.

Everything is made fresh, and in small batches, including the hibachi station, which allows diners to create their own hibachi dish.

In addition, there are four soups (miso, hot and sour, wonton and seafood) to enjoy before heading to the fresh fruit and homemade desserts.

Catering and takeout are available. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is available Monday through Thursday, and Sunday, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Dinner on Friday and Saturday is available from 5 to 10:30 p.m.

Tokyo Bay Buffet is located at 165 S. State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 753-5566 or visit www.tokyobaybuffet.com.

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Wellington Real Estate

Heather Dengler Of Equestrian Sotheby’s Enjoys Her Time Spent Working With Clients

RealEstate-Heather Dengler

Heather Dengler Of Equestrian Sotheby’s Enjoys Her Time Spent Working With Clients

Story by Matthew Auerbach • Photo by Abner Pedraza

Heather Dengler of Equestrian Sotheby’s International Realty traveled a long way to become part of the Wellington community.

“I’m originally from King City, Ontario, Canada,” she said. “I grew up riding. I moved to Connecticut for a few years and would winter in Wellington. I always stayed involved in equestrian sport, even while going to college in Vancouver, Canada. I would come back to the East Coast during the summer and work either at a vet clinic or show-jumping farm.”

When Dengler married 15 years ago, she and her husband made Wellington their full-time home. They have two boys together. It was around this time that Dengler became involved in the real estate industry. “It didn’t take long before I found that I really enjoyed it,” she said.

Because of her background, Dengler gets a particular thrill from working with equestrians and equestrian properties, but it’s truly taking part in and completing the entire process that she finds most gratifying.

“For me, the best feeling is when clients are happy with the deal, be it a sale, a purchase or even a rental,” Dengler said. “It really means something to me for my clients to be pleased with the outcome.”

Like anyone active in the real estate market, Dengler’s continued success depends upon a cohesive mix of her own talent and experience with the up-to-the-minute technological tools placed at her disposal by the company she works with. Luckily for Dengler, that combination has fallen into place quite nicely.

“I feel that with my background and extensive knowledge of the area, I can comfortably find clients exactly what they are searching for,” Dengler said. “When I combine my experience with Sotheby’s incredible marketing capabilities, I am confident that I can get properties sold.”

Dengler doesn’t have to work hard convincing potential home buyers to consider Wellington as their destination. She is more than happy to rattle off the virtues of the village to anyone willing to listen.

“Wellington is very unique,” she said. “I think anyone would agree that what we have here is special. You can see world-class show jumping, dressage and polo here, all within a few miles. We have great restaurants in Wellington and, just a short drive away, in Palm Beach, Delray and Boca.”

Dengler also notes other benefits of the community. “I’m not a golfer, but we have that as well, and great beaches nearby to top it all off,” she added.

Dengler is confident that the uptick in the real estate market will continue.

“The market has maintained a solid, steady climb over the past few years, and, of course, we strive to maintain that,” she said.

Equestrian Sotheby’s International Realty is located at 12180 South Shore Blvd., Suite 102, in Wellington. To contact Heather Dengler, call (561) 722-6702.

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Wellington Health

Dr. Andrea Bayer And The Staff At Seasons Women’s Care Treat Patients In All Stages Of Their Lives

Health-Andrea Bayer

Dr. Andrea Bayer And The Staff At Seasons Women’s Care Treat Patients In All Stages Of Their Lives

By Jason Stromberg

Dr. Andrea Bayer came up with the name of Seasons Women’s Care for her practice because it reflects how she and her associates care for women through all the seasons of their lives. The practice includes two other doctors, Dr. Sarah Knowlton and Dr. Jessica Clark.

Bayer, Knowlton and Clark practice obstetrics and gynecology on the campus of the Wellington Regional Medical Center. Each doctor also practices at Palms West Hospital, where Bayer recently received a plaque honoring her 20 years of service.

Bayer enjoys her work caring for patients. “It’s an opportunity to help other women. I’m a mother. I’ve had babies. I can relate to a lot of conditions that we see,” Bayer said. “It’s great to be able to help women with all the different issues that affect them throughout their lives.”

Seasons Women’s Care offers a personal approach, especially when working with pregnant women.

“It can be a lot of fun. You are bringing new life into the world,” Bayer said, adding that she has now been at it long enough to have brought infants into the world for adults she delivered. “It’s really nice.”

The doctors at Seasons Women’s Care aren’t taking care of only the baby, but also the patient.

“It can be very stressful. You have the life of the mother and the baby in your care,” said Bayer, former chair of Wellington Regional’s ob/gyn department. “It’s two patients we are taking care of. Babies come whenever they want to come. We can work 24 to 48 hours straight, doing deliveries during the middle of the night. We are always available for our patients.”

Bayer said that it is very common for a baby to be delivered in the early morning hours. However, many deliveries nowadays are planned.

“There are different reasons for inducing patients with medication to help deliver a baby,” Bayer said. “It could be because the baby is really big, or for personal and medical reasons, or social reasons.”

Bayer, Knowlton and Clark understand the needs of women throughout every stage of their lives. Not only do they handle medical issues, they also cope with each patients’ emotional changes.

“There are patient’s moms whom I have known for 20-plus years,” Bayer said. “It kind of makes you feel like part of the family. The patients are friends now. That is a really nice part of our practice. We get to know our people.”

Women of all ages are treated at Seasons Women’s Care, where quality obstetrical and gynecological services are always offered, regardless of what stage of life a patient is in. The team’s goal is to help every woman establish a happy lifestyle and a healthy body.

“We have patients, from young children to women of all ages, who deal with many kinds of problems,” said Bayer, who is certified by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), which makes her an expert in helping women through that stage of their lives. “When it comes to women’s reproductive organs, we deal with a lot of preventive evaluations and a lot of problems that arise.”

There are other things that Bayer and her staff look for in teenage girls and older women, such as general health-related issues.

“We look for other issues that affect their general health, such as, we listen to their hearts,” Bayer said. “If they have a heart murmur, we pick it up. If they have thyroid issues, or diabetes, we check that out. Patients can come in complaining of a pain. It could be an ovarian issue, or it may be a bowel or a bladder issue, maybe an issue related to their back or hip. We are a very versatile team.”

Seasons Women’s Care Gynecology Obstetrics is located at 10115 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 300, on the campus of Wellington Regional Medical Center. Visit www.seasonswomenscare.com or call (561) 328-6165 for more information.

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Feature Stories

Classic And Contemporary Come Together In The Light, Bright Designs Of Krista Watterworth Alterman

Designer-Krista Watterworth Alterman

Classic And Contemporary Come Together In The Light, Bright Designs Of Krista Watterworth Alterman

Story by Julie Unger • Photos by Jessica Glynn

An affinity for interior design began at a young age for Krista Watterworth Alterman of Krista Watterworth Design Studio. She was 7 years old when she started drawing people and homes in elevations — dissections of homes much like dollhouses.

“I really wanted to have a dollhouse; my parents couldn’t afford it,” Alterman recalled. “So, I would draw what it would look like in that dollhouse, with kids in one room playing together, an adult reading in a chair, and I would base the people in the drawings on family members.”

That was where Alterman’s design passion began. Now that she can afford a dollhouse, she bought her daughter one. “It was totally a dream that I was able to get her one. She’s 6 now,” Alterman said.

Alterman gravitates toward a classic, contemporary look. The influences of growing up in Connecticut, spending time in New York City and in South Beach helped establish a fondness for clean, contemporary looks, reflecting Alterman’s urban experiences, with classic details, reflecting Connecticut, and mid-century and art deco accents reflecting South Beach.

“It is an amalgamation of those three elements that put me in my design happy place,” she said. “But I feel as though I have to be almost like a chameleon. I have to listen to what people want and what they need, and not really infuse my style upon them — but I do need to infuse my sense of style.”

The difference? Sense of style is a sense of good style, regardless of what style of design. Alterman’s style would be her personal preferences.

“It really is just about giving clients a sense of good style, no matter what design sensibility they’re attracted to,” she explained.

Her common thread, or signature, is light, bright, neutral color palettes. Currently, light and bright is trending, Alterman said, and that look reflects a sense of space. Dark colors, which absorb light, can make a space seem smaller, compared with light colors, which reflect light.

Alterman’s unique sense of style is apparent in a collaborative tile line with TileBar. The line is called Eighty by Krista Watterworth, featuring pop-culture shapes in an elegant manner with marble tile mosaics. The first set of tiles has already sold out, and they’re on the second batch.

“They’re all designed based upon certain ’80s shapes and profiles. I put them in a classic form,” she said.

On the studio’s web site, Alterman has a blog that provides a glimpse into what Krista Watterworth Design Studio does and how it works, as well as a page with items that are specially curated home furnishings that she is drawn to.

Her name might seem familiar; Alterman has been working on The Vanilla Ice Project since its first season helping to stage the house for sale. She has designed on HGTV, the Food Network and the DIY Network on shows such as Save My Bath, Splurge & Save and Restaurant Impossible.

Alterman’s credentials make her unique. She earned her master’s of fine arts degree from the New School in Manhattan, then went back to study at the Parsons School of Interior Design.

Between Alterman’s natural talent and exemplary education, styling someone’s home really is her adding to a customer’s vision.

“Designing someone’s house isn’t about me, and a designer has to be part psychic and part psychologist,” she said. “I believe, in order to be effective, I have to read into the spirit of my client and bring that to life on the canvas of their home.”

From start to finish, a project can take a year to a year and a half. Over the course of that time, the designer and client work closely together, forming a bond while making the client’s dreams come true.

When looking for an interior designer, Alterman suggests looking for a personality that meshes with your own.

“Make sure that you get a good sense that you’ll work with this person,” she said. “You want it to be a positive experience all around. It’s a very, very personal experience designing a home. It’s where we live, it’s where we create memories, it’s where our children grow up. It’s where we are with our husbands, and we grow old together with our partners. It’s where we celebrate, and it’s where we mourn. It’s such a personal, human part of life, that I think you want your designer to understand that sensitivity.”

Renovations, especially if living in the home at the time, can be stressful, she pointed out. Sometimes it’s the smaller things that have to be kept in mind when hiring an interior designer, whether it is the connection, understanding the intimacy of the design, or that they show respect for the budget.

Alterman’s studio has been featured in many publications, such as Kitchen Trends, Luxe Interiors + Design, Palm Beach Illustrated, Aventura Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Redbook. The studio was voted Best of Houzz, Designer of the Month on Wayfair and Best of the Palm Beaches by South Florida Luxury magazine. The studio is also featured on Joss & Main.

To learn more about Krista Watterworth Design Studio, call (561) 530-3983 or visit www.kristawatterworth.com.

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Wellington Education

Palm Beach Central’s Linda Pearson Teaches Students How To Excel In The Culinary Arts

Education-Linda Pearson

Palm Beach Central’s Linda Pearson Teaches Students How To Excel In The Culinary Arts

Story by Chris Felker • Photos by Julie Unger

Much of the knowledge it takes to do well in culinary pursuits is rather cut-and-dried — consisting of the simple chemistry of salt and pepper of taste, and the meat and potatoes of math and science.

Those lay out the basic ingredients for Linda Pearson’s students in the Culinary Arts Academy magnet program at Palm Beach Central High School. But when it comes to all the various parts of the food service industry — to which the program is a steppingstone for more than half of Pearson’s pupils — things can get a bit cluttered, like the kitchen of a beginner chef. The kids who don’t stick it out, as well as those who take cooking classes just as an elective, learn quickly that the industry isn’t for them.

The cluttered-kitchen scenario is exactly what the intensive magnet curriculum is designed to avoid for students who have an eye toward the restaurant industry, either as a temporary job to help get them through college, or as a long-term career path.

Pearson, a West Palm Beach native, joined the Palm Beach County School District in the early 1980s.

“I went to culinary school as a public school student way back in the 1970s,” she recalled. “I attended South Tech, actually, which is now a charter school. I graduated early from that, went straight out into the industry and started working, and in about a year’s time, I was already executive sous chef at the Fountains Country Club.”

To further her knowledge, she took courses through what was then Palm Beach Community College, as well as Florida Atlantic and Florida International universities. After the Fountains, Pearson went on to work at other country clubs, until she entered the education field in 1981. Much of her own on-the-job experience influences Pearson’s method and substance of instruction to this day.

Her assignments after she started with the district added more seasoning to her recipe for education that Pearson brings to the table at Palm Beach Central. She was involved in the design of a mini-culinary “institute” in southern Palm Beach County.

“I originally started working for South Tech, the school that I graduated from, and then I did 10 years at North Tech up in Riviera Beach, in an off-campus program, and then I went back to South Tech,” Pearson said.

When South Tech was slated to close, the school district asked her to assist in the development and design of a new facility at West Boca Raton High School.

“I volunteered my time and traveled throughout the state actually looking at designs for kitchens for instructional purposes, and then I was actually able to work on that committee for the district to design and develop that [culinary program] kitchen at West Boca,” Pearson said.

She joined the staff at Palm Beach Central three years ago and is in her fourth school year now. Next spring, her program will graduate just over a baker’s dozen who’ve been studying with her for all their high school years.

The culinary magnet program was trimmed from two teachers to one — Pearson — just as she started. But it still has a demanding curriculum, involving both catering and an actual eatery.

“We lost a classroom, so I got the kids involved and had them start thinking about a new design of how to set it up so it was much more functional,” she said. “We run a restaurant called the Bronco Bistro. The upper-level kids — that’s kids in their third and fourth year, because this is a four-year program — are responsible for creating and generating all the menus that are used, the shopping list… the order taking, the deliveries, food prep, dining room service and they literally run the bistro.”

The bistro starts up in January, Pearson explained, noting that organizational tasks dominate the first semester.

“The level one kids are learning right now mostly what it is to be a good professional. They’re understanding employability skills, they’re writing résumés, doing professional writings and things to get them acclimated,” she said. “Then they’ll move on up and they’ll be in the kitchen and start cooking, probably with breakfast cookery first, and knife skills and things like that. It’s a lot of book-work in level one.”

The students also learn how to be safe in the kitchen.

“Level two students do a certification that they’re working on right now called Safe Staff, the same certification that employees get on the job. It’s with the student for three years, a small version of what proper safety and sanitation are involved in the handling of food,” Pearson explained. “The upper-level kids have a shot at… their national certification, and that is Serve Safe, a manager’s exam, and it’s good for five years. Those students are working diligently on learning all the material that has to do with the exam done through the National Restaurant Association.”

Getting the certification is a strategic move for students to do while in high school, Pearson said, noting that it costs approximately $500 to take that exam after graduation.

While she encourages the teens who seem sure they’re aiming for a culinary career, Pearson exercises empathy with all and expresses caution to some, even though she said her main reward is “getting the kids to get involved in the program.” She tries to guide her students, not dictate to them.

“I make them responsible, and they respond by running the place,” Pearson said of the Bronco Bistro. “I kind of guide them, but they own the place. It’s their place, and it’s that ownership that I think is so neat.”

In the early years of the program, students often drift in and out. But for a handful, the culinary arts will dominate their lives. “A few kids are absolutely interested in this as an occupation,” Pearson said. “I encourage them to go to college for business and get a job. Get work experience that way, get a business degree. That’s pretty much what I tell all my kids to do.”

Pearson admits she’ll feel a bit of nostalgia in May. “This is my group that is going to be the first that’s had me all the years,” she said. “We’re like family. When you hang with kids for four years, you become pretty close.”

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Feature Stories

Adequan Global Dressage Festival A Proving Ground For Olympians And Up-And-Coming Athletes

Adequan Global Dressage Festival A Proving Ground For Olympians And Up-And-Coming Athletes

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) has grown steadily since its inception in 2012, developing into a world-class competition. Seventeen riders participating at the 2016 festival went on to represent their respective countries at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

With many success stories surrounding AGDF, the festival is sure to be a proving ground for upcoming championships, including the 2017 FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Omaha, Neb., in late March.

The 2017 AGDF will take place once again at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Stadium in Wellington, from Jan. 11 through March 26, 2017.

The circuit will be imperative for riders who want to gain scores for the World Cup finals, since the AGDF hosts four World Cup qualifying events. Starting in January, riders can also record qualifying scores for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.

“We are proud to host such an important event for dressage riders from around the world,” said Thomas Baur, AGDF’s director of sport. “We see the performances increasing every year, but more than that, we see more and more great horses and riders entering the sport at the lower levels and enjoying dressage.”

For local spectators who want to enjoy dressage as well, everyone is welcome with free general admission. The special Friday Night Stars events, which happen every Friday during CDI events (with the exception of AGDF 8/Palm Beach Dressage Derby on Saturday, March 4), host the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle class, where horses and riders compete to their own choreographed routine and music.

Friday Night Stars offers a fun evening of dressage and entertainment. Special musical acts, such a string quartet or the Yale a capella singing group, are sprinkled throughout dressage performances.

Visitors will get to see all four members of the U.S. Dressage Team, which recently won the bronze medal at the Olympics. Steffen Peters, Laura Graves, Allison Brock and Kasey Perry-Glass will compete for top honors at the 2017 AGDF.

Joining them is seven-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven of Sweden, as well as 2016 Olympians Belinda Trussell and Megan Lane of Canada, Yvonne Losos de Muniz of the Dominican Republic and Christian Zimmermann of Palestine.

Along with these 2016 Olympians are riders such as Christoph Koschel and Michael Klimke of Germany, along with other top riders from around the world.

Along with the four weeks of World Cup qualifying for CDI riders, there is the CDI 5* week that occurs Feb. 8-12, offering the highest-rated international competition in the world.

The Palm Beach Dressage Derby, a historic South Florida dressage competition, returns March 1-5 as the last FEI World Cup qualifier in North America before the finals.

On March 15-19 is the CDI 4*, and then countries will compete against each other during the finale week, March 22-26, at the CDIO 3*.

The FEI Nations Cup will welcome teams riding to see which country can claim top honors. Nations Cup competition has become hotly contested and a timely opportunity for countries from Central America and South America, as well as North America and Europe, to gain vital team experience and represent their home countries. It remains the only Nations Cup competition for dressage in the Western Hemisphere outside of championship events and is part of the FEI Nations Cup series.

The 2016 Paralympic Games were also hosted in Rio this summer, and thanks to two CPEDI 3* events at the AGDF, riders gained valuable experience in Florida before heading to South America.

Last year, the AGDF hosted U.S. Paralympic Team riders Roxanne Trunnell, Rebecca Hart, Margaret McIntosh and Angela Peavy, as well as Canadian Paralympians Ashley Gowanlock, Lauren Barwick and Robyn Andrews.

Para-dressage riders will return to AGDF in 2017 for two events, including a CPEDI 3* on Jan. 19-22 and on March 9-12.

“We are committed to making dressage special in the United States,” Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo said. “We want to showcase the sport and bring in new fans to appreciate the talent, strength and artistry of these athletes. We welcome everyone from South Florida to come and experience dressage.”

While international-level riders are the main attraction, the AGDF also hosts competitions for horses and riders of varying experience. The popular CDI and national competition for amateur riders will make its return for the 2017 circuit.

Classes for juniors, young riders, ponies and young horses are also offered and make the circuit one to which any rider can aspire.

The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Stadium is located at 13500 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington. To find out more about the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival, and for a full schedule, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

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Feature Stories

New Flying Cow Polo Club Growing Strong In Wellington

New Flying Cow Polo Club Growing Strong In Wellington

By Deborah Welky

Veterinarian Dr. Richard “Doc” Fredericks of Cedar Croft Farm has been coming to Wellington since the 1980s, attending polo matches, practicing his own game and playing in and around the area as part of his Cedar Croft Polo Team. Last year, he decided to expand his reach with the creation of the Flying Cow Polo Club.

“He wanted to bring more friends and family down,” explained Robert Piacente, vice president of the club. “He wanted to get a club together, get his affiliation with the USPA and expand.”

Fredericks turned over his Rustic Ranches estate to the newly formed polo club, including its arena and practice area. Work is underway constructing a new barn.

“The snowbirds’ horses are beginning to be transported down from New York this month,” Piacente said. “The horses are kind of anxious. They’ve been playing all summer. So we have to give them some time to calm down and get settled in.”

More horses will continue to arrive until polo season kicks off, but Piacente is greatly anticipating the end of December, when the club holds its own first match. “Right after Christmas, we have a Santa Claus rally,” he explained. “It’s not an official public game. There’s no advertising, but we’ll have a small crowd for sure.”

Then things kick into high gear. Matches and tournaments will be played, lessons given, horses rented and stables full. Resident pros Cristian Vasquez and Horton Schwartz will be on hand to offer help and advice through hour-long private or group lessons and coached chukkers.

“We’re a rustic kind of club,” Piacente said. “We offer low-goal polo for the beginner, the weekend warrior and the fly-in. We attract some medium-goal players from other clubs as well. Although we keep a tent at IPC, we are more cowboy-oriented.”

Parking and grandstand seating are free for matches. VIP seating is $25 with food and wine included.

In 2017, the Flying Cow Polo Club will host its second Women’s Arena Polo Invitational — an event that was hugely popular in the club’s inaugural season.

This year, the club is introducing an umpires’ clinic and a youth polo program. Piacente is seeking sponsors for the youth program in order to keep tuition low.

“We teach kids ages 7 and up, with little or no riding experience, how to take care of horses, about the game of polo, teamwork and riding,” Piacente said. “We try to do this at little or no cost to the student.”

The club does not require membership to play, but expects to double its membership rosters within the next 12 months. Chukkers, riding, practice and stick-and-ball are free to members, who must also register with the United States Polo Association. Match fees are reasonable, and there’s a clubhouse with a pool.

For the Flying Cow Polo Club, plans for the future include deciding whether to designate a second house on the property as a guest house, or working with a polo travel company to offer it as a bed-and-breakfast.

Piacente projects strong growth, keeping with the club’s mission to bring the joys of polo to everyone.

To help sponsor the youth program, call (631) 897-9174. For more information about the club, visit www.flyingcowpc.com.

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Feature Stories

Imagination Leads The Way For Local Charities At 2017 GREAT CHARITY CHALLENGE

Imagination Leads The Way For Local Charities At 2017 GREAT CHARITY CHALLENGE

What if you didn’t have to remain a child to dream of miracles? Once again, the Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, will aim to raise more than $1.5 million, which will bring its fundraising total to more than $10 million raised over the last eight years.

Heading into its eighth annual event, the Great Charity Challenge returns to Wellington during the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. With fun and creative themes from super heroes to fairy tales, the event has brought thousands of people to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to celebrate those who have dared to imagine a better community: the GCC sponsors, the riders donating their time and all those involved with the charitable organizations. To date, the event has distributed more than $9.2 million to hundreds of nonprofits in Palm Beach County.

Founded in 2010 by Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo and his daughter Paige, the Great Charity Challenge has seen the equestrian community take charitable giving to a new level. The event has impacted thousands of lives through its unique equestrian competition, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated directly to Palm Beach County charities.

While many organizations are supported and funded via the community, the GCC fills a true need to cover operating expenses; expenses that donors often shy away from supporting. A homeless shelter needs new windows. A food pantry needs a vehicle to reach hundreds of clients every week. An organization needs operating costs to help foster children. These are a few examples of the ways that the event enables Palm Beach County charities to better serve the community.

“As always, my daughter Paige and I, along with the many generous families and companies that contribute to this charitable evening, look forward to this great event each year,” Bellissimo said. “This eighth year marks a milestone; as of Feb. 4, 2017, we will have officially surpassed the $10 million donation mark. Our theme of ‘animated characters’ is a perfect fit to acknowledge those who imagine a better community. This event is truly the legacy of the Winter Equestrian Festival and the sponsors involved.”

Friends of Foster Children, an organization that provides services to foster and adoptive children in Palm Beach County, was one of the recipients from last year’s GCC.

“The winnings from the GCC will be used for operating costs to sustain our agency,” Chief Executive Officer Wendy Tippett said. “Operating costs are difficult to come by in the nonprofit arena, and the ability to utilize these dollars for those costs ensures that Friends of Foster Children will be in existence another year and able to provide continued services to the more than 1,700 children in foster care in Palm Beach County.”

The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County secured $75,000 through the 2016 GCC, which enabled them to provide permanent housing and end the homelessness of 33 families to date. “Last year we were able to help 107 families, and with this additional funding, we will be able to help even more this year,” Executive Director Marilyn Munoz said.

The George Snow Scholarship Fund, winner of the 2016 GCC, was recognized in 2015 as the National Scholarship Providers Association’s “Scholarship Provider of the Year.” The money received from the GCC went straight to work to benefit the scholarship fund, endowment fund, the young people served with financial assistance and an array of scholar support services designed to improve scholars’ college experience and maximize graduation rates.

“A major added benefit of the GCC’s contribution to the endowment was that it put our organization over a preset benchmark, which triggered an additional $100,000 contribution from one of our donors, who had created a challenge grant to benefit the Snow Education Endowment. This essentially meant a total benefit of $250,000,” President Tim Snow said.

A full list of charities that have benefitted from the Great Charity Challenge since its debut in 2010 can be found at www.greatcharitychallenge.com.

“We are very excited to have our very own event mascot join us this year; a mini horse that we rescued last fall named Starsky,” GCC co-founder Paige Bellissimo said. “We will be visiting some of the involved charitable organizations to raise awareness of the diverse groups the event impacts in the upcoming months. We are very grateful for our rider teams, sponsors and partners who support the effort.”

This year’s event is sure to inspire adults and children alike as riders will be dressed as their favorite animated characters, bringing beloved movies to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Costume awards will determine a bonus for the lucky charities. The competition will offer free general admission.

For the latest event information and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.greatcharity challenge.com and follow the Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greatcharitychallenge.

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Busy Season Planned At Grand Champions Polo Club In Wellington

Busy Season Planned At Grand Champions Polo Club In Wellington

By Sharon Robb

The Grand Champions Polo Club is the only polo club offering medium and high-goal polo tournaments during the fall in Wellington, much to the delight of polo fans.

With five well-manicured fields and a turnkey facility, Grand Champions is one of the busiest and most innovative, cutting-edge clubs in North America, offering polo eight months a year. There is open access for kids, beginners, medium and high-goal players to enjoy polo in a relaxed and friendly environment.

The club, celebrating its ninth fall season since its 2008 opening, caters to men, women and youth polo players of all ages at all levels, and also serves as a tune-up for top professional players for the winter season.

“The vision was really to extend the Wellington season,” co-owner Marc Ganzi said. “The idea from the beginning was to create a place for the people to come and play relaxed polo in the fall.”

The club has an added advantage that no other club has in the nation, which is that Wellington-based ChukkerTV live streams every game at the club.

Marc and Melissa Ganzi, owners of the Grand Champions Polo Club, along with their children Grant, a freshman at Lynn University, and Riley, a junior at St. Andrew’s School, have become ambassadors for the sport and Village of Wellington at various U.S. and international events.

Over the last 10 months, Melissa Ganzi competed in the St. Moritz Snow Polo World Tournament in Switzerland; Marc Ganzi played the East Coast Open in Greenwich, Conn.; Melissa, Grant and Riley Ganzi competed over Labor Day Weekend in the inaugural Polo America Beach Polo Cup at the historic Hotel del Coronado near San Diego; and Melissa Ganzi competed in the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, the nation’s largest polo event, in late October.

Grand Champions attracts players from around the world, including England, Argentina, Mexico, India, Canada, Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and particularly the U.S., where several pros, amateurs and sponsors are based in Wellington.

“Our vision was always to see that medium-goal sponsors could transition into the high goal, and we are creating access,” Marc Ganzi said. “If we don’t create that access point where people can come into the low goal and then transition to the medium goal, U.S. high goal will die.”

Grand Champions has created a nine-tournament schedule that features seven medium and two high-goal tournaments.

In addition, legendary Hall of Famer and former 10-goaler Carlos Gracida is honored each year at Grand Champions with the Carlos Gracida Memorial Legends of Polo game, followed by the International Cup featuring Team USA against various international polo teams. The Nov. 26 season-ender is considered the social highlight of the fall.

The club’s fall season opened with the Tackeria Invitational held Sept. 27 through Oct. 2. Other October events included the U.S. Trust Cup, the Fall Classic, the USPA North American Cup, the Eastern Challenge and the Pedro Morrison Memorial.

Held Oct. 25-30, the Pedro Morrison Memorial is always a popular event. Morrison, born in Spain and a University of Miami alum, died Dec. 11, 2003 in Wellington at age 49. He was an avid polo player, patron of the Sympatico polo team and helped develop Wellington into a thriving polo community. Morrison was active in several local and area charities and businesses, touching countless lives. He remains an inspiration. His work on behalf of the YMCA of the Palm Beaches continues on through Polo with Pedro.

Grand Champions is also a hotbed for youth polo through its Polo School and also youth tournaments it hosts throughout the year. Several up-and-coming pro players have gotten their start at Grand Champions.

Grand Champions’ casual, relaxed atmosphere and great fieldside views for tournament action has appealed to fans over the years and keeps them coming back. Admission is free except for a few special events.

There is the Grand Champions Polo Club Boutique for clothes and souvenirs, and the club hosts a free Argentine asado at every championship final.

Grand Champions Polo Club is located at 13444 Southfields Road in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 644-5050, e-mail polo@gcpolo.com or visit www.gcpolo.com.

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GAME ON! Exciting Season On Tap For 2017 At The International Polo Club Palm Beach

GAME ON!

Exciting Season On Tap For 2017 At The International Polo Club Palm Beach

For many households during the Wellington winter season, the morning drill is the same: wake up, put on a pot of coffee and call the International Polo Club Palm Beach’s high-goal polo hotline to find out what is happening that day. Every Sunday, and often on weekdays — even on holidays — it’s game on at IPC. In 2017, IPC will host 17 weeks of the world’s most exciting polo, starting on New Year’s Day.

It is indeed a new year for polo in Wellington. IPC was purchased at the end of the 2016 high-goal polo season by a new partnership headed by Mark Bellissimo. Players and spectators alike will see an enhanced polo experience this season, with major improvements made to the fields. Special attention was given to upgrading the stadium field, where Sunday’s featured matches are held.

“We are confident that it will be an exciting season,” said Bellissimo, underscoring his commitment to preserving and advancing polo in Wellington. “We are going to ensure that polo at IPC continues long into the future.”

Bellissimo added that his partnership plans to make more significant investments into the polo venue after the 2017 season.

Spanning nearly 250 acres, IPC is the largest and most spectator-friendly polo facility in the United States. It attracts the megastars of polo, including the renowned Adolfo Cambiaso of Argentina, the top player in the world. Most years, IPC is the only place in the United States where fans can watch Cambiaso in action. He and other elite players pilot polo ponies at speeds that can reach 35 miles per hour across a sweeping field that dwarfs the size of a football field.

Polo matches at IPC are open to the public, with a wide range of seating options, including elegant grandstand viewing, field tailgating, bleachers and stadium seating overlooking the main field, known as Field 1.

Spectators hail from around the globe, including Europe, South America, South Africa and Canada. They find a welcoming environment that encourages spectator involvement. On Sundays, crowds pour from the grandstand and sidelines during halftime for the traditional “divot stomp,” when everyone is invited onto the field to step on tufts of turf unearthed by the horses’ hooves. It’s more for fun than necessity, since the fields are professionally groomed during in the game. At most Sunday divot stomps, spectators enjoy complimentary refreshments while they mingle with celebrities and see head-turning fashion.

Whether one prefers a low-key match on the backfields during the week or Sunday’s 3 p.m. featured stadium game, IPC offers options for all levels of polo enthusiasts. At weekday games, which are free to the public, spectators bring lunch or purchase food from vendors and watch from their tailgates. During the week and on some Saturdays, famous players watch from the sidelines, casually mingling with the public.

Created with players and spectators in mind, IPC includes eight state-of-the-art playing fields. They can accommodate multiple games simultaneously, ensuring that the action continues from the first to the last game of the day.

Unlike some equestrian sports, polo is not difficult to understand. Envision a hockey game on horseback, with four players on each team. One team wins; the other loses. The game is scored objectively — either the ball goes through the goal posts or it doesn’t. Expert commentary is broadcast field side at every match, and the announcer explains the action so spectators can fully understand and enjoy the game.

A special event traditionally held Valentine’s Day weekend is the 40-goal Polo for a Purpose charity match. The event raises money for the Polo Players Support Group, which provides financial and other assistance to seriously ill or injured players, grooms and other members of the polo community. This exhibition game features the pinnacle of polo in the United States and attracts legends of the sport, many of whom have held the sport’s highest rating of 10 goals.

The 2017 polo season will open with IPC’s series of 20-goal tournaments: the Herbie Pennell Cup (Dec. 28, 2016 through Jan. 1, 2017); the Joe Barry Cup (Jan. 4-22); the Ylvisaker Cup (Jan. 25 – Feb. 19) and the Iglehart Cup (Feb. 22 – March 4).

In keeping with tradition, IPC will then host the nation’s three most prestigious 26-goal polo tournaments: the United States Polo Association (USPA) C.V. Whitney Cup (Feb. 22 – March 5), the USPA Gold Cup (March 5-26) and the 113th U.S. Open Polo Championship (March 29 – April 23).

The 2017 season concludes with the 113th U.S. Open final on April 23, capping the most prestigious polo competition in the country. Last season’s final was a true nail-biter. Steve Van Andel’s Orchard Hill team won its first-ever U.S. Open. Orchard Hill will be back this year to defend the title.

IPC is located at 3667 120th Avenue South in Wellington. For tickets and additional information, visit www.international poloclub.com or call (561) 204-5687. The high-goal polo hotline, which is updated throughout the day in the case of field changes or rescheduled games, can be reached at (561) 282-5290.

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