January, 2015 – Winter Equestrian Festival

By Lois Spatz

Above: Mark Bellissimo, Kent Farrington, Eric Lamaze,
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, and Liza Boyd. Photo: Lois Spatz.

Wellington Florida – January 6, 2015  —— Tomorrow kicks off one of the freshest and most exciting seasons yet for the Rolex Winter Equestrian Festival and the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, both being held in Wellington through March 29. Equestrian experts, rider, trainers and organizers from both festivals were on hand today at the Wellington show grounds to discuss the 2015 season for two of the most giant entities in Wellington.

Mark Bellissimo, managing Partner at Wellington Equestrian Partners LLC, the firm that operates the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, opened the press conference by expressing gratitude to the Village of Wellington.

“We are grateful to the Village of Wellington for working with us on so many levels, making this year so much better. Not just with the front of the house but with the back of the house as well.”

Bellissimo thanked the Village for working with him and his team to add 150 new parking spaces to the show grounds as well as several additional practice riding rings as well as new stables and barns on both of the grounds.

Bellissimo has often been credited as the rescuer of the festival and long-time loyal devotee to the worldly WEF. He has been through a long history of fighting many battles with the Village of Wellington Council  – just to strengthen the festival’s attendance and standings in international community for show jumping, hunter jumping and dressage. And according to his comments today, there seems to be quite an amount of progress with the village in pressing forward to create a world class equestrian community compared to no other.

An interesting side note provided by Bellissimo was that the amount of WEF “bed nights” added to Palm Beach County is almost 60,000 more than the Honda Classic each year. “Bed nights” are simply how the hotel industry measures occupancy for one person for one night and each person brings several sources of revenue to many businesses in our area.

“According to statistics provided by Tourist Development Services of Palm Beach County , the 2011 Wellington Winter Equestrian Festival was host to 98,000 overnight guests in 2011. This past 2014 season that amount soared to 122,000.”

Rounding out today’s panel were US top rider and ranked #2 in the world Kent Farrington, 2008 Olympic Show Jumping Champion Eric Lamaze, First woman ranked number one show jumping rider in the world Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and world record setting rider and trainer Liza Boyd of Finally Farm, Inc.

The 2015 season will also live stream competitions for local and international viewers alike for the first time in its 36 year history.

Wellington 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival panel included world – renowned horse show organizer Thomas Baur of Germany, ( who has been slated since 2014 to guide the dressage events for Wellington’s Also on the panel were Board Member of the Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners and representing Luitpold Pharmaceutical rider Allyn Mann, Spanish Olympic team member and top world dressage rider Daniel Martin Dockx, USDF gold medalist Devon Kane of Diamante Farms along with Mark Bellissimo. During discussions or the media and press on hand, Bellissimo announced that over $650,000 in prize monies will be awarded during this 2015 dressage season.

It sounds like it may not be long before the Adequan Wellington Dressage Festival catches up in popularity to it’s very famous neighbor located across the street. Bellissimo promised that the new world class dressage venue for international riders and competitors will continue to grow and to host the top dressage riders in the world.

Bellissimo and his team closed the press conference today by stating this will be one of the most unique and exciting seasons yet due to the large amount of new riders and young fresh top-bred horses competing this year in both the Wellington Festivals.