144 SIDELINES APRIL 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Jan Westmark-Allan
I knew that when I headed to
Wellington for a week during the 2013
FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian
Festival (WEF) that it would be a
whirlwind experience. Thousands
of horses and riders descend on
Wellington during the winter circuit
and there is never a dull moment.
I stayed busy - no dull moments
at all - and had a great time in the
wonderful world of Wellington.
Sidelines newest venture is Sidelines
TV (check out all the videos on our
website or on our Sidelines TV
YouTube channel)– and I spent a
week with Sidelines TV producer
Rob Jordan, interviewing people and
scouting the show grounds for great
locations to shoot videos.
Everything was going great with Sidelines TV, until Rob
decided to flm a segment called “Old Lady On A Horse.” Actually,
my daughter Abby and I were at Bethany Peslar’s Everglades
Dressage Farm in Grand Prix Village where we were taking a
lesson with Bethany on one of her dressage schoolmasters. Rob
showed up with cameras rolling and chaos ensued when I jumped
off the horse and hid behind a bush (Everglades Dressage Farm
has a lot of beautiful hedges). Abby took over the lesson and we
learned that dressage is a great cardiovascular workout - whether
you are riding or running and jumping into bushes. Thanks
Bethany for showing us the wonderful world of dressage.
I also got a closer look at the wonderful world of amazing
riders while in Wellington. Sidelines was the media sponsor for
the Equestrian Aid Foundation’s “Who Reins Supreme?” event -
where polo players, show jumpers, hunters and dressage riders
raised money for a great cause by taking a spin on a reining
horse. Watching all of these riders compete for a great cause was
inspiring - and throughout WEF there are endless charity events
that raise money for worthy causes. It is wonderful to see the
equestrian community come together.
Wellington offers an array of horse activities, so I attended polo
matches, rode dressage horses, watched the show jumpers clear
huge jumps with ease during a grand prix and sat on the side
of the hunter ring green with envy as one gorgeous hunter after
the next cantered a fawless course. Wellington really is a place
where dreams happen - whether you are on a horse or just sitting
on the sidelines.
The Bottom Line:
Before the winter circuit started, each of the
local Wellington schools painted a mural for WEF and they are
displayed throughout the show grounds. Polo Park Middle School
painted a mural of the new carousel that stands near the entrance
of the Winter Equestrian Festival that says “Every Dream Begins
Somewhere.” The middle school kids got it right - Wellington
certainly is the place where dreams begin.
The Wonderful World of Wellington
e
The Bottom Line
Riders from all disciplines took part in the “Who Reins Supreme?” event for the Equestrian
Aid Foundation in Wellington. From left to right: polo player Nic Roldan; show jumpers
Brianne Goutal and Georgina Bloomberg; polo player Brandon Phillips and show jumper
Romain Marteau.
Abby Westmark takes a dressage lesson on Zoey at Bethany
Peslar’s Everglades Dressage Farm in the Grand Prix Village in
Wellington. (Notice the beautiful hedges in the background!)
All photos by Jan Westmark-Allan
The “Every Dream Begins Somewhere” mural painted by Polo
Park Middle School is on display at the Winter Equestrian
Festival.