2018 Winter Equestrian Festival Highlights

WEF 1 WELLINGTON REGIONAL
MEDICAL CENTER PREMIER “AA”

January 10-14, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, December 25, 2017

Featuring: $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round I
$75,000 Rosenbaum PLLC Grand Prix
$75,000 “Battle of the Sexes” Exhibition Class,
presented by Wellington Regional Medical Center
$25,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic

 

WEF 2 MARSHALL & STERLING INSURANCE
CSI 2* PREMIER “AA”

January 16-21, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, December 25, 2017

Featuring: $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round II
$70,000 Marshall & Sterling Insurance Grand Prix CSI 2*
$25,000 Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix
$35,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.45M Championship Classic

 

WEF 3 ADEQUAN CSI 3* PREMIER “AA”

January 23-28, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, December 25, 2017

Featuring: $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round III
$132,000 Adequan® Grand Prix CSI 3*
$35,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic

 

WEF 4 NETJETS CSI 4* PREMIER “AA”

January 30 – February 4, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, January 1, 2018
Featuring: $70,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round IV
$70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic
$25,000 Hermès Under 25 Team Event
$205,000 NetJets Grand Prix CSI 4*
9th Annual Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments

 

WEF 5 FIDELITY INVESTMENTS
CSI 5* & 2* PREMIER “AA”

February 6-11, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, January 1, 2018
Featuring: $132,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round V
$384,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI 5*
$70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic
Offering CSI2* Classes Sponsored by Equiline

 

 

WEF 6 WCHR CSI 3* PREMIER “AA”

February 13-18, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, January 1, 2018
Featuring: $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round VI
$35,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic
$132,000 WEF 6 Grand Prix CSI 3*
$25,000 National Grand Prix
$25,000 Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix
$100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Hunter Spectacular

 

WEF 7 CSI 5*& 2* PREMIER “AA”

February 20-25, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, January 22, 2018
Featuring: $132,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round VII
$384,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*
$70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic
Offering CSI 2* Classes Sponsored by the Dutta Corp.

 

WEF 8 LUGANO DIAMONDS CSIO 4* PREMIER “AA”

February 27 – March 4, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, January 22, 2018
Featuring: $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round VIII
$205,000 Lugano Diamonds CSIO 4* Grand Prix
$150,000 FEI Nations Cup
$50,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic
$35,000 Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix Semi Final

 

WEF 9 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE
CSI 5*& 2* PREMIER “AA”

March 6-11, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, January 22, 2018
Featuring: $132,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round IX
$384,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI 5*
$70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M CSI 5* Championship Classic

Offering CSI 2* Classes Sponsored by Rose Hill Farm

 

WEF 10 HORSEWARE IRELAND CSI 3* PREMIER “AA”

March 13-18, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, February 12, 2018

Featuring: $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round X
$132,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI 3*
$35,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic

 

WEF 11 CAPTIVEONE CSI 4* PREMIER “AA”

March 20-25, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, February 12, 2018

Featuring: $70,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Round XI
$205,000 CaptiveOne Grand Prix CSI 4*
$132,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50M Championship Classic Final

$10,000 Gut Einhaus Developing Jumper Classic 5 Year Old
$15,000 Spy Coast Developing Jumper Classic 6 Year Old
$20,000 Spy Coast Developing Jumper Classic 7 Year Old
10th Annual George Morris Excellence In Equitation Class
$50,000 Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix Final

 

WEF 12 ROLEX CSI 5*& 2* PREMIER “AA”

March 27 – April 1, 2018
Closing Date for Entries: Monday, February 12, 2018

Featuring: $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*
$132,000 WEF Equinimity Challenge Round XII
$50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
WEF High Point Circuit Award Presentations Saturday, March 31
Offering CSI 2* Classes

 

Managed by Equestrian Sport Productions LLC

Held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center

For more information, call (561) 793-JUMP or visit www.pbiec.com

Winter Equestrian Festival Continues To Boast Impressive Sponsorship Portfolio

The Winter Equestrian Festival has revolutionized equestrian sport in South Florida, bringing major brands and business to support the largest and longest-running horse show in the world, while providing riders the opportunity to compete in some of the sport’s biggest classes. A major component of the continued success of the Winter Equestrian Festival is its dedicated sponsors.

Sponsorship at the Winter Equestrian Festival helps give businesses, partners, corporations and brands a platform to deliver their messaging and products to the forefront of a collective audience for an entire 12 weeks. The opportunity is grand, but better is the benefit of sponsorship for the exhibitors, riders and athletes competing at the show.

Without the continued and dedicated efforts of sponsors, class sizes and numbers would decrease and the stature of classes at the competition would also falter. Yet, over the past 10 years, sponsorship at PBIEC has nearly tripled, welcoming nearly 60 sponsors for 2018.

“Sponsorship is a key component of the success and growth of equestrian sport, not just here at WEF, but around the world,” said Katherine Bellissimo, chief marketing officer and director of sponsorship for PBIEC. “Our sponsors and their continued support make the WEF season possible. They provide competitors with the opportunity to compete at a variety of levels and feel a sense of importance and grandeur. We are incredibly thankful to our sponsors and their dedication to our sport.”

The Winter Equestrian Festival thanks the following sponsors for their support: Adequan, Alessandro Albanese, Animal Medical Center, Animo, Antares, Bainbridge Companies, Business Development Board, Brazilian Court, Bruno Delgrange, Camping World, Captive One, Cargill, Champion Equine Insurance, Crown Family, Dever, Discover the Palm Beaches, Douglas Elliman, Dover Saddlery, Dutta Corp, Equine Tack & Nutritionals, Equinimity, Everglades Farm Equipment, FarmVet, Fidelity Investments, Gold Coast Feed, Griffis Residential, Gut Einhaus, Hampton Inn, Hermès, Hollow Creek Farm, Horseware Ireland, Hunt LTD, Karina Brez Jewelry, Keyes Art Gallery, Lugano Diamonds, Marshall & Sterling, Martha Jolicoeur, Maria Mendelsohn, Net Jets, Nutrena, Omega Alpha, Osphos, Palm Beach Equine Clinic, Palm Beach International Academy, Palm Beach Sports Commission, Pegasus Builders, Perfect Products, Platinum Performance, Rolex, Rose Hill Farm, Rosenbaum, Rushy Marsh Farm, Solic, Sotheby’s, Sportfot, Spy Coast Farm, Triple Crown Custom, UHealth Miami, Vita Flex, Voltaire and Wellington Equestrian Realty.

The 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival began on Wednesday, Jan. 10 and continues through Sunday, April 1. WEF features 12 weeks of top international show jumping, hunter and equitation competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The event features 11 weeks of FEI competition, concluding with the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, March 31.

To learn more about WEF sponsorships, visit www.pbiec.com or contact Whitney Stahl at wstahl@equestriansport.com.

What To Do At WEF’s Saturday Night Lights

Every Saturday evening during the Winter Equestrian Festival, the stadium lights come on, the crowds come out and the jumps get bigger for the featured event of the week, Saturday Night Lights.

Saturday Night Lights competitions begin at 7 p.m., but the gates of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center open at 6 p.m., with a multitude of activities for the whole family to enjoy before the first rider enters the ring.

Some of the PBIEC staple activities include free rides on the Venetian carousel, a petting zoo, face painting and live music throughout the night. Occasionally, there are ponies on the grounds, some offering pony rides and others offering adorable photo opportunities with the kids.

There are also a variety of performers in attendance, ranging from jugglers to men on stilts to the beloved bubble man. A number of vendors keep their shops open for browsing during the evening, located around the International Ring. While exploring, spectators glancing into the ring and warm-up areas will be able to catch a glimpse of the riders walking the course, where they can evaluate the jumps and create their plan for the evening prior to mounting their horses.

After all the activities, everyone in the family is sure to be able to find something to eat with the large variety of dining options available. There are many food trucks on site, serving everything from pizza to popcorn to tacos. For those looking for a formal dining experience, White Horse Fashion Cuisine is open, and there are a number of VIP options available. VIP seating options include the Tiki Hut, the Gallery, Beachside, the International Club, the Wellington Club and Central Park.

When the trumpet sounds at 7 p.m., the first rider gallops into the arena underneath the iconic bridge to begin the competition. Saturday Night Lights features a Grand Prix competition, in which riders compete over jumps ranging in height from 1.50 to 1.60 meters, and the width can be up to 2.20 meters. The competitors are among the best in the world, and it is common to see Olympians and world champions jumping each week. The goal is to leave all the jumps up and stay within the time allowed in the first round, and riders who meet these goals return to go against the clock in round two, the jump-off.

The jump-off will have fans holding their breath as riders take risky turns and speed around a shortened course to determine the winner. When the class is getting close, the ring goes silent as the rider races around, and the crowd erupts into cheers as the timers are broken after a clean round.

The winners take to the podium for a celebratory champagne shower before mounting their horses and taking a victory lap around the arena, during which riders often toss their ribbons to lucky fans in the stands.

At the conclusion of the class, the evening continues at the Gallery with an exciting after party, which all guests over age 21 are invited to join and celebrate the evening’s victor.

For more information about Saturday Nights Lights at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, visit www.pbiec.com.

Great Charity Challenge Helps Many Nonprofits Across Palm Beach County All Year Long

The ninth annual Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, will be held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Dozens of Palm Beach County charities will compete to receive a share of the $1.5 million purse during the exciting pro-am jumping competition held during the popular Saturday Night Lights series at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

The Great Charity Challenge, founded in 2010 by Mark and Katherine Bellissimo of Equestrian Sport Productions, and their daughter Paige, has distributed more than $10.8 million from the equestrian community to 220 local nonprofits.

All of the money raised gets distributed in one evening every year, with first place receiving $150,000 and all participating charities being guaranteed a minimum of $15,000.

While the public excitement takes place one day of the year, that money is put to work year-round at the dozens of charities that receive a slice of the winnings.

The Kids Cancer Foundation has received more than $200,000 from the Great Charity Challenge, having been lucky enough to participate at the event three times, including taking third place in 2016. KCF has also been selected for the 2018 event, which means a guaranteed minimum of $15,000 in additional support.

The nonprofit’s mission is to provide hope and support to children and families in Palm Beach County battling childhood cancer. It currently provides assistance to more than 450 families.

When children are diagnosed with cancer, their life immediately changes. Instead of school, playgrounds and parties, their new reality is chemotherapy, doctor visits and hospital stays. The effect on the entire family is dramatic — and often, traumatic.

Doctors and nurses provide the medical care, but families need more in order to get through this stressful and terrifying time. The Kids Cancer Foundation provides comprehensive and easily accessible supportive care services. The nonprofit works to educate families about their child’s diagnosis and treatment, providing physical, emotional and financial support throughout the difficult journey.

There are approximately 15,780 new cases of pediatric cancer diagnosed in the United States each year. The work done by the Kids Cancer Foundation has been shown to increase both a child’s quality of life and chance of survival.

“One of our most recent success stories is Emma and her single mother, Ashley,” said Michelle O’Boyle, KCF’s founder and executive director. “Emma is only 7 years old and has faced more in this past year than any of us might face in a lifetime. Not only has Emma had to deal with her parents’ separation and losing her home, but she is now battling Pre B Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and is facing two and a half years of countless doctor appointments and hospital visits.”

Naturally, the emotional and financial toll that Emma’s health has had on this family is devastating, but the Kids Cancer Foundation has been able to provide the financial and emotional support Emma and her family need during this difficult time.

“They now have a small apartment close to the hospital, and Emma’s mother has been able to re-enroll in school to complete her nursing degree, so she will be able to financially support herself and her three precious daughters,” O’Boyle said.

Bella’s Angels, a local nonprofit that helps families who have children with lifelong physical disabilities, won $125,000 for taking second place at the 2016 Great Charity Challenge. Bella’s Angels assists families with children’s medical expenses that insurance doesn’t cover.

“Our reach to pay medical expenses increased, but we were also able to take on additional families as a result of receiving these funds,” Deborah Jaffe of Bella’s Angels said. “We also assisted families with expenses related to specialized therapy and conference expenses specific to their child’s disabilities. In addition, a small amount was to assist families with respite care, giving them the opportunity to take care of their own needs.”

An example of Bella’s Angels’ work resides in MacKenzie, one of 400 youngsters in the world with the rare genetic disorder Tetrasomy 18.

“She and her mother attended a conference in Dallas with the best of the best doctors in this field,” Jaffe said. “As a result, they met other families — there is no one else in our area diagnosed with this disorder — and MacKenzie is now participating in a medical trial so [researchers] can learn more about the genetic disorder and help children like MacKenzie. This has been tremendous for her and her family.”

In 2017, Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches was one of the Great Charity Challenge’s big winners, taking second place and winning $125,000, plus an additional $5,000 from the Zeigler Family Foundation, in what started out as a wildcard spot. Since 2014, Adopt-A-Family has received $240,000 in support from the GCC.

Adopt-A-Family is dedicated to strengthening families with children in their efforts to achieve stability and self-sufficiency by providing access to all-encompassing services. The money from last year’s GCC enabled the agency to make significant strides in three areas.

First, the award enhanced Project Grow, the agency’s afterschool program for homeless and impoverished elementary school students by covering the cost of classroom supplies, nutritious daily snacks, camp t-shirts and field trips.

Second, Adopt-A-Family increased its effectiveness through administrative infrastructure improvements, including IT upgrades, new accounting software, a web-based phone system and staff training.

Finally, the nonprofit increased its capacity by investing GCC funds in the agency’s newest project, Third Street Homes, a 14-unit affordable housing program for families at imminent risk of homelessness. The money enabled the agency to complete the demolition of the deteriorated structures on the property and hire a program manager and architect.

But Adopt-a-Family’s real impact hits home with the story of Karen, a girl who spent her early years moving frequently between foster homes due to her behavioral issues. She reunited with her mother at Adopt-A-Family and joined Project Grow, where the program’s support, tutoring, mental health services and parental engagement enabled her to blossom.

“Karen’s grades increased, she is reading above grade level, and her teacher reports that her behavior has improved dramatically,” Matthew Constantine of Adopt-a-Family said.

The 2018 Great Charity Challenge will culminate on Feb. 3, but its benefits are just beginning for thousands of people served by nonprofits throughout Palm Beach County.

For the latest event information and application guidelines, visit www.greatcharitychallenge.com or www.facebook.com/greatcharitychallenge.

No. 1 Show Jumper Kent Farrington Keeps His Focus On The Future

While Hurricane Irma barreled through Florida last September, U.S. Olympian Kent Farrington, the world’s No. 1 show jumper, was in Calgary competing in one of the sport’s most prestigious horse shows. But he was watching the news and hoping for the best.

Fortunately, Farrington’s 13-acre training facility in Wellington did not sustain any damage from the powerful storm. But he saw the destruction elsewhere, and it moved him to action. He decided to donate his earnings from the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in New York City two weeks later to Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian aid fund. His donation: the entire first-place prize of $71,280.

“I feel very fortunate to have the career that I have,” said Farrington, who earned a silver medal as part of the U.S. team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “I have a great team of people around me who have helped me get to where I am today and continue to help me grow further. I wanted to help the people less fortunate than myself from the hurricane, and it was my way of being able to give back. It’s the right thing to do, and it feels great to help. Part of the thrill of succeeding is being able to do things that can have an impact and make a difference.”

Helping others is not a one-time thing for Farrington, who turned 37 on Dec. 28.

He is a national ambassador for Autism Speaks, in honor of a family friend who has autism. Farrington also advocates for the United States Pony Club, which is where he first learned to ride while growing up in Chicago.

“That’s where I started, and it’s humbling to give back to the organization that helped me,” Farrington said. “They’re a grassroots organization where you learn basic horse riding skills. I like the energy of the kids there.”

Farrington helps the Pony Club in several ways, including having a contest where the winner and their family receive a trip to Wellington where they tour his facility and follow him while he is competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

Veteran rider Jimmy Torano has known Farrington since he was coming up in the junior ranks. He wasn’t surprised by Farrington’s generosity.

“He’s a very generous person,” Torano said. “We saw that when he donated his winnings from the Central Park Grand Prix to hurricane victims. He’s great with his friends and all the people around him.”

Farrington was very, very good in 2017, winning more than 12 Grand Prixes around the world, including several major competitions at WEF, en route to the No. 1 world ranking, which he has held for the last nine months.

He returns to action in the 2018 season in Wellington with many of the same horses that shined so brightly last year, including Gazelle, a 12-year-old bay mare, and Creedance, an 11-year-old chestnut gelding. But he will also introduce some new, younger horses into the competitions at WEF.

“My goal is to have a broad view, to produce future stars while resting some of the older horses,” Farrington said. “Wellington is a great spot, since we are here for a long time. I get to spend a lot of time with my younger horses.”

Torano has always been impressed with Farrington’s riding.

“I actually met him in what they used to call the $5 ring, when he was back there schooling some horses, as a kid,” Torano said. “He was impressive even back then. I always say Kent is a genius. He’s extremely smart in every way. I think that’s why he is where he is today. He puts it all to use in his training, and he obviously has an unbelievable program.”

Beyond horses, Torano likes spending time with Farrington.

“On a personal level, he’s one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet,” he said. “One of the best guys to just hang out with, whether it’s just sitting around the table discussing training of the horses, or going out for a fun dinner.”

Farrington’s training methods seem simple enough.

“Get and keep the horses really fit, manage their schedule so they don’t over-compete and have a big team so there’s not all the pressure on one horse,” Farrington said.

Each horse is ridden and trained as an individual. One might be better indoors, another performs best on a large, grass field.

“There’s a lot of management and attention to details that go into it,” Farrington said. “It’s super complicated. It’s like a Formula One driver — you don’t just turn on the key and drive it like it’s a Ford Taurus.”

Farrington trains hard himself, exercising daily but eschewing weights to concentrate on flexibility and balance. He also follows a super-clean eating program, meaning no sugar or processed food, and has a chef prepare his meals.

Farrington said he always trained and enjoyed it, and over time his eating habits changed as he learned more and more.

“My father died of cancer when I was young, and an experience like that pushed me in a different direction, and eating healthy was part of it,” Farrington said.

Farrington follows other major sports and enjoys watching other elite athletes competing. He was drawn to basketball, with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominating his childhood years.

“He [Jordan] was a dynamic figure to watch,” Farrington said. “I can appreciate any sport at the highest level. I just like watching great competition. I know the dedication they have put into it.”

Many athletes are superstitious, but not Farrington. He doesn’t have a pair of good-luck socks or eat the same meal before each competition.

“My confidence comes from methodical training, being well prepared, knowing that I have practiced over and over,” Farrington said. “I think that’s more effective than a lucky pair of socks.”

Torano doesn’t believe that being No. 1 in the world has changed Farrington.

“His philosophy has always been to develop the young horses and get them to the Grand Prix or championship level,” Torano said. “I don’t think that will change. I think being No. 1 was always part of the plan, so I don’t think we’ll see a big change in him.”

That’s because he’s passionate about working with the horses.

“They’re amazing animals,” Farrington said. “It’s really gratifying.”

To learn more about Kent Farrington, visit www.kentfarrington.com.

Equijet Elevates Wellington’s International Equestrian Scene

Bastian Schroeder and Margot Peroni are a well-known duo at the Winter Equestrian Festival showgrounds in Wellington. An equestrian power couple, Schroeder is recognized as a leader in international equine transportation, and Peroni has a successful track record of showing horses in the hunters.

With the launch of their new international shipping business, EquiJet, Schroeder and Peroni are looking forward to playing a greater role in the success of the local equestrian industry by ensuring safe, timely and efficient shipping solutions for the hundreds of people who bring horses from all corners of the globe to Wellington for the winter show season.

For both, horses are a way of life. Growing up in Germany, Schroeder’s love of horses was passed onto him by his parents, who encouraged him to ride and saw him through a competitive riding career in Germany. Peroni’s upbringing was parallel to that of her husband.

“I am a third-generation horse person. My grandfather was in the last mounted cavalry, so during World War II, he literally traded his horses in for a tank,” Peroni recalled. “My mother and her siblings rode Saddlebred horses when they were younger before hunters started to get popular, and as soon as the hunters took off, my mom was the first one in the family to get a hunter. The horse show bug has been with my family ever since.”

Competitively, winning the Platinum Performance $250,000 Hunter Prix Final at Hits-on-the-Hudson in 2015 aboard her mount Orlon is a highlight of Peroni’s riding career, along with her one-two division championship and reserve at the prestigious Washington International Horse Show in 2016 with Encore B and Orlon, respectively.

Professionally, EquiJet has now taken center stage, quickly growing to be a well-known name in equine transportation in only a few short months of incorporation. Working together, the husband-and-wife team have already accrued a loyal clientele base, and have arranged the logistics, both ground and air, for numerous international competitors and sellers across the world.

Though EquiJet is a fairly new enterprise, Schroeder has been an industry name in equine transport for more than 10 years. What initially began as a service for friends has grown into a full-fledged business endeavor with offices stationed both in the United States and Europe for the convenience of equine world travelers and their owners.

As lifelong horse people, both Schroeder and Peroni are uniquely qualified to manage often complicated equine travel logistics, understanding in depth the multifaceted management and processes that must be organized correctly to get a horse door-to-door across nations and sometimes continents.

“The goal for EquiJet is to grow the business and provide world class customer service with an attention to detail so that we can take care of customers individually and fit whatever their needs are,” Schroeder said. “I don’t know that we necessarily want to be the highest volume company, simply churning people out, but we want to have a high-caliber clientele and provide them with the best service they can get.”

Run by people with lifetime passions for riding, training and taking care of horses, EquiJet’s expertise and knowledge of the nuances of equine travel are unparalleled.

The owners pride themselves on offering flawless coordination for horses traversing the globe, ensuring that not only are the animals transported safely and on time, but also accompanied by the appropriate documentation and equipment. With quarantine restrictions strictly implemented for all horses entering the country, the EquiJet team is equally equipped to handle those arrangements.

With horses as a common denominator in their relationship, Schroeder and Peroni have successfully navigated the intricacies of the equestrian lifestyle together in both their personal and professional lives. At the show ring, Schroeder is there to support his wife, while also networking for business opportunities, and after taking the plunge as business owners, the two have further committed themselves to the equestrian industry at large.

With so much of the North American equestrian market focused in Wellington, it was no question that the pair would be spending the winter season in South Florida during EquiJet’s first year of business.

“There is no other place in the world. At the moment in the United States, Wellington is the only place that has such an international clientele that travel in and out,” Schroeder said. “People move their entire barns to Florida for the winter to sell and compete horses.”

Peroni agreed. “I think because of the amazing type of clientele that we have access to in Wellington, we realize that this is where our business needs to be for the season,” she said. “You have polo, dressage, three-day eventers, hunters and jumpers from all over the world, and you’re only an hour or so from the closest international port of entry in Miami.”

EquiJet’s owners will be situated in Wellington for the entirety of the Winter Equestrian Festival show season, along with their three horses, Orlon, Casario and Ivar. In addition to personally handling the import and export of horses into Wellington for their burgeoning business, Schroeder and Peroni will be frequent attendees of all of the events at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Whether competitively in the ring or professionally with EquiJet, one thing is certain: Bastian Schroeder and Margot Peroni are aiming to make waves in the equestrian community.

For more information, visit http://equijet.com or call (833) EQUIJET.

Martha Jolicoeur Honors The Women Of Horse Sport At WEF

When Wellington-based equestrian real estate broker Martha W. Jolicoeur looks back on her own time in the show jumping competition ring, her favorite award to win was the Leading Lady Rider Award, in a sport that makes no distinction between male and female athletes.

Men and women compete alongside each other at exactly the same level in equestrian sport — one of the only Olympic disciplines where such a phenomenon exists.

To that end, Jolicoeur has dedicated a portion of her support of the Winter Equestrian Festival to showcase women who strive for and achieve success at one of the most competitive show circuits in the world. For the eighth consecutive season, she will present the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award each week of WEF, running through April 1 at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

“Wellington attracts some of the best riders in the world, and for me, as a rider and a sponsor of WEF, that is really exciting,” said Jolicoeur, who is a part of the elite Douglas Elliman Real Estate sports and entertainment division. “When I was competing, one of my biggest goals was to try and earn leading lady rider accolades, and I have enjoyed providing recognition to women who achieve that honor at WEF. I love meeting these athletes and helping them to feel accomplished within a pool of superb riders and horses.”

Jolicoeur will present the weekly Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award, given in memory of fellow Realtor and horsewoman Dale Lawler, to the high-score female rider based on performances in the weekly WEF Challenge Cup Series and Grand Prix events. In addition, the cumulative highest scoring female rider will be presented with the Overall WEF Leading Lady Rider Award at the completion of the festival.

In addition to presenting the rider award, Jolicoeur is the title sponsor of the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper division throughout WEF. The division consists of three jumping events each week, including the $10,000 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic held each Sunday.

“I think it is really important to draw attention to the fact that the equalizing factor in horse sport is the horse, and Wellington is a prime example of how horses bring us all together,” said Jolicoeur, who competed around the world as a show jumping competitor. “Wellington offers an equestrian lifestyle that is not found just anywhere. Everyone here speaks the same language, and that language is horse. Whether you’re a judge at the show, a groom in one of the barns or an equestrian Realtor, we all have a common bond in the athleticism, beauty and welfare of horses.”

A top Wellington broker for home and farm real estate, Jolicoeur has been a steadfast sponsor of WEF since 2010 and has been serving the surrounding communities as a dedicated broker since 2005. However, her support of the booming equestrian industry in Wellington has existed for decades.

Originally from the northeast, Jolicoeur officially relocated to Wellington in 2005, but her introduction to the winter equestrian capital of the world occurred much earlier. She began riding in Westport, Conn., and commenced her annual pilgrimages south in 1979, falling in love with Wellington as a junior rider.

Jolicoeur’s career in the saddle began with many titles on her small junior hunter, Movie Star, including winning the Best Child Rider Award at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and numerous circuit championships at WEF.

She continued climbing the ranks to train at the Grand Prix level with Canadian Olympian Ian Millar and U.S. Olympian Norman Dello Joio and, in 1985, Jolicoeur was named the American Grand Prix Association Rookie of the Year. Under the tutelage of famed horseman George Morris, she had the opportunity to travel the world, making a name for herself at competitions in England, Holland and Belgium.

Jolicoeur’s experience in the ring segued into a career in equestrian real estate when she earned her license in 1991. Serving another location steeped in equestrian tradition, she started her real estate endeavors in Middleburg, Va., before answering the call to return to Wellington full-time. Since then, she has watched the evolution of Wellington’s equestrian community transform and flourish with each passing season.

“Wellington and the Winter Equestrian Festival have equipped me with unique opportunities to help buyers and sellers find their own piece of horse heaven,” Jolicoeur said. “It is an honor to be involved with the Winter Equestrian Festival and to interact with some of the world’s top show jumping athletes, trainers and owners looking to sell a property or find a place to call their own in Wellington.”

Jolicoeur’s real estate business caters exclusively to equestrian clientele.

“I have found my calling,” she said. “I feel the same passion and joy for helping my clients buy and sell properties as I did when I was competing in the show ring.”

It is a role she is uniquely qualified to fill after decades in the industry.

“I am a horsewoman,” Jolicoeur said. “I understand what equestrian clients need and want for their horses and their families. That understanding, as well as my involvement with equestrian events like the Winter Equestrian Festival, puts me in front of a very specific audience, but it is an audience that speaks my language and looks to me to help them make Wellington home.”

To find out more about Jolicoeur and her range of property listings, visit www.marthasproperties.com. Also, find her on Facebook and Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at her available Wellington properties.

GO WITH IT, HAVE FUN & SMILE: Legacies of THE GOCHMAN FAMILY.

A love of horses was instilled in Becky Gochman at a young age. At eight years old, she sat on her first horse, and from there she spent her youth competing around the New Jersey circuits, as well as in 4-H competitions.

That love continued to flourish and as an adult, when Becky took her talents to the competitive hunter ring. Her passion for everything equine was passed down to her daughters, 13-year-old Mimi and 15-year-old Sophie.

“The most rewarding aspect of sharing this equestrian world with my girls has been to see them love the horses the way that they do,” Becky said. “They’ve had great instruction, and I feel that through all of that, they’ve really learned to not only be more competent riders, but it also helps them in other walks of life.”

In 2012, Becky and David Gochman put a name to their family’s passion and dubbed the fruits of their equestrian labor “Baxter Hill.” The farm, established as a haven for their daughters and their many happy horses, sits upon 12 acres in Grand Prix Village, adjacent to the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds.

While the three Gochman women are the ones who spend most of their time in the tack, David is an avid supporter of their endeavors.

“David doesn’t ride, but he comes and goes from the show scene,” Becky explained. “He has really seen that the kids learn so much from their successes and their failures through riding that he acknowledges that these are all valuable life lessons. He sees his girls growing through the sport, and because of that he is very supportive. He likes to be part of it and is a great sport about it.”

The love and support of their committed parents has truly helped the Gochman daughters champion all of life’s tests thus far. Mimi and Sophie are each talented in their own unique way.

“It is a little difficult when you have kids that are so close in age, but the horse gods have made it work out somehow,” Becky joked. “Things are kept pretty even in different ways. One may be a little down, and then they move up. They each have their different strengths. As a mom, you always try to juggle that, but I’m learning that life isn’t always even or fair, and they’re going to have to learn how to deal with that themselves. They’re good friends. They’ve been able to handle competing against one another, and I think that it’s a great learning experience.”

A single piece of advice Becky and David offer their daughters?

“Always put your horse first and develop that special bond.”  Becky said. “The horsemanship aspect is invaluable. I’m always like, ‘Did you bring carrots? Did you spend one-on-one time with your horse?’ It can get really crazy as they move up in levels. You don’t always have a lot of time because of competing, and balancing that with other things, like school and friends. Your mind must always be open and aware of the limitless possibilities that this sport has to teach. Go with it, have fun and smile.”

As her daughters grow and continue to thrive, Becky is taking a small step back from her own lengthy competition schedule. This season, the Gochman family is excited to introduce Farm Stand to the Winter Equestrian Festival community.

The experience is like none other that WEF has seen before and will offer a unique spread of healthy food, products and services that focus on the positive mind, body and spirit of the equestrian athlete.

“I’m getting older, and my kids are getting bigger,” Becky said. “I want to do the horses, but maybe not show the same way that I was. I want to slow my riding down a little bit. This Farm Stand concept was a good transition to focus on giving back to the community and doing something within the community that I’m very passionate about and interested in.”

The idea was established after Becky came to the realization that young people are taking control of their lifestyle choices, and more often than not, are looking for healthier options when it comes to the products they use and the food they consume.

“I’ve always been interested in good-tasting, healthy food. It has really changed my lifestyle, and I thought it’d be great if we could share some of that,” Becky said. “At Baxter Hill, we’ve put in a thriving organic garden. From that thought, we asked ourselves, ‘How can we bring some of this to the horse show?’ While you can’t grow your own food at WEF, we thought, ‘Let’s bring our own food trucks in.’ It was just a dream, and now it is really coming to reality. That’s very exciting for us.”

With the season now underway, there is no doubt that 2018 will see the Gochman family make some big strides of success, both in and out of the arena.

To learn more about Farm Stand, visit www.farmstand-pb.com.

Heated Vinyasa Yoga Classes And More At New Zoia Yoga & Wellness Studio.

Zoia Yoga & Wellness recently opened in the Kobosko’s Crossing shopping plaza in Wellington. The boutique yoga studio offers heated vinyasa yoga classes for all levels of experience.

Owner Jhaleh Jiveh opened her studio two months ago, wanting to provide the local community with an added experience to a popular style of yoga in a small-classroom setting.

Zoia’s studio is custom engineered with infrared heating technology, set to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Jiveh believes the heat enhances the benefits that yoga can offer her clients.

“I’m a registered nurse, and I’ve always been a big believer of holistic health,” Jiveh said. “Being in a different health system in Canada, and coming here, working in the U.S. health system, my passion is really self-health, taking care of yourself before you get sick.”

The infrared panels act more like a sauna, rather than how Floridians know a hot summer day may treat them. The heat is fully controlled and is designed to enhance the yoga experiences without comprising comfortability.

“The infrared are high-end infrared panels, custom engineered to the room, where the room is a nice healing heat,” Jiveh said. “You don’t walk into a wall of hot air. It’s nice heat. There are no cold spots. It’s a nice, even heat all along.”

Among the different benefits that the heated sessions can provide is reduction of stress and fatigue. Jiveh said that it can even help improve the immune system.

“Heat helps to move your body to stretch deeper, and also there have been studies shown that it burns more calories under the heat, so the heat is also great for weight loss,” she said.

Jiveh is focused on providing a lively experience at Zoia, which means “alive” in Greek.

“My significance is being spiritually alive,” Jiveh said. “I think it’s [important] to feel ignited inside and feeling alive, so that’s what I mean by coming here and feeling alive on a physical, mental and emotional level.”

Along with her goal to enhance mental and physical ability for her clients, Jiveh has a team of experienced yoga instructors. Among them are master yogi Cat Cabot.

“She does advanced levels,” Jiveh said. “She’s going to do advanced classes and a lot of yoga workshops as well, and I’ll be doing a lot of nutrition and taking care of yourself workshops.”

She encourages all who look to try heated vinyasa yoga to go to a class run by each of her instructors to get a better personalized experience and determine what works best for them.

“I have other teachers, and they all offer something different,” Jiveh said. “I teach some of the classes, and I have several different teachers, which gives people options to try out every teacher, so they can personalize and see what they like.”

Classes at Zoia range from 60 to 75 minutes in length. Also offered are a variety of workshops that revolve around yoga, nutrition and other forms of holistic health, which is the base of Jiveh’s passion and focus for how yoga can aid in people’s health.

“When I moved here, I worked in the hospital,” Jiveh said. “It wasn’t really in line with what I loved. As I said, my passion is to promote health to help empower people to take care of themselves. That’s how this whole thing came about — for people to have a place to get educated about good nutrition and have a good place that feels like home.”

Part of that is her aim to keep Zoia a small, intimate location.

Other offerings at Zoia include mediation classes and a stretch and restore class, which are not heated classes.

“We also are starting to offer wellness services,” Jiveh said. “I’m a registered nurse, so I do detox, like cleansing and health coaching, and teaching people to eat properly.”

Yoga is a widely popular spiritual discipline that can be interpreted in many ways, but Jiveh said, no matter what, yoga is for everyone. She encourages people to try it with the heat if they have not had the experience of doing so.

“Yoga has become so popular, and it’s become so westernized that people now associate yoga with all these girls wearing bikinis and doing poses on the beach… but that’s not yoga,” Jiveh said.

She makes it easy for people to try classes at her studio. “They can try it for two weeks or a month just to see if they like it, and it’s a very inexpensive way to try it, and I always encourage people to try new things,” Jiveh said.

Meanwhile, she is focused on providing a spiritual home away from home at Zoia.

“People might say, ‘That’s not for me,’ but it is for everybody,” Jiveh said. “Yoga is a way you connect to your heart. It’s an exercise where you heal inside and out. So, this is a place where we encourage that. Yoga is for everybody.”

Zoia Yoga & Wellness is located in Kobosko’s Crossing at 9308 Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. For additional information, call (561) 316-8113 or visit www.zoiayoga.com.

Pony Lane Farm Expands With New Home in Wellington

Pony Lane Farm, owned and operated by the Thatcher family, is a world-class breeding and performance horse farm offering breeding services to elite hunter and jumper stallions, as well as sales of high-quality young horses.

Located both here in Wellington and in Bluffdale, Utah, the operation is known as one of the premier breeding farms in the United States, boasting a string of stallions and broodmares with impressive pedigrees and top show ring records. Since the launch of Pony Lane Farm in 2002, the operation has grown extensively, with a custom-built facility in Wellington propelling further success for the business in South Florida.

In Wellington, Pony Lane Farm was first housed on a small property with 10 stalls, but the number of horses quickly outgrew the available space, prompting the Thatchers to expand. Drawn in by the appeal of the horse-friendly Saddle Trail neighborhood, Pony Lane Farm found a new home in February 2014, purchasing the larger space with help of close friend and colleague Alex Jayne, a well-known trainer in the Wellington show jumping sphere.

“We loved the accessibility and the people who lived in the Saddle Trail neighborhood, as well as the fact that the neighborhood is designed for horses,” said Maura Thatcher, founder of Pony Lane Farm. “We eventually purchased it without even going inside the house. I had a really short time in Wellington, and when we were shown the property, we couldn’t get in the house that day, so I had Alex go back and look at the house. He said it was beautiful and to buy it, so that’s what we did!”

Pony Lane Farm’s new property featured a 12-stall barn equipped with a tack room, riders’ lounge and grooms’ apartment, as well as a home designed for year-round living. With only two more stalls than previously, further expansion was needed. With horses on the property year-round, the Thatcher family ensured they would have an equine-friendly atmosphere, not only during the busy winter show season, but during the summer months as well.

“We built the exact mirror of the original barn, bumping us up to 22 stalls, and we connected the two barns with a covered crossover with the help of our architect. We placed the treadmill, hoof water spa and TheraPlate within the crossover, and added a place for the farrier that has easy access,” Thatcher explained. “The horses are very comfortable using those pieces of equipment and getting their shoes, because they’re right around the other horses. You’re not asking them to leave their friends!”

With a solid home base secured, the team at Pony Lane Farm has been able to focus on both breeding and competing in Wellington for the past three years. When in Florida, the farm’s three premier stallions — Dulf Van Den Bisschop, Klotaire du Moulin and Standing Ovation — all keep the peace in side-by-side stalls, and the team implements specific protocols to notify the horse which job he will be completing on any given day, making it possible for active breeding stallions to also successfully compete at the nearby Winter Equestrian Festival.

Adding to its repertoire, Pony Lane Farm further aims for its stable full of both up-and-coming and proven performance horses to bring home accolades from the WEF show ring. From breeding youngsters to competing in the Grand Prix, the Thatchers have a hand in many of the equestrian opportunities that draw athletes to Wellington.

“Wellington is where the horse world comes to play. You have so many international and national riders, as well as the top horses in the world in both jumpers and hunters. You compete with the best, and that makes it so much more fun to be in Wellington and to be able to experience that level,” Thatcher said. “The girls have entered a new chapter of their lives, but they still want to include the horses. I want the horses to always be a part of their lives, like they have always been a part of mine, no matter what level. I can’t imagine not having horses as a part of our life.”

Whether at the farm or around town, the Thatchers enjoy their time in Wellington year after year, and aim to contribute to the local equestrian community. From the equestrian center to local restaurants, they take advantage of all that the Wellington community has to offer from November through April, and then count the days until it’s time to return at the end of the year.

“The people who normally live in Wellington are so welcoming, and the restaurants and businesses are always excited to see the season start,” Thatcher said. “I’m really looking forward to that part. I’m always sad when it ends and excited for it to start.”

To learn more, visit www.ponylanefarm.com.