July/August 2020

P EO PL E | T R AV EL | D E S I G N | FA S HI O N | S T Y L E | DÉCO R

EQ

EQUESTRIAN LIVING

EQ U E S TR I A N LIV I N G EQLiving.com

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JULY/AUGUST 2020

J U LY / A U G U S T 2 O 2 O

JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN WEDDINGS 2O2O | ASPEN POLO DISPLAY UNTIL SEPT. 14, 2020

LOVE

at long last.

You’ve waited for this day since the proposal, since the first day you met, since forever. You’ve dreamed this day would be lavish or intimate, but definitely unforgettable. The wait is almost over.

EMILY HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Your life together is just beginning.

PETITE Soirée Eau Palm Beach’s new Petite Soirée package celebrates intimate weddings, with a stunning oceanfront ceremony, an overnight stay for the couple in an oceanfront suite, a cocktail reception with a three-course plated dinner and wine pairing party for 10 guests.

Our wedding specialists tend to all the little details so you can focus on your big day.

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EQ I N S I D E

FEATURES 52

TUNY PAGE

ERIC STRIFFLER

J U LY | AU G U S T 2 0 2 0

JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN

28 World-class show-jumping champion Jessica Springsteen talks candidly about her early riding days and the steps she has taken to establish her career as a professional equestrian athlete.

POLO ELEVATED IN ASPEN

40 In her personal travel diary, Rebecca Baldridge describes innumerable ways to enjoy Aspen, Colorado, in the summer, from polo to paragliding, and cookhouses to Champagne.

PHOTO GEORGE KAMPER

THE LESSER-KNOWN HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COWBOYS

60

WEDDINGS 2020: DON’T STOP BELIEVING

48 Originally published by Smithsonian Magazine, the writer addresses the question: if one in four cowboys was Black, why aren’t they more present in popular culture?

TUNY PAGE

52 A visit with Tuny Page at Stillpoint Farm in Wellington, Florida, gives us a glimpse into her dressage riding and training career, and the spirited commitment she has to her charitable organizations.

WEDDINGS 2020: DON’T STOP BELIEVING

60 Experts weigh in on the challenges of planning a wedding during a pandemic and offer perspective on how couples can create something imaginative and memorable.

FLYING FEATHERS

70 Photographer Ifat Zohar vividly captures the essential personality of international jumping champion Dani G. Waldman.

PAINTER JAIME CORUM REVELS IN THE MYTH AND MAJESTY OF HORSES

CAL-A-VIE SPA

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Equine paintings lush with tapestry, triumph, and a dash of romance, are characteristic of Jaime Corum’s work.

WHAT SWITZERLAND DID FOR THE LUXURY WATCH,

B&D BUILDERS DOES FOR THE EQUESTRIAN FACILITY.

Let’s discuss your building vision.

717.687.0292

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BandDBuilders.com

EQ I N S I D E

DEPARTMENTS J U LY | AU G U S T 2 0 2 0

16 STYLE

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From personalized to practical, wedding gift options abound for the brides and grooms of 2020. As young couples plan unique and memorable events, guests can shower them with gifts wrapped up in style.

DESIGN

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Add personality to any room with striking area rugs that run the gamut from hand-woven vintage patterns to modern Bauhaus designs.

FASHION

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Equestrian fashion brands balance style and performance in their young rider’s apparel. Whether schooling or in the competition ring, the new crop of equestrians will be looking cool and comfortable.

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FAVORITES

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An engaging excerpt from The Ultimate Guide for Horses in Need

by Dr. Stacie G. Boswell.

FOOD+DRINK

27

A favorite at the Hampton Classic, Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs share their applicious equestrian cocktail recipe.

ON THE COVER

IN EACH ISSUE Show jumper Jessica Springsteen was shot on location in Wellington, Florida,

by Equestrian Living photography director George Kamper.

EDITOR’S NOTE 8 Welcome to Equestrian Living.

RESOURCES

96

Look for CONTACT INFO | PAGE 96 to find the products and services in this issue.

BARN DOGS 98 Meet Callie, Leslie Burr Howard’s rescue dog with a big heart and feisty personality.

GIVING BACK

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Competing for a good cause was at the core of the benefit for the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys and Girls Club of Wellington, Florida.

EQUESTRIAN PROPERTIES

83

Fabulous farms and ranches.

6 | EQU E S T R I A N L I V I NG | J U LY / AU GU S T | 2020

Handcrafted

DESIGN INSPIRED EQUESTRIAN-THEMED DÉCOR FROM NEW AND VINTAGE TACK Drawing from the rich history of horseracing and polo, designer Stephanie Reppas creates uniquely crafted furnishings, detailed with sumptuous hand-tacked leather and polished steel hardware. Her pieces deliver a refined simplicity and elegance that any lover of warm, sophisticated design will appreciate.

Buffalo Leather Serving Board with Nickel Finish Snaffle Bit Handles ABOVE: Circle Mirror Framed with Hand-Tacked Mahogany Buffalo Leather

cUstom design Provide your own tack from a special horse, and we’ll create a truly bespoke piece for your home, business or tack room.

BELOW: English Hunter Lamp

OctOber Design, new YOrk 347.671.9249

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info@octoberdesign.com

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EQ F R O M T H E E D I T O R

PHOTO MICHAEL ALFONSO

WELCOME platitudes on the topic can easily be perceived as disingenuous. Our team has grappled with this dilemma for a while.

We support the Black Lives Matter movement but debated how, as journalists, we demonstrate our solidarity. Do we abide by the “always remain neutral in journalism” mantra, or do we take a more aggressive stand championed by some On location at Tuny Page’s Stillpoint Farm in Wellington, Florida. of our team’s more fervent Seated from left: Equestrian Living publisher C. Wynn Medinger, members?

Equestrian Living editor-at-large Carol Cohen-Hodess, Tuny Page, Ultimately, we each have hair and make-up artist Leslie Munsell, Equestrian Living editor to address where we stand Stephanie Peters. Standing: Equestrian Living photography director and ask ourselves: are we George Kamper. in denial? If so, what meahere’s no easy lead-in to the pro- sures can we take to raise our awareness and adjust our actions? found global events that have Within the equestrian community, we transpired over the first half are collectively accountable for our lack of of 2020. We were caught flatvision and inclusion of people of color. We footed—one foot in the lack of preparation and response to a pandemic, and merely need to look around the barns and the other cemented in years of unquestioned in the show rings to recognize our industry’s shortcomings. I’m not suggesting this tolerance of racial injustice. is intentional; I simply think we’ve been In both issues—a pandemic and racial blind to the imbalance. We all need to be injustice—denial plays a significant role. more aware of our choices and decisions, Novelist, Orhan Pamuk, writes in Nights whether in our speaking, our behavior, or of Plague, “The initial response to the outbreak of a pandemic has always been denial.” in Equestrian Living’s case, who and what we feature in the magazine.

Similarly, Ibram X. Kendi, renowned I envision this shift towards inclusion to author and leading scholar of race and disbe less of a sprint and more of a measured criminatory policy in America, notes, “The march. Either way, building diversity and heartbeat of racism is denial.” equality in equestrian sport should be the Denying the topic of systemic racism and inequality isn’t an option for Equestrian end goal.

Living.

IN THIS ISSUE Addressing the subject of systemic racism within a business environment calls for a Even amidst the country’s prolonged safe delicate balance. Saying nothing can be con- distancing and heated social discourse, we have assembled an inspiring mix of editostrued as being complicit while delivering rial content.

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We were fortunate enough to meet with Jessica Springsteen just a week before Wellington, Florida’s, winter season at WEF abruptly ended due to COVID-19.

She was having an incredible season and had ridden her way to the number one position in USEF show-jumping ranking.

No one could have predicted the landslide of canceled horse shows that followed, but there’s little doubt that Jessica’s resilience and focus will lead her back to the winner’s podium when competitions resume.

While in Wellington, we also visited champion dressage rider and trainer, Tuny Page, at her beautiful Stillpoint Farm. In addition to Tuny’s accomplishments in the saddle and training arena, you’ll discover how horses led to her impassioned involvement in the philanthropic and therapeutic realms.

In our Weddings feature, we learn how couples are planning their special event in the midst of a pandemic. While some are opting for intimate gatherings in 2020, others are postponing their weddings and taking advantage of the extra planning time.

We balance out the issue with Rebecca Baldridge’s trip to Aspen, Colorado, and learn why it’s every bit as appealing in the summer as it is at the height of ski season.

We also showcase an evocative photo essay of showjumper, Dani G. Waldman, present the majestic paintings of Jaime Corum, and keep you current with our varied mix of departments.

I recently took the time to page through countless back issues of Equestrian Living.

We’ve come up short in diversity inclusiveness. There’s a vast, colorful world outside of our arena. We need to improve our vision.

Where they go next is up to us Tens of thousands of horses become at-risk for abuse, neglect and an untimely and inhumane end of life each year. Over 81,000 of America’s horses were shipped across our borders to be slaughtered in 2018.

Most were young, healthy and had untapped potential.

Yet, while there are over 48 million people with disabilities in the US, and even more who would benefit from magic and power of horses, only 7,900 horses are currently serving only 69,000 people with special needs.

The EQUUS Foundation is committed to putting an end to the abuse and neglect of America’s horses by increasing opportunities for horses to share their magic as athletes, companions, teachers and healers.

The EQUUS Foundation is the only national animal welfare charity in the United States 100% dedicated to protecting America’s horses and strengthening the bond between horses and people.

Join us at equusfoundation.org

EQ J U LY/AUG U ST 2020

EQ U E S TR I A N

Distinctly Virginia

EQLiving.com

LIVING

®

VOLUME 9 NUMBER 3 EDITOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR Stephanie B. Peters SENIOR EDITOR Jill B. Novotny PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR George Kamper EDITOR AT LARGE Carol Cohen-Hodess CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rebecca Baldridge, Judy Richter DESIGN MANAGER Mary A. Stroup SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB CONTENT Maggie Carty EDITORIAL MANAGER Theresa Cardamone EQ SPECIAL EVENTS Jennifer Pearman Lammer UK & LONDON EDITOR Bridget Arsenault CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michelle Durpetti, Gina Jokilehto-Schigel, Sue Weakley, Ifat Zohar INTERN Jessica Konopinski PUBLISHER C.W. Medinger PUBLISHING CONSULTANT George Fuller PRINT John Spittle PUBLIC RELATIONS Carrie Wirth, EQmedia.agency NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION Boyd Mulholland ADVERTISING SALES General: 929-262-0347, info@eqliving.com Joyce Jones, 954-796-1809, jones@eqliving.com Dick Holcomb, 770-331-7788, dickholc@bellsouth.net Blaire Baron, 215-439-8259, baron@eqliving.com Europe: Rosa Zampini, zampini@eqliving.com EQ LIVING ADVISORY BOARD Bob Cacchione, Connecticut Deborah Deutsch, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Melissa Ganzi, Wellington, Fla. Carson Kressley, New York, N.Y. Peter Leone, Lionshare Farm, Bedford, N.Y. Colleen and Tim McQuay, Tioga, Texas Mindy Peters, Los Alamos, Calif.

David Sloan, Millbrook, N.Y. Renee Spurge, LA Saddlery, Los Angeles, Calif.

Chester Weber, Ocala, Fla. EQUESTRIAN QUARTERLY (EQ) became EQUESTRIAN LIVING magazine in 2016 and is published six times yearly. It is distributed at selected equestrian locations, newsstands, and is available for home delivery for $24.95 | Canada $39.95.

Rock Ford Hume, Virginia

Subscribe on page 97 or online at eqliving.com/subscribe Free EQ InnerCircle eNewsletter: eqliving.com/ic To purchase past issues or find newsstands offering EQLiving, visit eqliving.com/where-to-buy Subscription management and address changes: Web: eqliving.com/manage-subscription Tel: 929-262-0347 Editorial inquiries and letters to the editor:

Gloria Rose Ott

©2020. All rights reserved, Wynnwood Media, LLC. No portion may be reproduced in print or online without written permission. ®Equestrian Living, Equestrian Quarterly, and EQ are.registered trademarks of Wynnwood Media.....

Vice President • Broker Associate m +1 540 454 4394 | gloriarose.ott@sir.com Flagship Brokerage 1206 30th Street NW, Washington DC gloriaroseott.com

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EQ EQ E S S E N T I A L S | S T Y L E

WEDDINGS 2O2O:

From personalized to practical, this curated WEDDING GIFT COLLECTION is wrapped-up in style.

CELEBRATE THE HAPPY COUPLE

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See Wedding feature on page 60.

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1. Instantly brighten the kitchen or dining room with Williams Sonoma’s set-of-four Citrus Jacquard Napkins. The golden napkins, woven and tailored at a venerable Russian mill, become even more lustrous over time. $39.99.

2. Williams Sonoma Home’s lusciously soft jacquard-woven, Greek Key Cashmere Throw edged in hand-twisted fringe, has a dash of modern style and yearround luxury. $299. Monogram $12. 3. Designed, assembled, and tested in coastal climates

14 | EQ UE S T R I A N L I V IN G | J U LY / AU GU S T | 2020

around the globe, Priority Bicycle’s Priority Coast Bicycle boasts features designed to take on the salt, sand, and water at the beach. $499. 4. The cast iron Round Dutch Oven by Le Creuset is known for its strength and durability. Honoring the brand’s tradition

of lasting design, each piece is hand-inspected by French artisans. $288. 5. Juliska’s rosy pink, uniquely rounded Amalia Vase adds a warm glow to a bedside or perched in a powder room. $395.

EQ E S S E N T I A L S | S T Y L E

1. The stainless steel knives in Simon Pearce’s Hardwick Cheese Knife set are inspired by traditional New England blacksmithing, with twisted blackened-steel handles that have a rustic wroughtiron look. $75. 2. Named after Byer of Maine’s founder, the Joseph Byer Chair is made of strong Keruing wood. The robust chair is comfortable and simple in design yet folds up easily. Shown in natural.

$129.95. The foldable, Pangean Campaign Roll-Top Table is a strong, beautiful, deck or patio table. The roll-top table crafted from strong Keruing wood comes with a carrying bag for easy transport. $189.95. 3. Crate & Barrel’s cast iron, Cherry Tea Kettle

by Staub features an ingenious design that unites top and bottom to form a teapot and spout, and a double handle that folds down to

remove the top for filling. $169.99.

4. Each hand-painted plate in Horse and Hound’s set-of-four Devon Equestrian Porcelain dinner plates features a colorfully blanketed horse with a bridlerimmed border. Made in Northern Italy. $295. 5. Vagabond House’s luxury Bronze Equestrian Ice Bucket is handcrafted in pure bronze and embellished with pewter O-rings, saddle straps, and

horseshoes. The bucket is designed to keep ice cold for hours. $575.

6. The Hermès Mosaique au 24 Gold Tart Platter is a tribute to the birthplace of Hermès on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in Paris. Each motif reflects the lively patterns of colors and light on the famous store’s floor. $495.

CONTACT INFO | PAGE 96

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EQ E S S E N T I A L S | D E S I G N

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TREAD SOFTLY

Add personality to a room with VIVID AREA RUGS whether displaying graphic pops of color or traditional vintage patterns.

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1. Covet House’s Prisma Three

by Rug’s Society boasts a bold graphic design in hand-tufted wool and silk. Available in four sizes.

Prices upon request.

2. The multicolor, wool vintage Turkish Tribal Kilim runner by Kilim Studio was handwoven in the mid-20th century. Approximately 4-by-12 foot. $990.

3. The machine-woven Rabia rug from Rugs.com features a pattern reminiscent of tales of Aladdin.

8-by-10 foot. $269.

4. Perigold’s Jurassic, hand-knotted wool rug blends traditional design with an abstract feel.

Available in multiple sizes. Prices upon request.

5. The hand-tufted Prisma Two

by Rug’s Society is inspired by classic Bauhaus shapes known for balance and rhythm. Available in four sizes. Prices upon request.

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CONTACT INFO | PAGE 96 16 | EQ UE S T R I A N L I V IN G | J U LY / AU GU S T | 2020

SETTING THE STANDARD FOR 40 YEARS Complete design services and fine craftsmanship Custom barns, arenas, garages and event venues

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PALM BEACH POLO | EAGLES LANDING | $749,000

Striking 4-Bedroom, 4-Bathroom Pool Home | High Ceilings | Marble and Hardwood Flooring | Floor-to-Ceiling Windows | Impact Glass | 2 Half-Bathrooms | 3-Car Garage | Covered Screen Patio with Built-In Barbecue | Expansive Pool Area | Unobstructed Views of Water and Cypress Golf Course

3-Bedroom, 3.5-Bathroom Pool Home | Immaculate Renovation | Impact Glass and Accordion Shutters | New Hardwood Floors | Waterfall Granite Island | Custom Kitchen Cabinets | Marble Bathrooms | 2-Car Garage | Private Pool and Outdoor Living Area

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BINKS ESTATES | $799,000

PALM BEACH POLO | SHADY OAKS | $899,00

Private and Spacious Luxury Estate in Binks Forest | 4 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms | Ceramic Tile | Wide-Plank Wood Flooring | High Ceilings | Expansive Windows | Light-Filled Rooms | Master with French Doors to Back Patio | Whirlpool Spa Tub | Professionally Landscaped | Pool | Stunning Lake Views

Light and Bright Pool Home | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms | Updated Throughout | Wide-Plank Wood Flooring | Plantation Shutters | Impact French Doors | Custom Built-Ins | Enclosed Sunroom with Travertine Floors | Phantom Screens | Private Two-Tiered Pool and Spa | Sun Deck Overlooking the Water and Nature Preserve

MARTHA W. JOLICOEUR, PA BROKER ASSOCIATE 561 797 8040 www.marthasproperties.com

PR E

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GRAND PRIX FARMS | $6,950,000

125TH AVE SOUTH | $5,900,000

2.98 Acres | 14-Stall Barn | 6 Paddocks | 235’ x 115’ All-Weather Arena | Owners’ Lounge with Kitchen and Bathroom | 2 Staff Apartments | Grooms’ Lounge with Kitchen | Outdoor Patio with Summer Kitchen Overlooking the Ring | Adjacent to PBIEC | Sold Furnished | Also Available as Rental

5-Acre Equestrian Facility | Lush Landscaping | 18-Stall Main Barn | Lavish Owners’ Lounge | Staff Apartment | Large Dressage Arena | Spacious Paddocks | Meticulously Updated Home | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms | Vaulted Ceilings | Exposed Beams | Fireplace | Pool and Patio | Outdoor Kitchen | Perfect for Entertaining

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PALM BEACH POLO | LAS CASITAS | $779,000

PALM BEACH POINT | $10,700,000

Modern Renovation | 3-Bedroom, 2-Bathroom Pool Villa | Wood Floors Throughout | Breathtaking Kitchen | GE Café Appliances | Granite Countertops | Custom Bar with Wine Cooler | New Saltwater Pool and Jacuzzi | Private Yard | Impact Windows with Euro-Wall System | Also Available as Rental

10-Acre Equestrian Estate | 7 Bedrooms, 5 Bathrooms, and 2 Half-Bathrooms | Hardwood and Marble Tile Flooring | Center Island Range | Sub-Zero Refrigerator | Impact Glass | Wrap-Around Staircase | 14-Stall Center-Aisle Barn | 2 Studio Apartments | Managers’ Apartment | Riders’ Lounge | Outdoor Arena and Grass Jumping Field | Round Pen | 10 Grass Paddocks | Hacking Distance to PBIEC

HOME IS WHERE YOUR HORSE IS

THE NEXT MOVE IS YOURS 1111 LINCOLN RD, PH-805, MIAMI BEACH, FL 33139. 305.695.6300 © 2020 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. IF YOUR PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY LISTED WITH ANOTHER REAL ESTATE BROKER, PLEASE DISREGARD THIS OFFER. IT IS NOT OUR INTENTION TO SOLICIT THE OFFERINGS OF OTHER REAL ESTATE BROKERS. WE COOPERATE WITH THEM FULLY. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. .

EQ G I V I N G B A C K

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COMPETING FOR A GOOD CAUSE A benefit for the NEIL S. HIRSCH FAMILY BOYS & GIRLS CLUB of Wellington.

PHOTOS: JACQUIE PORCARO

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS of the Palm Beach Masters this year was the February Equestrian Triathlon. Top equestrian celebrities from the worlds of showjumping, dressage, and polo came together to compete at Deeridge Farms. The twist, though, is that the equestrians competed in disciplines other than their own. Elegant dressage riders and showjumpers tested their mettle in a polo match, while rough and tumble polo players flew over jumps or tried their hand (and seat) at basic dressage movements. Money raised from the event goes to support the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington, where hundreds of local children enjoy a safe place to go after school and during the summer.

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EQ G I V I N G B A C K

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1. This peacock isn’t shy about showing off some striking plumage. 2. Polo player Pamela Flanagan tries her hand at show jumping. 3. Nic Roldan addresses a rapt audience of Boys & Girls Club members. 4. Swiss show jumper Martin Fuchs attempts a challenging near side shot. 5. A colorful chapeau is never out of place at an equestrian event. 6.

Pamela Flanagan cuts a graceful figure in the dressage ring.

7. Nic Roldan takes a jump with the polo player’s natural gusto. 8. Boys & Girls Club members with new friend Nic Roldan .

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BIG LITTLE STYLE 1

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Equestrian fashion brands blend STYLE AND PERFORMANCE in their young rider’s apparel.

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1. Romfh’s light and breezy Chill Factor sun shirt provides cooling comfort and sun protection. Shown in mulberry/greystoke combination. $69.95. 2. R.J. Classic’s Hampton basic show coat provides classic, show-ring polish. The hunt coat is fully lined with a three-button front and double-vented back. $120. 3. Goode Rider’s Ideal show and schooling shirt in blue mosaic is constructed of stay-cool antibacterial fabric. Includes contrast banding and silver horsebit pull. $57. Shown with Lucky breech knee patch. $99. 4. Ariat’s Artico show coat is ready to perform with Moisture Movement technology to keep riders dry, and stretch fabric for increased range of motion. $209.95.

Shown with Ariat’s white, Sunstopper show shirt ($44.95), the Heritage Elite KP breech ($89.95), and the Heritage Contour Field Zip tall leather boot. $259.95. 5. The lower rise Horsebit Jean breech by Goode Rider boasts a custom-fit waistband and velcro close at the bottom. The back pockets include horsebit embroidery. $89. Shown with the Happy Polo. $39. 6. Ariat’s Sunstopper quarter-zip shirt in navy dot features sun protection fabric and breathable, mesh paneling. $49.95. Shown with the Tri-Factor Grip knee-patch breech designed to keep you riding in comfort. $119.95. 7. The kids’ Ribbon Belt by Dover includes a web strap with leather billets and pink ribbon overlay with pairs of horse and rider. $29.95.

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CONTACT INFO | PAGE 96

Wellington, Florida • MattSells.com • 561-313-4367

A home for the active family! - 5Br/5.5Bth home on 5 acres with impact windows & doors, stunning gourmet cook's kitchen with professional grade appliances, home theater with tiered seating, resort style pool with rock waterfall, hot tub and sauna. Plus oversized 3 car garage and attached boat or RV bay with hookup. Reduced to $1,595,000

This 2 acre farm has it all! Updated 4Br/3.5Bth pool home with 2 master suites. 8 stall center-aisle barn with studio apartment, 2 wash racks, tack & laundry room, 180’x110’ arena with GGT footing, 6 paddocks and direct bridle path access to WEF. Offered at $2,250,000

Great Value! - Lovely 3Br/3Bth home with 3 car garage situated on 5.25 acres with 6 stall center-aisle stable. Open floor plan with fireplace, centerisland kitchen with custom wood cabinetry and hurricane windows & doors throughout. The kitchen boasts granite counters, stainless steel appliances and walk-in pantry. There are 6 large paddocks, round pen and hot walker.

Offered at $1,145,000

40 Acre Equestrian Facility - This property has every amenity a horse person could desire: 3 BR owner's residence with pool, 58 Stalls, covered 90' x 225' arena, 2 outdoor arenas, round pen, exercise walker, large paddocks and room for a stick & ball field or grand prix field. Plus, 4Br/2Bth guest cottage. Prime location just minutes to downtown Stuart, the beaches and 1 hour to Wellington. Offered at $3,200,000.

Private Oasis - 10 Acre equestrian property with all the amenities. Centeraisle barn, 210’ x 110’ riding arena with mirrors, 6 horse exercise-walker, grass paddocks and 2 Br/1Bth guest house. The 4Br main house boasts updated kitchen & baths, wood and marble floors, stunning pool and patio with hot tub, 3 car garage and whole house generator. Reduced to $2,395,000

Short Sale - Beautifully maintained lakefront 5Br/4.5Bth pool home which boasts a center-island kitchen with stainless steel appliances & granite counter tops and 4 way split bedroom plan. The kitchen opens to the breakfast area & family room with stunning views to the lake. The backyard is perfect for entertaining with the large patio & pool area. This home sits in a prime location just minutes away from all of Wellington's equestrian venues. Offered at $855,000

Matt Johnson • Engel & Völkers Licensee of Engel & Völkers Florida Residential, LLC Selling Wellington & The Palm Beaches Mobile +1 561-313-4367 Matt.Johnson@evusa.com ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Coastal Luxury Properties, LLC licensee of Engel & Voelkers Florida Residential, LLC. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

Wellington, Florida • MattSells.com • 561-313-4367

Palm Deer - Lovely contemporary 4Br/2.5Bth home on 5 acres with all the desired equestrian amenities, including 10 stalls, center-aisle stable, riding arena, studio apartment & 1Br/1Bth guest house. The home boasts a center-island cook's kitchen with quartz counters, Jenn-Air appliances, 6 burner gas cooking & wine-cooler. The open floor plan boasts lots of natural light, spacious master suite with 2 large walk-in closets, Kohler waterfall-edge spa tub, large glass shower with body sprays, dual vanities and bidet. Offered at $1,150,000

Brand New Equestrian Property - This state-of-the-art Wellington facility features a 10 stall center-aisle stable with 4 grooming stalls, 1 Br/1Bth staff apartment, business office and elegantly appointed 3 bedroom owner’s residence above. Thoughtfully situated on 5 acres with riding arena & paddocks within hacking distance to the showgrounds. Combine with the adjacent 5 acres for an additional $850k. Offered at $4,250,000

Stunning Lakefront - Newly remodeled 4Br/4Bth pool home All new: impact resistant windows & doors, roof, pool, kitchen & baths, wood floors, marble & stone finishes, dog grooming room, 3 car garage & 1Br/1Bth detached guest house. Privately situated on approx.

3.5 acres backing to a private lake and wildlife refuge.

Reduced to $1,875,000

Car Collectors & Animal Lovers Take Note - Escape from the fast paced life! 4Br/3Bth home with open floorplan on 5 acres in a gated western community. 2000 Sq. Ft detached outbuilding perfect for a car collector, home business or stable.

Reduced to $795,000

Matt Johnson • Engel & Völkers Licensee of Engel & Völkers Florida Residential, LLC Selling Wellington & The Palm Beaches Mobile +1 561-313-4367 Matt.Johnson@evusa.com ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Coastal Luxury Properties, LLC licensee of Engel & Voelkers Florida Residential, LLC. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

EQ E S S E N T I A L S | F A V O R I T E S

HELPING HORSES IN NEED OK

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An excerpt from THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR HORSES IN NEED by Dr. Stacie Boswell.

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t was early January, the air was biting, and a week’s worth of snow came up around my boot tops as I traipsed across the yard and knocked on the door. Rose and Dan, an elderly couple, were wearing coats and hats inside the house— it was almost as frigid inside as it was outside.

The neighbors had been calling the authorities for weeks and reporting their horse Cookie’s emaciated appearance. In most jurisdictions, a veterinarian must examine an animal before it is confiscated because of neglect, so I had been called to examine the horse in question.

We slowly walked together out to the barn. Dan explained, “We have to subsist only off our Social Security checks. I have bad knees and a bad heart, and my company’s retirement fund was lost when the economy crashed.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied.

Dan continued, “We had a great place in east Texas, always had grass! We couldn’t afford to maintain that property, so we downsized and moved out here to the desert.”

Rose told me, “We used to have three horses, but we were able to sell the others before we moved. Cookie was my favorite, so we kept her.” She went on to say that after the move, when they realized they wouldn’t have Dan’s retirement income, they had tried to sell Cookie. She had become thin and nobody wanted to buy her. Rose had also talked to some people at the local horse rescue group, but they didn’t have room for

Adapted from The Ultimate Guide for Horses in Need by Dr. Stacie Boswell and reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books.

any more horses and were underfunded. She had been told there was a waiting list, although the rescue had never called back.

The couple had even tried to give the mare away. Only one person had come to inquire, and Rose had feared he would sell Cookie to slaughter, so she didn’t let the man take her.

Cookie was in the barn. She was a kind horse, with soft eyes and relaxed ears, but was emaciated. Rose and Cookie looked at each other with love and sadness.

In the dusty aisle, there was a single bale of fresh hay, and a single bag of grain that had been purchased in anticipation of my arrival. The mare was eating. When we talked about how to help Cookie, I emphasized how sudden dietary changes could be dangerous to horses who were this thin. Dan told me that although Cookie lost weight each winter, she always picked back up and was fine during warmer months.

A few days later, I received another call from Rose.

Cookie was down in the snow, and couldn’t get up.

When I arrived, it was obvious her body had shut down. Cookie had experienced a severe metabolic problem called refeeding syndrome. I gave her medications and fluids directly into her vein. We tried to help her up with support and encouragement, but it was a losing battle. We all cried as Cookie took her last breath.

Rose and Dan weren’t able to pay the invoices to the veterinary practice. In a few months, we found out that they had filed bankruptcy and lost their home.

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EQ E S S E N T I A L S | F O O D + D R I N K

A favorite at the HAMPTON CLASSIC, this cocktail is “applicious.”

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APPLICIOUS EQUESTRIAN COCKTAILS This recipe is made in pitcher batches for the large crowds at the Hampton Classic. For the light, summer version: INGREDIENTS 3 cups apple-flavored vodka ½ cup apple liqueur (such as Berentzen) 5 cups apple juice ¾ cup cinnamon-infused simple syrup ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice Splashes of sparkling mineral water For the autumn, harvest version: Substitute Apple Pie Moonshine Liquor for the apple vodka.

Substitute fresh apple cider for the apple juice.

This year’s Classic was cancelled due to COVID19. It would have been the 25th anniversary of Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs as the official VIP Caterer at the Hampton Classic.

Garnish: Cinnamon sticks Green-apple slices PREPARATION Combine ingredients in a large pitcher, adjust simple syrup or lemon juice for sweetness, and chill. Serve over ice in rocks glass, add a splash of sparkling water, stir, and garnish with apple slices and cinnamon sticks.

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Jessica poses with RMF Zecilie throughout.

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JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN DEDICATION and CONFIDENCE in herself and her horses are at the core of her success.

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in a heartbeat. And then it stopped—literally. Citizens around the globe had to swiftly adapt to the new norms that best served their communities in a universal effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

To view this from an athlete’s perspective, and more specifically, an equestrian’s, an entire season of competitions—large and small, at home and abroad—were postponed or canceled entirely.

The summer 2020 Tokyo Olympics will hopefully be hosted a full year later in 2021.

BY STEPHANIE PETERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE KAMPER

Focusing on a tighter frame, we learn how one equestrian, Jessica Springsteen, is tapping into her years of experience and unflappable resilience as she navigates this untested terrain.

continued on page 33

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Charlotte and her mount, Vitalis, share a laugh.

Her shirt, from Kastel’s Charlotte collection, has mesh inner sleeves for comfort and offers protection from the sun.

Clockwise from top left: Jessica and RMF Zecilie at the 2019 Longines Global Champions Tour in Ramatuelle, Saint Tropez; Accepting her first-prize trophy with Pieter Devos (left), and Simon Delestre (right); Celebrating her win in Saint Tropez; Jessica (on RMF Zecilie) was a member of the U.S. team win at the March 2020 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup in Florida.

Meditation room: The peaceful space is Murray’s sanctuary. At right, Sarah’s landscape in progress.

STEFANO GRASSO/LGCT

KATHY RUSSELL

STEFANO GRASSO/LGCT

STEFANO GRASSO/LGCT

Continued from page 29

The 28-year-old world-class champion show jumper is the daughter and middle child of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. She grew up surrounded by animals at her family’s Coltsneck, New Jersey, farm, and began riding when she was 5 years old. She rode every day after school, rarely missed a lesson, and acknowledged that equestrian sport taught her about responsibility. Jessica had found her passion at an early age.

Through dedication and an abundance of talent, she has ridden her way through the ranks of ponies and horses—accruing national championship wins and excellence-in-equitation awards—and has risen to the world stage of grand prix 5* show jumping. She is currently number one in the USEF show-jumping ranking.

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week-in and week-out, and then all of that’s probably not going to happen for a couple of years,” she admits. “There are always moments when you feel like you’re never going to get there, but you just have to stay focused. You have to be so passionate about this sport and really love it.”

Horses are at the core of her passion for equestrian sport, and her relationship with them is everything. “This sport is so unique in that we’re working with animals every day, and they are ultimately our teammates and our partners,” she muses.

She is patient as she develops those relationships and allows herself the time to establish a working partnership, until she feels confident that she can go into a ring and give a class a shot. “Sometimes it’s instant chemistry, but with some horses, it takes time developing the partnership and learning how to understand each other,” she adds.

I first met Jessica in Wellington, Florida, at the beginning of THE EQUINE TE AM March 2020. She arrived at our photoshoot energetic and conJessica is very involved with the selecfident as she efficiently worked her way tion of her horses, noting the necessity of through the series of photographic scebuilding a solid team to keep up with her narios we had planned for our article. And poof—after one hour, she was off to enjoy There are always moments rigorous competition schedule. She’s been developing this string over the last few a rare day off during the frenetic winter when you feel like you’re never years. “I have a couple of younger horses, competition season in Wellington, Florida. going to get there, but you just and some more experienced, so that’s been One week later, the remaining events of nice,” she smiles. “Of course, your connecthe Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) were have to stay focused. tion with the horse is everything, and you abruptly canceled. The traditional linewant to be as involved as possible. You up of spring and summer shows, here and definitely want to have a good feeling the abroad, quickly followed suit and canceled first time you sit on a horse. I learned to trust my gut and that their events, one-by-one, in domino-style succession. The panfirst instinct when I am trying a horse, and not think about all demic and its worldwide impact had arrived with a vengeance. of the things I can improve or change. I’ve learned you want to When I interviewed Jessica three weeks later, she and the rest love the horse in that moment and feel like you can have that of the world was sheltering in place. I expected to hear a disheartchemistry.” ened athlete discouraged by the setback and loss of momentum In addition to her string of horses, Jessica currently rides two she had built over the last year. Perhaps she would be disaptalented mares for Rushy Marsh Farm: RMF Tinkerbell and RMF pointed that her potential selection to compete at the Tokyo Zecilie. “This will be my third year competing with Zecilie. She Olympics would be on hold for another year, and being able to is the most beautiful horse with the sweetest temperament,” says return to her home base in Belgium was suspended in limbo.

Jessica. “You see her in the stall, and she looks like a painting.

Instead, I heard an unflustered young woman with a steely It took a solid six to eight months of working with her until reserve of optimism. This reaction started to make sense as we we were on the same page, and we’ve been growing ever since. continued with the interview. It registered that her attitude was I never thought we would be where we are today, but at the in alignment with her approach to riding and weathering the moment, I would say she’s my best horse.” ups and downs of being a world-class competitive athlete.

Over the last year, Jessica and Zecilie have had some tremenJessica had experienced many of the roller coaster series dous wins, including the CSIO5* 2020 Longines FEI Nations of wins and losses as she moved through the various levels of Cup and the CSIO5* 2019 Longines Global Champions Tour riding. “There are always awkward phases,” Jessica laughs.

Grand Prix of Ramatuelle, Saint Tropez.

“I remember I had a lot of success on the ponies, and then I Jessica spends most of the year in Belgium, right outside switched to horses. There are those years when you’re trying to catch up, and you go right back down to the bottom. When you of Brussels, and loves competing in Europe. “The jumping competitions are amazing. It’s one of their biggest sports,” age out of the juniors and start to compete against professionals, she explains. “People come from riding families and grow up you go through all of that again. You’re used to getting results

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The Sloans’ living room in Wellington.

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doing it. They get so many people at the shows, and the crowd is always so educated. They follow the sport and the horses and riders. There’s incredible history there, and you can feel that when you’re riding. There are also a lot more shows. You can look at the calendar, and there are four different places you can go every week, which is nice because you can pick and choose what’s best for your horses,” she adds.

jump because, in the jumpers, it’s all about leaving the rails up.

Jessica complements her training regimen with Pilates and a bit of sports psychology. “I can almost be too relaxed sometimes, especially in Europe,” she explains. “Sometimes, classes will start at night, and it can be really tough having to go the whole day, and then you have to get motivated and focus.

“In this sport, you lose a lot more than you win. You have to believe that you can do it, maybe even before you have proof of LI F E A S A P ROFE SSI ON A L AT H L E T E results. There are so many times when you can have consistent Jessica loves competing around the globe and acknowledges it’s rounds but have unlucky four faults. Having trust with your a pleasant way to see the world. “It’s amazing that we get to horses and having that partnership, I think that’s the key. You take our horses with us and compete in these cities. Madrid has have to believe the wins will come. always been a favorite of mine. It’s such a beautiful competition, “There was never one moment when I thought, ’Ok, and I love Paris,” smiles Jessica. “We compete right in front of this is it.’ It’s always been so natural for me,” she adds. “I’ve the Eiffel Tower, and it’s such an incredible backdrop. I combeen working really hard at it, and it’s nice to see it all come peted in Rome last summer in Piazza di Siena, which was also together. Obviously, success isn’t everything; and it is about one of the most beautiful shows I’ve ever been to.” the journey, but it does feel good when you’ve been working at Competition is an adrenalin rush for Jessica. “When something for so long. It’s such a team effort, so to have that you’re in the ring, and the bell goes off, and you have eightycome together for me and my whole team is really nice.” something seconds, the only thing you’re Jessica has forged her years of training thinking about is the next fence,” she and competing into a thriving profesadmits. “Everything else just melts away. sional career. Even during her college That’s what I really love about it.” years at Duke, she never seemed to falter In this sport, you lose a lot in envisioning horse sport as a career. “I That rush was evident to anyone watching the 2020 Longines FEI Nations Cup more than you win. You have really wanted to go to college and have at Palm Beach Masters in Wellington, that full college experience to see if there to believe that you can do it.

Florida, earlier this year with the U.S. was something that I was as passionate team clinching the heart-pounding win. about [as riding],” she reflects. “There “It’s consistently a goal of mine to jump was never anything that I loved as much, a Nations Cup, and it’s always something but it was important for me to take that I look forward to doing,” Jessica shares. “I time and immerse myself in school. I loved try to aim my horses towards those competitions. To be a part school. I had such a great experience studying psychology, and of that [Nations Cup] win was so exciting. To be on the team I’m grateful that I was able to have those four years, and that with Laura [Kraut], Beezie [Madden], and Margie [Engle]—all I was able to study and ride during that time. It was difficult these women I’ve always looked up to—was so much fun. It was to balance, but it made me realize that I had already found my exceptionally special with such great energy.” passion.”

Training is paramount throughout an equestrian’s career— She shares the gift of recognizing her passion early in life whether navigating a level-one fence or tackling a five-foot with her parents, who were each lucky in that regard. “I can vertical. Jessica is no exception and has trained with numerous relate to them in a lot of ways,” explains Jessica. “They also people, including Laura Kraut and Edwina Tops-Alexander. had this incredible career path that they’ve both followed their Currently, Helena Stormanns trains her on Zecilie and entire lives. They’ve been able to push me in that sense when Tinkerbell, and she does a little bit of her own thing on her they saw that this was something I was passionate about and horses. “Lorenzo [de Luca] helps me when I’m feeling stuck on worked hard at. They were always able to motivate me and something, or if I have a new horse I’m getting to know,” says make me realize how special it is to have found my passion at Jessica. “Overall, I feel lucky that I’ve been able to train with a young age. I feel lucky that I’ve been able to turn it into a multiple people over my career. It’s helpful because you can take profession.” what you’ve learned from everyone, pick the things that were Jessica abides by a pragmatic approach to the sport—taking most helpful to you, and put them in your program.” one jump and one competition at a time. She’ll be fit and ready She mused that as she transitioned to show jumping, she had when competitions resume. For now, she looks forward to the to ease up on the mindset of the pretty and smooth equitationnext “go” bell and the “eighty-something” seconds of adrenalin and hunter-riding style and learn to go all out and fight for each rush.

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The Sloans’ living room in Wellington.

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Greetings from

Aspen

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BY REBECCA BALDRIDGE

POLO ELEVATED

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nless your white helmet. Not only is Adolfo regular ride is a Cambiaso the greatest polo player in the Gulfstream, there’s world; he’s widely believed to be the best no excuse for flying player in the history of the game. The to Aspen in the sumhorses make for the goal at full tilt, tearmertime. The drive ing up the pitch with every hoofbeat. from Denver is too spectacular to miss.

There’s a burst of shouting from the field.

Highway 82 via Independence Pass With dawning horror, I realize that the (elevation 12,095 feet) offers a stuntorrent of Spanish obscenities is directed ning approach to Aspen. If you follow at me. Mesmerized, I have failed to notice I-70 as far as Vail, then head south on that my car is slowly rolling into the Route 24, you’ll find Highway 82 just end-zone, behind the goal posts. I hit the past the town of Twin Lakes, where the brakes, mortified, and wait for the play red-framed General Store and Mercantile to turn back down the field. Such is the offers one last chance for gas or coffee. impact of seeing Cambiaso in action.

For 30-odd miles through the San Argentina may have the monopoly on Isabel National Forest, the road is all producing 10-goal polo players, but from switchbacks, hairpin turns, and vertigoinducing dropoffs. I avoid looking down, grateful to leave it to my intrepid pal to white-knuckle us up to Independence Pass.

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At the summit, we fall in behind a pack of North Face fleeces making for the scenic overlook. It’s August 1. Purple and yellow wildflowers bloom alongside the trail amid patches of melting snow still clinging to the grass. The meadow ahead ends in a cliff. Snow-capped peaks surround the forested valley below.

Suitably awed by nature’s splendor, we set off to accomplish our final goal— the de rigueur photograph under the sign announcing that we are atop the Continental Divide.

Crossing the Divide, we’re aflame to reach Aspen. A sign for the ghost town of Independence entices, but we press on, vowing to return later. We will spend our first two nights at the Molly Gibson Lodge, where a young man welcomes us warmly, checks us in, then merrily hauls my cinderblock-filled suitcase upstairs.

The room welcomes us with tasteful hues of beige and gray. A bottle of prosecco makes for a celebratory start to a long weekend.

I settle in to peruse a fistful of brochures describing the local attractions.

The local bus system is free, and even takes visitors as far as the Maroon Bells, the most photographed mountain peaks in North America. For the ambitious and fit, a 12-mile round-trip hike leads to Maroon Lake. I am neither, so I reject the idea at once.

Of course, Aspen offers every outdoor activity imaginable: hiking, mountainbiking, swimming, tubing, white-water rafting, paddle boarding and more.

Of course, it’s the more that piques my interest. I seize upon a brochure from Aspen Paragliding, which promises tandem instruction. “I simply must try paragliding,” I proclaim. Accustomed

REBECCA BALDRIDGE

Polo may not be the first sport that comes to mind when Aspen is mentioned, but it plays an important role in the social season.

to my enthusiasms, my pal Lavell gives me the gimlet eye. “And look at this one!” I brandish another gaily colored brochure, this one touting The Lost Forest, an alpine adventure park—alpine roller coaster, zipline, climbing wall—in nearby Snowmass.

“For the admission price, we could have two bottles of champagne…”

Fair point. We eschew the coaster and walk the two blocks into town.

Everything in Aspen is within walking distance of the lodge. We soon find ourselves in the heart of downtown—an atmospheric mashup of luxury boutiques, quaint architecture, bohemianism, and fleece. Musicians play in the square, tables are filled with tourists dining al fresco, and there are dogs—so many dogs. Specifically, so many Bernese mountain dogs, their owners clad in yet more fleece.

Temporarily sated by the charms of the town, come Friday, we’re eager for some hiking and a visit to Independence, a gold-mining ghost town. The story goes that some prospectors discovered the shiny stuff there in 1879, and by the next year, more than 300 eager punters had arrived to seek their fortunes. Today the tumbled shells of a general store, a jail, a saloon, and miners’ cabins remain, some more intact than others. The more solid structures house historical artifacts and photographs. Interpretive stations along the pathway meandering through town LEFT: Even bears aren’t immune to the charm of downtown Aspen. A stroll through the Saturday green market offers a cornucopia of delights.

OPPOSITE: Alejandro Novillo Astrada and Carlitos Gracida battle it out at Aspen Valley Polo Club. The Silver Queen Gondola offers spectacular views. Horseback riding and mountain biking are among the wealth of activities Aspen offers.

ROBERT HANSEN

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riff on the history and significance of the buildings. With few visitors about, it’s easy to fall back through time, imagining grizzled prospectors slugging whiskey in the saloon, patient horses and mules hitched to posts outside.

Now, the thing about fresh mountain air is that it tends to stimulate the appetite. We lunch at the Pine Creek Cookhouse, a legendary establishment reachable during the winter months only by horse-drawn sleigh, snowcat, or a 10-mile trek on cross-country skis.

Housed in a cozy log cabin with an antler-heavy décor, the restaurant focuses on wild game, fresh fish, and organic, locally sourced ingredients. The rustic cabin also boasts an outdoor dining area amid vegetable, herb, and flower-filled gardens along with stunning views of the Elk Mountains.

Earlier in the day, we had enjoyed

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For fun, try counting the private jets that crowd the tarmac at Aspen Snowmass Airport.

EQLiving’s Polo Primer: Learn how to talk like a polo pro: eqliving.com/a-polo-primer

a tour of the Little Nell Hotel, a fivestar establishment sitting at the base of Aspen Mountain, and thus arrived at the hotel’s Element 47 in a state of keen anticipation. Named for silver, the precious metal that put Aspen on the map, Element 47 is regularly voted Aspen’s top restaurant. The menu focuses on “Colorado contemporary” cuisine, which includes locally raised Wagyu beef, house-made pastas, and seasonal produce.

I am pleasantly surprised by my caribou steak. The restaurant is famous for its sommelier-curated private-cellar tastings; our sommelier recommends the perfect pairing for our meal. The décor is tastefully modern and subdued, and the food, wine, and ambiance come together for an elegant fine-dining experience.

For the weekend, we move to the glorious St. Regis, which offers every amenity the discerning traveler requires.

WHERE TO STAY

The Little Nell: If modern, chic, and five-star is your style, look no further. Located at the base of Aspen Mountain in the heart of downtown, it is impossible to be closer to the action. The lavish breakfast buffet will have you swooning, and no request is beyond the attentive staff. Best of all, the award-winning concierge team can arrange any adventure you can imagine, including a 4WD, mountain-top star-gazing expedition with an astronomer. Such adventures don’t come cheap, but you get what you pay for.

St. Regis: For sybarites who prefer the five-star treatment in a slightly more traditional style, the St. Regis fits the bill. The décor combines cozy wood paneling, fireplaces, and classic landscapes with contemporary elements for a sophisticated style with a mountain feel. The hotel offers complimentary bicycles, as a well as a Lexus SUV for the use of guests. The finest feature, though, is Kitty Jacob Astor IV, the hotel’s resident Bernese mountain dog.

Be sure to shake him by the paw as you pass through the lobby.

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Molly Gibson Lodge: For families and budget-conscious travelers looking for a great value, the Lodge offers a perfect combination of simple good taste, rooms that are both spacious and comfortable, and a pool open all year-round.

The friendly staff goes the extra mile to keep guests happy, and the hotel is just a stone’s throw from downtown. Four-legged guests are welcome, and kids will be delighted by the make-your-own-waffle station that’s part of the complimentary breakfast buffet.

Hotel Aspen: A sister property to the Molly Gibson, Hotel Aspen is just across the street and every bit as convenient to downtown.

The hotel offers a similar mix of style, gracious service, and value.

The newly remodeled pool deck boasts a fire pit and hot tub as well as luxurious Buddha beds, perfect for lounging on lazy summer days.

Deluxe rooms offer jetted tubs and wood-burning fireplaces; even in the high summer, evenings can be cool.

Pets are welcome at the Aspen as well.

It’s not uncommon for visitors to Aspen to suffer from altitude sickness.

Fortunately, the hotel’s Remède Spa offers an oxygen treatment. It’s the ultimate in relaxation: covered by a cozy faux fur throw, recline on a chaise lounge in a cool dark room and be lulled into a blissful stupor as oxygen hisses through a nasal cannula to banish the malaise. I end up feeling so relaxed, I am nearly late for the event that inspired our trip.

As always, some type of equestrian extravaganza is in the offing. We had come to Aspen for polo at Melissa and Marc Ganzi’s Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Polo may not be the first sport that comes to mind when Aspen is mentioned, but it plays an important role in the social season. The annual Chukkers, Champagne & Caviar fundraiser is one of the premier charity galas of the summer season. Since its inception in 2016,

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the event has raised over $3 million for the Aspen Valley Hospital Association.

The annual snow polo tournament right before Christmas is always a glittering, star-studded affair.

It’s easy to imagine grizzled prospectors Today’s polo match is part of the slugging whiskey in the saloon, patient horses Mandarina–Stick & Ball Polo Event Series and mules hitched to posts outside. celebrating the partnership between the two companies. Stick & Ball, owned by polo player Elizabeth Goodwin Welborn, offers a lifestyle collection featuring beautifully designed, meticulously handcrafted clothing, jewelry, and decorative pieces for the home, all created with sustainability in mind. Mandarina is an equestrianinfluenced development located in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit.

It’s quite a party, with a mouthwaAbout the Author: tering buffet of Mexican-inspired hors Rebecca Baldridge is a contributing editor of d’oeuvres and free-flowing tequila. The Equestrian Living and a polo addict. match between Melissa Ganzi’s Flexjet She lives in North Salem, New York. team and La Katrina is close; Flexjet

Element 47: It’s no surprise that Element 47 is regularly rated the best restaurant in Aspen. The “Colorado contemporary” menu, featuring locally raised Wagyu beef, house-made pasta, game, and seasonal produce is sublime, the décor quietly elegant, and the wine program distinguished.

Indeed, Element 47 has graduated 10 of North America’s Master Sommeliers, more than any other restaurant in the country.

MATT HARRINGTON

GIBEON PHOTO

WHERE TO EAT

Clark’s Oyster Bar: Inside the charming wooden storefront, diners will find the famed marble raw bar offering oysters and seafood renowned for its freshness. The bar boasts an inventive cocktail menu that includes the Aspen Mule of the Day. There’s also a delicious burger if you’re in the mood for turf instead of surf.

The hopping dining room makes for great people-watching, and if you’re in a Diamond Jim Brady kind of mood, there’s a champagne and caviar menu that will really make your meal a celebration.

Pine Creek Cookhouse: Located half an hour outside Aspen at the base of the Elk Mountains, the rustic charm and antler-filled dining room of this log cabin restaurant will have the most hardened cynic squealing in delight. The menu is based on fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, creatively prepared and attractively presented.

Although the restaurant is open all year round, it is accessible only by horse-drawn sleigh, cross country skis, or a snowcat during the winter months.

Hickory House Ribs: Everyone needs a break from the five-star life now and again, and especially if you’re traveling with children, you may be in the market for simpler fare. Ribs, chicken, pulled pork and all the traditional sides are available in a variety of combination platters, and the beer selection is commendable. The ribs are delicately smoky, the chicken juicy and tender, and the cornbread moist and sweet. $50 will finance a veritable feast for two, leaving the both of you happily sated and sticky with sauce. Moist towelettes provided.

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C2 PHOTO ELLE LOGAN

KRYSTAL ZASKEY

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KRYSTAL ZASKEY

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triumphs in the end. Ten-goaler Hilario Ulloa plays no small part in the victory. After the match, we are entertained by a Mariachi band and the “One-Arm Bandit,” John Payne, and his Wild West Show. Payne, literally possessed of one arm, entertains with trick riding, amusing patter, and animal co-stars, including two mustangs and a zebra.

So much to do in Aspen, and so little time. The St. Regis thoughtfully provides a Lexus for guest use, and we take them up on the offer to tool through the mountains and admire the scenery in style. Naturally, no trip to Aspen would be complete without lunch and a hike atop Aspen Mountain, so we hop on the gondola and head for the summit. Once we negotiate vertigo, we enjoy a view stretching for miles. For fun, try counting the private jets that crowd the tarmac at Aspen Snowmass Airport.

Sadly, our time on the mountain is cut short in spectacular fashion by a fast-moving thunderstorm. Warned to leave immediately or dig in for the duration, we claw our way onto the final gondola out. The next morning we have time for one last ride up the mountain.

The restaurant is abuzz, and a naturalist conducts a tour in the company of a bewildered ball python, clearly not a native of the Rockies. A lithe blonde teaches yoga on an adjacent terrace. Just a few feet away, a sign warns that the risks of entering the backcountry include death. It’s a stark reminder that for all Aspen’s glamour, the surrounding wilderness is very real, and no playground for inexperienced tourists.

Four days may sound like a reasonable getaway, but it’s barely enough to scratch Aspen’s surface. Where else can you white water raft, play polo, paraglide, hike, camp, and enjoy five-star dining and nightlife? Come next summer, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist the siren call of the Rockies. I’ll have that champagne and a ticket for the Alpine Coaster.

In Aspen, you really can have it all.

INFO | PAGE 96

OPPOSITE: Ricardo Santa Cruz of Mandarina, Melissa Ganzi, Gussie Busch, Hilario Ulloa, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, and Cindy Santa Cruz of Mandarina.

Rodeo performer John Payne, the “One-Arm Bandit,” did a show after the polo match.

Melissa Ganzi, John Sarpa, Deborah Breen, and Juan Bollini.

Casa Dragones Tequila; Angela Baker, Wendy Johnston, and Elizabeth Goodwin Welborn of Stick & Ball; Michael Polenska of Blackbird Vineyards; Cindy Santa Cruz, Kappner Clark, Ricardo Santa Cruz, and JP Mahony of Mandarina.

Jason Crowder, Sugar Erskine, Gillian Johnston, Carlucho Arellano, and USPA director Charlie Muldoon.

Sapo Caset.

Jeff Hildebrand, Juan Martin Obregon, Sapo Caset, and Mason Wroe, winners of the Silver Cup. Grant Ganzi and Hilario Figueras.

George and Brenda Dupont from the Museum of Polo with Nacho Figueras.

The Silver Cup. Alejandro Novillo Astrada in the USPA National Arena Handicap.

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CANDACE FERREIRA

CANDACE FERREIRA

CANDACE FERREIRA CANDACE FERREIRA

CANDACE FERREIRA

CANDACE FERREIRA

CANDACE FERREIRA

Opposite: (left to right from top left) Group with trophy need caption; Billy Stolz surrounded

by Amy Phelan left, Nicola Marcus, right, and ??????; the other local polo clubs, you’ll want to trot on over to Tato’s to get your custom mallets, complete with your colors and initials. (Santiago “Santi” Alvarez, left and Santiago “Tato” Alvarez in photo). ddiction at Hobe Sound or one of the other local polo clubs, you’ll want to trot on over to Tato’s to get your custom mallets, complete with your colors and initials. (Santiago “Santi” Alvarez, left and Santiago “Tato” Alvarez in photo).

A movie poster for The BullDogger, a 1922 silent film starring Bill Pickett, who is credited with inventing bulldogging or steer wrestling.

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The Lesser-Known History of African-American Cowboys

BY KATIE NODJIMBADEM, SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

One in four cowboys was black. So why aren’t they more present in popular culture?

I

n his 1907 autobiography, cowboy Nat Love Nat Love recounts stories from his life on the frontier so cliché, they read like scenes from a John Wayne film. He describes Dodge City, Kansas, a town smattered with the romanticized institutions of the frontier: “a great many saloons, dance halls, and gambling houses, and very little of anything else.”

He moved massive herds of cattle from one grazing area to another, drank with Billy the Kid and participated in shootouts with Native peoples defending their land on the trails. And when not, as he put it, “engaged in fighting Indians,” he amused himself with activities like “dare-devil riding, shooting, roping and such sports.”

Though Love’s tales from the frontier seem typical for a 19th-century cowboy, they come from a source rarely associated with the Wild West. Love was African American, born into slavery near Nashville, Tennessee.

Few images embody the spirit of the American West as well as the trailblazing, sharpshooting, horseback-riding cowboy of American lore. And though African-American cowboys don’t play a part in the popular narrative, historians estimate that one in four cowboys were black.

The cowboy lifestyle came into its own in Texas, which had been cattle country since it was colonized by Spain in the 1500s. But cattle farming did not become the bountiful economic and cultural phenomenon recognized today until the late 1800s, when millions of cattle grazed in Texas.

White Americans seeking cheap land—and sometimes

evading debt in the United States—began moving to the Spanish (and, later, Mexican) territory of Texas during the first half of the 19th century. Though the Mexican government opposed slavery, Americans brought slaves with them as they settled the frontier and established cotton farms and cattle ranches. By 1825, slaves accounted for nearly 25 percent of the Texas settler population.

By 1860, fifteen years after it became part of the Union, that number had risen to over 30 percent—that year’s census reported 182,566 slaves living in Texas. As an increasingly significant new slave state, Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861. Though the Civil War hardly reached Texas soil, many white Texans took up arms to fight alongside their brethren in the East.

While Texas ranchers fought in the war, they depended on their slaves to maintain their land and cattle herds. In doing so, the slaves developed the skills of cattle tending (breaking horses, pulling calves out of mud and releasing longhorns caught in the brush, to name a few) that would render them invaluable to the Texas cattle industry in the post-war era.

But with a combination of a lack of effective containment— barbed wire was not yet invented—and too few cowhands, the cattle population ran wild. Ranchers returning from the war discovered that their herds were lost or out of control. They tried to round up the cattle and rebuild their herds with slave labor, but eventually the Emancipation Proclamation left them without the free workers on which they were so dependent. Desperate for help rounding up maverick cattle, ranchers were compelled to hire now-free, skilled African-Americans as paid cowhands.

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“Right after the Civil War, being a cowboy was one of the few jobs open to men of color who wanted to not serve as elevator operators or delivery boys or other similar occupations,” says William Loren Katz, a scholar of African-American history and the author of 40 books on the topic, including The Black West.

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reed blacks skilled in herding cattle found themselves in even greater demand when ranchers began selling their livestock in northern states, where beef was nearly ten times more valuable than it was in cattle-inundated Texas. The lack of significant railroads in the state meant that enormous herds of cattle needed to be physically moved to shipping points in Kansas, Colorado and Missouri.

Rounding up herds on horseback, cowboys traversed unforgiving trails fraught with harsh environmental conditions and attacks from Native Americans defending their lands.

AfricanAmerican cowboys faced discrimination in the towns they passed through—they were barred from eating at certain restaurants or staying in certain hotels, for example—but within their crews, they found respect and a level of equality unknown to other African-Americans of the era.

Love recalled the camaraderie of cowboys with admiration.

“A braver, truer set of men never lived than these wild sons of the plains whose home was in the saddle and their couch, mother earth, with the sky for a covering,” he wrote. “They were always ready to share their blanket and their last ration with a less fortunate fellow companion and always assisted each other in the many trying situations that were continually coming up in a cowboy’s life.”

One of the few representations of black cowboys in mainstream entertainment is the fictional Josh Deets in Texas novelist Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. A 1989 television miniseries based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel starred actor Danny Glover as Deets, an ex-slave turned cowboy who serves as a scout on a Texas-to-Montana cattle drive. Deets was inspired by real-life Bose Ikard, an African-American cowboy 50 | EQ UE S T R I A N L I V IN G | J U LY / AU GU S T | 2020

who worked on the Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving cattle drive in the late-19th century.

The real-life Goodnight’s fondness for Ikard is clear in the epitaph he penned for the cowboy: “Served with me four years on the Goodnight-Loving Trail, never shirked a duty or disobeyed an order, rode with me in many stampedes, participated in three engagements with Comanches. Splendid behavior.”

“The West was a vast open space and a dangerous place to be,” says Katz. “Cowboys had to depend on one another. They couldn’t stop in the middle of some crisis like a stampede or an attack by rustlers and sort out who’s black and who’s white.

Black people operated “on a level of equality with the white cowboys,” he says.

The cattle drives ended by the turn of the century. Railroads became a more prominent mode of transportation in the West, barbed wire was invented, and Native Americans were relegated to reservations, all of which decreased the need for cowboys on ranches.

This left many cowboys, particularly African-Americans who could not easily purchase land, in a time of rough transition.

Love fell victim to the changing cattle industry and left his life on the wild frontier to become a Pullman porter for the Denver and Rio Grande railroad. “To us wild cowboys of the range, used to the wild and unrestricted life of the boundless plains, the new order of things did not appeal,” he recalled.

“Many of us became disgusted and quit the wild life for the pursuits of our more civilized brother.”

Though opportunities to become a working cowboy were on the decline, the public’s fascination with the cowboy lifestyle prevailed, making way for the popularity of Wild West shows and rodeos.

Bill Pickett invented “bulldogging,” a rodeo technique to wrestle a steer to the ground. Born in 1870 in Texas to former slaves, he became one of the most famous early rodeo stars. He dropped out of school to become a ranch hand and gained an international reputation for his unique method of catching stray cows. Modeled after his observations of how ranch dogs caught wandering cattle, Pickett controlled a steer by biting the cow’s

lip, subduing him. He performed his trick, called bulldogging or steer wrestling, for audiences around the world with the Miller Brothers’ 101 Wild Ranch Show.

“He drew applause and admiration from young and old, cowboy to city slicker,” remarks Katz.

In 1972, 40 years after his death, Pickett became the first black honoree in the National Rodeo Hall of fame, and rodeo athletes still compete in a version of his event today. And he was just the beginning of a long tradition of African-American rodeo cowboys.

Love, too, participated in early rodeos. In 1876, he earned the nickname “Deadwood Dick” after entering a roping competition near Deadwood, South Dakota, following a cattle delivery. Six of the contestants, including Love, were “colored cowboys.”

“I roped, threw, tied, bridled, saddled and mounted my mustang in exactly nine minutes from the crack of the gun,” he recalled.

“My record has never been beaten.”

No horse ever threw him as hard as that mustang, he wrote, “but I never stopped sticking my spurs in him and using my quirt on his flanks until I proved his master.”

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eventy-six-year-old Cleo Hearn has been a professional cowboy since 1959. In 1970, he became the first African-American cowboy to win a calf-roping event at a major rodeo. He was also the first AfricanAmerican to attend college on a rodeo scholarship. He’s played a cowboy in commercials for Ford, Pepsi-Cola and Levi’s, and was the first African-American to portray the iconic Marlboro Man. But being a black cowboy wasn’t always easy—he recalls being barred from entering a rodeo in his hometown of Seminole, Oklahoma, when he was 16 years old because of his race.

“They used to not let black cowboys rope in front of the crowd,” says Roger Hardaway, a professor of history at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “They had to rope after everybody went home or the next morning.”

But Hearn did not let the discrimination stop him from doing what he loved. Even when he was drafted into John F. Kennedy’s Presidential Honor Guard, he continued to rope and performed at a rodeo in New Jersey. After graduating with a degree in business from Langston University, Hearn was recruited to work at the Ford Motor Company in Dallas, where he continued to compete in rodeos in his free time. In 1971, Hearn began producing rodeos for African-American cowboys. Today, his Cowboys of Color Rodeo recruits cowboys and cowgirls from diverse racial backgrounds. The touring rodeo features over 200 athletes who compete at several different rodeos throughout the year, including the wellknown Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

Although Hearn aims to train young cowboys and cowgirls to enter the professional rodeo industry, his rodeo’s goals are two-fold.

“The theme of Cowboys of Color is let us educate you while we entertain you,” he explains.

“Let us tell you the wonderful things blacks, Hispanics and Indians did for the settling of the West that history books have left out.”

Though the forces of modernization eventually pushed Love from the life he loved, he reflected on his time as a cowboy with endearment. He wrote that he would “ever cherish a fond and loving feeling for the old days on the range its exciting adventures, good horses, good and bad men, long venturesome rides, Indian fights and last but foremost the friends I have made and friends I have gained. I gloried in the danger, and the wild and free life of the plains, the new country I was continually traversing, and the many new scenes and incidents continually arising in the life of a rough rider.”

African-American cowboys may still be underrepresented in popular accounts of the West, but the work of scholars such as Katz and Hardaway and cowboys like Hearn keep the memories and undeniable contributions of the early African-American cowboys alive. © 2017 Smithsonian Institution. Reprinted with permission from Smithsonian Enterprises. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any medium is strictly prohibited without permission from Smithsonian magazine.

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TUNY PAG E

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he pivotal moment in Arlene “Tuny” Page’s horse life came 40 years ago at Flying Horse Farm, a three-day eventing barn snuggled into the HamiltonWenham area on the north shore of Boston. There, she was assistant trainer alongside Tad Coffin, the youngest gold medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

“It was a wonderful time of life,” Page said of working in the epicenter of U.S. combined training. “The farm was slowly deteriorating, and a group came to buy it. They wanted to put in a lot of money, expand, and rebuild it.” At the time, Fran and Joe Dotoli were based there. Joe Dotoli is a 2017 U.S. Equestrian Federation Lifetime Achievement award winner and was the trainer of Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde during Wylde’s junior career.

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Tuny Page leading Sinclaire, an 8-year-old Holsteiner out of a Cassini mare and by Silbermond.

BY SUE WEAKLEY PHOTOS BY GEORGE KAMPER

ANGELS ALONG THE WAY “The Dotolis were the real deal,” Page continued. “Really, really, good people. The three guys who bought the facility sat us down and talked about everything that they were going to do: rebuild this, add a racetrack, new stables...”

They outlined a new system where the trainers would charge the boarders and pay the new owners. “I’ll never forget what Fran said. She said, ‘You know what? Give me a log in a field, and I can train people, train horses, and make money.

So, thank you very much, but no.’

“That crystallized for me that the beauty of a facility pales in comparison to the right attitude, confidence level, and the intention of training horses. And the three guys with all the money were like, ‘Wait...what?’ And Fran said, ‘Horses are limping out of the indoor ring because the footing is crappy, there are leaks in the roof, and

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Both pages: The Franklin, Tennessee, home of Christian’s parents, Agneta and Brownlee Currey.

At right, a portrait of Robert Brownlee Currey, the first mayor of Nashville. Lower left, Agneta Currey.

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yet we have a waiting list of people to get in here. It has nothing to do with this place; it has to do with Joe and me.’ You could see the men had no idea what she was talking about, but I never forgot that there are ways for people to succeed, even if they don’t have a lot of money. It has to do with slowing down and thinking, ‘What can be done today, to feel how something should be with a horse?’ Just a little nugget a person can use. If you’re the conduit of that, jump on it. You really have to slow down, and that is hard for me to do. But when you’re operating in the best way, and something gets crystallized, you’re a little link in somebody’s chain toward whatever their goals are.”

Page uses the same philosophy of being a link in a chain when it comes to two charities dear to her heart: Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center in Wellington and Friends of Thai Daughters. Serendipitously, her introduction to both charities involved horses.

ON BOARD AT V INCEREM O S

Tuny Page credits Ellen and Bruce Miller with her introduction to Vinceremos. She knew the “fun and funny” Bruce Miller from her three-day eventing days, and she met Ellen the first winter she arrived in South Florida to focus on dressage. She knew she didn’t have a clue about the Wellington microcosm of dressage as she hacked her horse down Southshore Drive, away from the rented stables on the property next door to her current horse home, Stillpoint Farm. “Ellen Miller came hacking down the road the other way, and she saw me, and she said, ‘Is that Normandy?’ And I said, ‘Yes, it is.’ And she said, ‘Is that a brand new Passier saddle?’ and I said, ‘Yes, it is.’ And she said, ‘Well, I’m Ellen,’ and I said, ‘I am Tuny.’ She said, ‘I know who you are. You know what? I’m hacking to my stable right now. Do you want to come over, and I’ll watch you ride a little bit?’ We walked down to her stable, and she helped me for 15 JULY/AUGUST | 20 2 0 | EQ L I V I NG .CO M | 5 5

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FRIENDS WITH FRIENDS minutes on Normandy and said, ‘Come back anytime. I’d love to Horses were not only the reason Page became entrenched in help you with him.’”

Vinceremos, they were also her link to another charity she Miller became her new best friend and invited Page and her supports: Friends of Thai Daughters. During her three-day husband Dave to the annual Vinceremos Dinner and Benefit eventing years, she loaned one of her horses to a student, Auction. “And, of course, they’re thinking, ‘Ah-ha! We have Patty Zinkowski. Zinkowski and her partner, Jane McBride, a live one here,’” Page grinned. Miller was heavily involved in pioneered Flight Time, the first online air-charter system. the cause, and Page was already a fan of therapeutic riding. She “They were living the high life,” Page said. “These two were had taken her mother, who had multiple sclerosis, to equine amazing. They were jet setting here, there, and everywhere. therapy with Marge Kittredge at Windrush Farm Therapeutic Nothing was outside the sphere Riding Center in Boxford, of what they were willing to do.

Massachusetts. Miller conTheir company got sold, and vinced Page to help chair the Patty and Jane held the note. event, and she served on the Fast forward, and the company Vinceremos board for seven or went broke. They lost a lot of eight years before becoming money and needed to go back the chairperson. to work. So they took a job in “There’s been so much China developing Western lifegrowth at Vinceremos in the styles for Eastern people.” last five years,” she said. “I’m While traveling in Northern proud of what we’ve done as a Thailand in 2002, they came board. It was a fun challenge upon 15 girls living in an to be part of a team of people abandoned school in the vilwho were figuring out how to lage of Doi Luang. The girls expand the work started by had little adult supervision and the incredible Ruth Menor, were trying to survive in an area who founded this organization known for human trafficking.

38 years ago with a pony in “Somehow, the oldest of this the backyard. She’s still doing small group of kids knew that it today, and she’s still pasthey would be trafficked. They sionate about it.” had enough experience to know Vinceremos is rolling out a that it would be very, very ugly new program in which educaif they got taken away by the tors who have problems with people who were offering jobs as bullying in their classrooms a waitress, a nanny, or a house cleaner. Patty and Jane can bring in groups of students to teach them about Opposite: Stillpoint said, ‘Well, we’ve been wondering what our next Farm has 34 stalls and herd dynamics. Students then have a visual reprea spacious indoor arena. venture was going to be. We’ve got to help these sentation of what it means to be the lowest on the kids.’” Many were AIDS orphans or had parents who totem pole and can identify strategies to deal with were in prison. Most lacked ID cards leaving them issues within the herd. “We have equine specialstateless and highly vulnerable to traffickers. The solution ists that deal with the horse side work alongside the people who was to provide them with safe shelter, education, and support. are doing the psychological side,” Page explained. “My point is “Patty and Jane figured out a way to keep the girls safe. The that Vinceremos is trying new things, different things—things girls needed food, so they put up a chain-link fence around the that are relevant to here and now. They say, for example, ‘Hey, it hut with a padlock so that no one could steal what rice they might not work, but I want you to try and see if you can come had, and they could go to school. Patty and Janie came to us up with a program that deals with young women that have been and said, ‘We need bags. We need hair ties. We need coloring sex trafficked, or foster kids, or kids who have been bullied— books. We need clothes, slippers, and little blankets.’” whatever is going to impact them for the rest of their lives.”

Friends and family pitched in, and Friends of Thai Daughters was incorporated as a non-profit in 2005. In 2015, they purchased their first Sunflower House in Chiang Rai, and JULY/AUGUST | 20 2 0 | EQ L I V I NG .CO M | 5 7

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in 2016, they expanded to Chiang Khong, located on the Laos border. Each house is a family with up to 15 girls living with a housemother in a safe, secure, and loving environment.

“They were confident enough to get educated and to become productive women. How can you not love this? How can you not get behind it even in tiny ways? Now, the girls have a happy childhood thanks to Patty and Jane and the people that support them. The bottom line is that over the last 20 years, Friends of Thai Daughters has helped eradicate trafficking in 10 villages that represent a significant area in the northern triangle.

Patty and Jane are smart. They’re business people, so they know how to build something that’s going to be sustainable. So the long and short of it is, once again, I got into something so amazing through horses.”

Page has transitioned to building her training business but isn’t interested in focusing solely on one group of riders. “The amateur ladies put on one kind of pressure, the ambitious young rider another, and the ambitious senior rider yet another. It’s always nice to have variety, and I don’t mind that. I want to be able to bring whatever I can to individuals.”

Page is keenly aware that she is part of the broader Wellington community as she navigates supporting both her favorite charities and her farm. “One thing that is challenging is that you recognize you’re part of a network of people here, and a number of people have things that they want to accomplish, and they need your help to accomplish them.

There’s an obligation to support them. I can’t afford to write you a check for $1 million, but I’ll show up with my five friends at 200 bucks a pop and a bottle T HE of Dave’s wine.

RE I M AG I N I N G OF “You know, it takes STILLPOINT everybody’s intentions, It seems that when whether you can write Tuny Page gets a big check or you can involved with someshow up to work, it does thing, whether it’s not matter. In the end, Vinceremos or Friends of Thai Daughters, she jumps isn’t it amazing that these horses pull everybody Opposite: Page’s in feet first. And so it is with her own Stillpoint Wellington home includes together in some way? It’s just mind-boggling, isn’t Farm. “Stillpoint has been through a ton of iterait?” husband Dave’s famous wine collection (lower left.) tions,” she said. “Early on, we operated out of tents Tuny Page paused to reflect, “I look back, and I Above: Page with her and an old polo barn that was here. We had 40-odd think just how profoundly lucky I was. I really recrescues Daisy and Annie. horses.” Page built the new stables in 2006 and then ognize it now, looking in the rear-view mirror. And the covered arena, an anomaly in Wellington at the I’m at a point where I anticipate going forward, but time. “In the early days, Robert [Dover] would be here teachwhen I look back, I recognize that there were angels along the ing the Canadian team. You had Belinda [Trussell], and Ashley way that I didn’t realize were angels. I’d like to think I’m now [Holzer], and Lars [Petersen], and Oded [Shimoni]. It was old and wizened enough to see them as they’re coming. I really organized chaos, and just what I wanted. But then there comes like to think I’m a little more respectful going forward. Now, I a point when you say, ‘You’ve got to settle down with a few know that it was a lot of luck.” people.’”

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WEDDINGS 2O2O

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CAL-A-VIE SPA

BY JILL NOVOTNY

DON’T STOP BELIEVING IT’S A STRANGE YEAR, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T HAVE THE WEDDING OF YOUR DREAMS.

T

HE WEDDING INDUSTRY, along with nearly every other

area of life, has been thrown into uncertainty and upheaval with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic early this year. Although it is still unclear how and when we will emerge from the current situation, one thing is for sure: couples are determined to celebrate their love and will stop at nothing to do so.

Stories of zoom ceremonies and beautifully staged socially distant celebrations

have gone viral, as couples and planners throw their plans out to create new and lovely weddings on the fly. Others have decided to delay their special day for a time when we can travel and gather freely.

How will that affect equestrians and their weddings? More time to plan the perfect horseback entrance or to find the rustic barn venue you’ve always dreamed of. Read on as two experts weigh in on the current situation to help give perspective on the value of gathering, celebrating love, and thinking ahead to brighter days. Peruse our selection of destination venues near and far to get yourself focused on the joy and celebration to come. And don’t forget to take a peek at our selection of wedding gifts (page 14) that will be sure to delight any couple, whether you are on their (perhaps reduced) guest list or if you might join them on an exotic escape next year.

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COLLIN PIERSON FOR ANDAZ MAYAKOBA

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STEVEN MASTROIANNI

WEDDINGS 2O2O:

THE TRUE VALUE OF “I DO”

BY GINA JOKILEHTO-SCHIGEL

W GINA JOKILEHTO-SCHIGEL is the creative force behind the nationally acclaimed Shi Shi Events team. An events career built from the experiential marketing and music industries cemented her reputation for creating extraordinary experiences. A passion for design, travel, and art, a true understanding of color and composition, and the pursuit of the exquisite define her aesthetic voice and give rise to both the broad concepts and intricate facets that shape her clients’ weddings.

hat will weddings look like when the pandemic is over? What will weddings look like by the end of this year? These are questions I, and nearly everyone in the wedding industry, have been asking ourselves since our clients’ plans and our livelihoods ground to a halt in mid-March.

We are living through surreal, unprecedented times.

All of our lives have been impacted in multiple ways, many of which we had never imagined. As equestrians, you may not have been able to visit the barn, which, for many, could be disastrous for your training, your horses, and your mental health. As a planner, I have to contend with balancing the challenges of all of that uncertainty

and paving a way forward.

Planners are compelled to plan, and with so many unknowns surrounding the next several months, how do we plan for the future? As the weeks have progressed, as with many things in time, clarity on the best courses of action for moving forward is now apparent.

Couples wanting to continue with a wedding date anytime soon this year will need to adapt their plans.

Celebrations over 100 people may not happen this calendar year, but intimate events under 50 guests are likely to be okay at some point. At the time of writing, in my home state, gatherings of more than 10 are still prohibited.

However, it’s quite possible that number will increase

to 20 people in the coming weeks. Twenty is a lovely number for a small gathering at home. It’s also a number many homes can accommodate graciously. At-home weddings are forever favorites of mine, and I’d love to see couples making the most of their homes for their celebrations; a living room or sunroom turned ceremony space, followed by a green space for cocktails and dinner al fresco.

With warm weather, socially distanced ceremonies on a porch or terrace will surely gain popularity.

While a small number of guests will be able to attend in person, a live stream of the ceremony would allow many guests to attend and share in the moment. A

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For those couples wanting the wedding they’ve planned and dreamed of, with the guest list they’ve curated, postponement remains the best option. Some clients are optimistic about the fall and have postponed spring and summer weddings by just a couple of months. Others are more cautious and have postponed to next year. We’ll see in time if couples hoping for later this year also have to delay. In any event, we fully expect 2021 to be the year of the party! From weddings to concerts, theater, and sporting events, the joy and excitement of getting back to some of our favorite things feels nearly palpable.

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JEFF FRANDSEN

This pandemic highlights that fundamental truth. Our need to gather, show our love for one another, and celebrate meaningful occasions in life is truly an essential piece of being human. We are driven to share our lives, whether it’s for Tuesday night cocktails, a dinner catching up with friends, a birthday, or one of life’s biggest parties: a wedding day. We’re all feeling the loss and gravity of these gatherings, from the everyday to the monumental. How sweet it will be when we can experience them again. Weddings, especially, showcase all of the very best bits of humanity.

They celebrate the coming together of two people, their families, their happiness, and their shared experiences.

With stunning visuals in the form of flowers, decor, fashion, and the environment and the desire only to entertain with food, drink, and music, weddings are pinnacles of what it means to truly celebrate life.

While so much remains uncertain, one thing is sure.

We will gather again. We will celebrate together again.

There will be walks down the aisle, first kisses after “I now pronounce you...” and lively cocktail hours. We will linger in conversation at candlelit tables. We will sway, embrace, and laugh on brimming dance floors while the DJ spins or the band plays.

Joy and revelry wait just beyond the horizon, and it will be glorious.

COLLIN PIERSON FOR ANDAZ MAYAKOBA

courthouse wedding and a small brunch, or ceremony at church followed by cake and refreshments are both delightful, understated ways of making things official. When travel bans lift, thoughtfully designed elopements or taking your most essential crew for a weekend somewhere to say your vows and celebrate could be a fun way to start life as husband and wife. This is where we’ll see the best of our creative minds begin making these smaller celebrations extraordinary and well planned, so they feel not like a consolation prize but rather the most perfect way to get married in these extraordinary times. Moreover, nothing is stopping a couple from having a small ceremony now and a large celebration later in a sort of hybrid postponement.

WEDDINGS 2O2O:

C MICHELLE DURPETTI founded Michelle Durpetti Events in 2008 and has since made a name as one of Chicago’s leading firms for wedding styling, planning, logistics management, and event production locally and worldwide.In addition to wedding planning, Durpetti is an avid equestrian, competing in the amateur hunter and jumper divisions and training with Caitlyn Shiels at True North Stables

PLANNING FOR FUTURE WEDDING GETAWAYS

BY MICHELLE DURPETTI

lose your eyes and envision crystal clear blue water and blissful sandy beaches or stunning mountain ranges set on picturesque backdrops that take your breath away.

At a time when the world feels chaotic and lives have been turned upside down, imagining sunnier days, future trips, and dreamy destinations can provide a level of solace and hope for all.

For couples with destination weddings in mind for 2021 and beyond, in particular, daydreaming and planning for the future can not only provide a mental escape, but also it’s a wise idea.

Looking forward to your big day and planning ahead, even amid uncertainty and ever-changing circumstances, can help ensure that you still have the wedding you imagined.

Here are a few pieces of advice to help keep your dreams alive.

K NOW THAT IT ’ S OK AY TO CRY.

While looking forward to destination weddings and dreamy getaways can be comforting and bring joy, it is also important to feel what you need to feel during this time. Changing plans, personal hardships, or difficulties in executing your vision can be frustrating. It’s okay to bury your head in your horse’s mane and cry, be angry, or feel a wide range of emotions.

GET LOST IN FARAWAY LOCATIONS – VIRTUALLY.

Whether or not you have already chosen your wedding destination, or even if you have no wedding planned at all, enjoy imagining the possibilities. Browse the internet, purchase a book filled with beautiful destinations, or take advantage of virtual tours now offered by wedding venue destinations from

Mexico to Madrid. Outdoor equestrian destinations, from stunning stables to rustic ranches, make ideal venues amid social distancing concerns – and an ideal way for equestrians to daydream.

ENVISIO N T H E DESIGN A ND ST Y L E OF YOU R WED D I NG .

While you’re picturing your wedding location, think about how you want your big day to feel and the aesthetics you love. Perhaps you would like to see your horse included, or you’d like to come up with subtle ways to incorporate equestrian details.

Because many vendors cannot currently produce events, they are feeling more creative than ever with more time to brainstorm exciting experiences, equestrian and non-equestrian alike, to weave into each wedding. Mood boards, virtual brainstorm sessions with friends, and good old-fashioned magazines are all great

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JEFF FRANDSEN UNICO

LADERA, ST. LUCIA

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CAL-A-VIE SPA

places to look for inspiration right now. For equestrian wedding inspiration, flip through past wedding issues of EQ Living or simply search “wedding” on EQLiving.com.

E N J OY WE D DI N G P HOTO S A ND FI N D A P HOTO G R A PH E R T HAT M ATC H E S YO U R S T Y L E .

While you’re perusing photos, add wedding photos to your list of images to enjoy as you narrow in on your photographer of choice.

Renowned wedding photographer, Collin Pierson, says, “Photographers are such a key component to a fantastic wedding day. We are the documentarians, the ones that help you permanently capture the memories and moments from your wedding, even after the cake has been eaten and the drinks have been poured.

Your wedding photos are a tangible way to look back, whether it be an online gallery, or via a wedding album.

“Because of this, we tend to book fairly far in advance.

On top of that, we are striving to reschedule the 2020 weddings, creating a very full schedule for 2021 and even 2022. My advice would be to schedule your FaceTime and Zoom calls with photographers that you love now, and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Ask how we approach weddings, about our style, and our business as well.”

If you’re incorporating horses or dogs in your wedding, it’s also important to ask your photographer about their level of comfort and experience with shooting photos with animals.

SPEAK WITH A WEDDING PLANNER ABOUT A GAME PLAN AND YOUR TOP PRIORITIES.

If you don’t have a planner, now is a great time to consider one. Having a knowledgeable guide who is an excellent resource on the industry is an investment worth having.

Once you have a planner, communicate what’s most important to you and your vision for your big day. If horses are a top priority for your big day, utilizing an equestrian wedding planner can be an added bonus. But for all good planners alike, bringing milestone events to life is a passion and calling, and, particularly amid the current climate, there is more determination than ever to see couples through the planning process and to rejoice with them when they finally say, “I do.”

K NOW THAT COM M UNICATION IS K EY.

Many people are nervous about vendors, deposits, contracts, and payments, given the continuously changing circumstances. To help eliminate those nerves, and avoid losing any deposits, create a solid list of questions with your planner to bring up with each vendor that interests you. When you make your decision, make it on a

case-by-case basis so that each vendor feels as good as you do moving forward, and continue to keep the lines of communication open.

If you have a 2021 date and destination set, communicate with your guests as well and work with your wedding planner to keep everyone informed and to help alleviate any uncertainties that others may have.

REM EMBER YOUR WHY.

Your wedding day is not just about the beautiful destination you got to visit or how good your décor looked. It’s about marrying someone you love, vowing to spend the rest of your lives together, and likely doing so surrounded by friends and family members that you hold dear. So, while you’re daydreaming about those beautiful sandy beaches or riding in on your horse in a white dress, spend a little time remembering your “why” and dreaming about the life that you get to build with the one that you love.

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WEDDINGS 2O2O:

DESTINATIONS TO DREAM ABOUT

WITH TIME TO PLAN, LOOK FAR AND WIDE FOR DREAM VENUES ACROSS THE GLOBE. CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT The Alila Villas Uluwatu is perched atop a cliff in Bali over the Indian Ocean. The tropical landscape and romance of the sea bring an elegance and exotic flair to ceremonies held there. One event venue, of the many available on site, is a dramatically placed wedding cabana, set on a cliffside platform. Guests can enjoy worldrenowned golf, surfing, and white sand beaches.

Just 40 miles north of San Diego, Cal-a-Vie health spa is an easyto-reach exotic escape. The spa is set on 500 private acres, surrounded by vineyards, lavender fields, and California palms, where guests can enjoy private access to the resort’s unlimited daily spa treatments, sports, and activities.

The grounds include an imported 17th-century French chapel, offering guests the romantic ambiance of a French provencal village.

Castello Di Vicarello, a castle hotel located in the heart of Tuscany’s wild Maremma

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countryside between Rome and Florence, is surrounded by 100 acres of organic vineyards, olive groves, and farmland. Weddings at the castle are draped in a fairytale atmosphere, whether they are large affairs held in the traditional gardens or intimate ceremonies overlooking the Tuscan hills.

Ladera Resort is one of St. Lucia’s most unique and luxurious resorts, and the only resort situated on a UNESCO World Heritage site. Set on a volcano ridgeline, 1000 feet above the Caribbean Sea, the resort is

intimately designed with just 37 rooms and suites, each with an “open wall,” which gives way to a private plunge pool and magnificent views.

The Resort at Paws Up is like a private national park; 37,000 acres of pristine, undeveloped land and 100 miles of trails. With myriad horse activities, it is an equestrian bride’s dream venue.

With so much land and endless activities, the only limit to your celebration is your imagination.

Nestled on the banks of the Banghoekrivier in Capetown, South Africa, known as the Stellenbosch wine country, MolenVliet Vineyards is a boutique wine and guest estates with breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, vineyards, and river. Weddings are held in an open-air courtyard, and during receptions, the main barrel doors open up to reveal the shimmering lights of the custom chandeliers.

Set on the stunning white beaches of Riviera Maya, UNICO 20 87

immerses guests in the culture of the region, from the locallyinspired cocktails and cuisines to the art in the rooms. More than just a beautiful destination, the resort offers a dedicated staff of wedding specialists to ease you through planning, to fit your taste.

Set in the Pacific Northwest among the towering Cascade Mountains, Sunriver Resort captures the grandeur of the high desert. With elegance and privacy under brilliant clear skies, the venue is a lovely place for an indoor wedding looking out to a

snow-filled winter wonderland, or an outdoor reception on a wide lawn surrounded by pine trees and wildflowers.

With three centuries of history, the magnificent Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is a breathtaking private estate, the largest of its kind in France. The team that constructed it, architect Louis Le Vau, painter Charles Le Brun, and landscape gardener André Le Notre, were the same team that Louis XIV would hire to build the Château de Versailles. Regal and

extravagant, this is truly a special place to be married.

The goal of the Rockhouse Hotel is to show you the authentic Jamaica; its natural beauty, understated tropical elegance, and vibrant culture. The hexagonal thatched-roof buildings and the volcanic Jamaican coastline make a gorgeous backdrop to your wedding, of which the resort only holds 20 per year.

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FLYING FE ATHER S DANI WALDMAN: The #flyingfeathers—Own Your Identity shoot came about organically. It started with an idea to do a typical horsey shoot and evolved into a series of representative images meant to express the meaning behind #flyingfeathers.

I was initially a bit skeptical about the link between the animals and my image, but I trusted Ifat to create something great. As we worked, I began to see how the animals helped to capture inner parts of my personality and came to represent something larger. The animals were individuals in their own right, and they helped me find my individuality and my voice.

Some of the shoots were freezing cold, in horrible weather, far away from home, and with wild animals. I got bitten by the fox, knocked over by the lynx, stepped on by the minis; they weren’t always fun, but the moments captured made it all worthwhile.

I’ve always been an animal lover, so getting to do these exotic shoots was right up my alley. I’m always one for adventure and trying anything to get that great shot.

IFAT ZOHAR: Dani was a unique personality from the day I met her. She stood out among the crowd in her bright blue show coat, well before she even had feathers in her hair. We first met in 2013 at Dani’s first significant international competition in Arnhem, Netherlands. I was photographing her as the newest Israeli international rider for the Israeli Federation media.

Since then, our roads kept crossing and after she won her first 5* grand prix, we started working more closely together.

Two years ago, I came to Dani with an idea for a different kind of photoshoot.

She already had feathers in her hair, and, at that point, they had already become bigger, more colorful, and more meaningful to those who watched her in the ring.

I got inspired by them, as many people did, and wanted to use her unique look for an artistic photoshoot. Dani, as usual, said yes immediately, and we got right to work. It started with The Golden Bond shoot, which is an interpretation of the

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IFAT: “Dani’s peacock-colored feathers inspired me to create The Golden Bond, an image that showcased the unique bond between horse and rider and complementing her royal feather colors as well. To show this bond, I used gold leaf flowing from her hand to the horse's face. Since we both live in the Netherlands, I was inspired by the famous old Dutch masters’ lighting technique and the bold rich colors often identified in those paintings.”

Photographer IFAT ZOHAR captures the essential personality of international jumping champion DANI G. WALDMAN .

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IFAT: “During Dani’s wedding ceremony, her dog Tommy was the ring bearer. Later, we had a post-wedding photoshoot and decided, because Tommy was aging, that we would recreate that moment. We brought Tommy to the studio so we could capture a moment with the two of them together. Tommy was a rescue dog that accompanied Dani throughout the majority of her international showjumping career. She used to walk the courses with her and wait at the in-gate at almost every show. Shortly after this shoot, Tommy passed away.”

Continued from page 70

DANI In the end, Ifat was able to capture some really intimate moments that highlighted many of my inner emotions. It was a wonderful project, and now I can look back at the memorable shots and see the connection between the animals and my own identity.

classic Rembrandt style, IFAT classic Rembrandt style, representing the unique and special connection between horse and rider.

Next, we felt it was time people got to know who Dani was outside of the sport. We looked for a different way to show her style in fashion, her candid character, her unconventional uniqueness, and what she represents. We decided to take a wider perspective than just the usual “horsey” photos every rider is used to

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seeing. This brought about the #flyingfeathers—Own Your Identity photo series. For the past year, we have traveled around together to shoot with unique and rare animals.

Dani was her own stylist on each shoot. We chose each specific animal for what they symbolized and what they mimicked in Dani’s character. Almost all of them were rescue animals whose owners I know personally, and I can attest to their wellbeing.

CONTACT INFO | PAGE 96

IFAT: “The fox was selected for Dani as Foxy Lady. Foxes have been used as an animal metaphor for both cunning and beautiful people. Dani is about enhancing her own femininity in the sport with the style of her clothes and attitude. She says she wants to feel sexy while wearing riding clothes because it gives her self-confidence. Foxy, the fox, was rescued from a car accident at young age and was unable to go back into nature. She is cared for by a ranger in Germany who helps educate children about wild animals and natural habitats.”

IFAT: “Dani collected over 30 white outfits for her wedding week in Italy. Patsy, a Great Dane, owned by a photographer in Holland, is a model dog for commercials, and we found her demeanor and coloring perfect for this shoot. Although it was freezing and Dani was dressed in summer clothes, we had a great afternoon by the Dutch sand dunes and returned with beautiful photos of Dani’s white outfits with the black and white Patsy.”

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IFAT: “The miniature horses were a perfect fit for the series, as they are an American breed imported to Holland—just like Dani! One of the things that the series represents is to be confident in yourself and own your identity, whatever that may be—big, small, girl, boy, and everything in between. The minis represented that in the perfect way.

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IFAT: “The lynx was selected for its solitary nature. Although it appears to be a large house cat, the lynx, similar to Dani, cannot be tamed. Gerard, the lynx, was rescued by his owners from a fur factory when he was very little, and has been raised with seven husky dogs and a horse at a private home. Shooting the lynx wasn’t easy. We were in Moscow for the Nations Cup Olympic Qualifier competition. It was cold and rainy, and the lynx wasn’t amused. He didn’t like being wet and was very excited to be in the woods. He posed quite a challenge, but Dani managed to create a connection with him and we got some intense shots.”

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PAINTER

JAIME CORUM

REVELS IN THE MYTH AND MAJESTY OF HORSES.

A

RTIST JAIME CORUM, a

Kentucky native and born horse lover, grew up steeped in the horse culture of the Bluegrass State. “I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t dreaming about and drawing horses,” Corum says. “They truly led me to art because I drew them so much that I became good at it. So much of my work is based on my experience with horses—on knowing them well.”

Jaime began drawing horses at the age of 7 and was riding by the time she was 11 years old, primarily pursuing eventing and dressage. Following her graduation from the University of Kentucky with a Masters Degree in Fine Art (painting emphasis), she began teaching college-level art part-time and painting horses full-time. Dedicated hours in the studio helped her develop her painting technique, but she credits her time spent in the saddle and around horses for refining her eye for the horse.

Corum’s equine art and portraiture are known for accurately capturing the conformation and character of her equine subject, often with an added dash of romance and myth. Her artwork, collected widely in the United States, can also be found in collections in Canada and the U.K. Jaime’s primary areas of expertise are Thoroughbred racing, dressage, show jumping, and eventing, but she loves to work with horses of all shapes and sizes. From the finest Thoroughbred to the homeliest pony—she finds them all beautiful.

CONTACT INFO | PAGE 96

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Her Treasures, oil on wood panel

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Crimson Tapestry, oil on wood panel

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Andalusian Evening, oil on canvas

Left: Ghost in the Darkness, oil on wood panel Right: Big Red Machine, oil on wood panel

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Mr. Pollock, oil on canvas

Icon, oil on canvas Secretariat: Built for Speed, oil on canvas

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T H E F I N E S T H O M E S , FA R M S , A N D

RANCHES FROM E Q U E ST R I A N L I V I N G

EQ U E STR IAN EQLiving.com

JULY/AUGUST 2020

PRO PERTI ES

®

33 ACRE EQUESTRIAN ESTATE W E L L I N GTO N , F LO R I DA PAGE 84

E Q U E S T R I A N P R O P E RT I E S

SKARA GLEN Wellington, Florida USA

EQ UE I ANNLLI V I VI NG IN G| |J UOC ER/SNTOVEMB | 2020 ER | 2016 884 3 | |EQU E SSTTRRI A LY TOB / AU GU

E Q U E S T R I A N P R O P E RT I E S

PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS: – 2 Separate Stables with 32 Total Stalls – 9 acre Bermuda Grass Jump Field – 2 Luxurious Owners Quarters – 140’ x 330’ Jump Arena – A Tennis Pavilion

N

early 33 acres, this equestrian estate is nestled in the heart of Wellington close to all world class horse show & polo venues. Not to be rivaled, this estate has 2 separate stables with 32 stalls (18 & 14 stalls respectively), 2 luxurious owners quarters with high-end finishes, a tennis pavilion, 4 bay equipment garage, 3 bedroom staff quarters, and 9 acre Bermuda grass jump field with ½ mile sand exercise track. The 140’ x 330’ jumping arena is complemented by an adjacent large grass jump field with natural obstacles.

This is truly an equestrian oasis! The property is also being offered in separate parcels of 11.36 acres and 21.14 acres respectively. This is a must see property for the serious equestrian. Price $27,500,000.

DAVID WELLES, P.A. Founding Associate 561.313.9123 dwelles@equestriansir.com wellesproperties.com 12180 South Shore Blvd.

Suite 102 Wellington, FL 33414 OC TOB E R/NOVE MB E R | 20 1 6 | EQ L I V I NG .CO M | 8 5

E Q U E S T R I A N P R O P E RT I E S

David Welles, PA wellesproperties.com

Wellington,Florida,USA

c 561.313.9123

New Listing!

New Listing!

4715 125th Avenue S. | Skara Glen Farm

12365 Cypress Island Way | Palm Beach Polo

33 Acres | 32 Stalls | Luxurious Owner's Quarters 9 Acre Jump Field | 16 Paddocks | .5 Mile Exercise Track

10,000 SF| 4 Bedrooms with Ensuite Bathrooms 3 Bedroom Guest House |Spacious indoor & outdoor living areas

$27,500,000

$13,500,000

New Listing!

3888 Gem Twist Court| Grand Prix Village South

20 Stall Barn | 4 Acres |3 Bedroom Owner's Penthouse 2 Bedroom Staff Apartment | Short Hack to WEF

$11,250,000

2996, 2984, 2968 Appaloosa Trail | Saddle Trail Park

5.74 Acres | 2 Homes |2 Barns | 2 Arenas | 10 Stall Center Aisle Barn | 6 Stall Center Aisle Barn | 5 Horse Walker | 9 Paddocks Tennis Court 270 x 170 All Weather Arena

$5,200,000

3410 Olde Hampton Drive | Grand Prix Village

22 Stall Barn | 1 BD Owner's Suite | 2 Bedroom Manager's Quarters Grass Jump Field | Large Arena

$9,995,000

2232 Appaloosa Trail | Saddle Trail Park

5 Bedroom, 4.1 Bath Home |Hack to WEF | 14 Stall Center Aisle Barn | 5 Paddocks | 1 Bedroom Apartment

$4,800,000

David Welles, P.A.

Founding Associate c. +1 561.313.9123 dwelles@equestriansir.com

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wellesproperties.com

E Q U E S T R I A N P R O P E RT I E S

David Welles, PA wellesproperties.com c 561.313.9123

Wellington, Florida, USA

15511 Ocean Breeze Lane | Palm Beach Point

8-Stall Center Aisle Barn | 4 Bedroom Elegant Home 8 Paddocks | 3 Car Collector Garage

$4,750,000

14750 Palm Beach Point Blvd. | Palm Beach Point 5 Acres | 2 Barns | 23 Stalls | 132' x 270' riding arena 9 irrigated paddocks | 3 Bedroon Staff Quarters

$3,950,000

14542 Draft Horse Lane | Paddock Park II 2.2 Acres | 115' x 220' RISO riding arena | 9 Stall Barn 5 Bedroom Home | Ample Parking

$1,750,000

THE LEADER IN

4601 Garden Point | Palm Beach Point

4 Bedroom, 4.1 Bath Home | 7 Stall Custom Barn Large Riding Arena | Large Paddocks | 5 Acres

$3,995,000

12820 Mizner Way | Palm Beach Polo

4 Bedroom, 5.1 Bath | Elegant Finishes | Pool with Golf Course Views | Spacious Outdoor Living

$2,795,000

15570 De Havilland Court | Aero Club 4 Bedroom, 4 Bath | 5,200 SF |Open Floor Plan 3 Car Garage | Saltwater Pool | Private Airport

l u x u ry

$1,150,000

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HORSES IN NEED

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EQ E S S E N T I A L S | F A V O R I T E S

”

THEY COULDN’T FEED HER BECAUSE THEY HAD NO MONEY—THEY COULDN’T KEEP HEAT ON IN THEIR HOME OR FEED THEMSELVES.

year were exported from the United States to Canada or Mexico for slaughter from 2007 to 2017.

This is between 1 and 2 percent of the total U.S. horse population, and may be as much as half of the unwanted horse population. The horses that are killed are mainly used for human consumption in Europe and other countries.

Rose and Dan knew Cookie was thin, and cared deeply about her.

They couldn’t feed her because they had no money—they couldn’t keep heat on in their home or feed themselves. They had honestly tried to the best of their ability and had lost their beloved friend.

For me, this case was a wake-up call about the judgment that we sometimes feel without knowing the entire situation. Please help your neighbors. Please learn more about their struggle before assuming the worst of them. Cookie’s situation happens hundreds or thousands of times over the world.

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The 2018 American Horse Council (AHC) Foundation Economic Impact of the US Horse Industry Report stated that between 2005 and 2017, the horse population declined by about two million (from 9.2 to 7.2 million horses).

Most breed registries in North America reported overall declines in new horse registries from about 2000 to 2015. For example, the Jockey Club is the second largest registry of horses in North America. The Jockey Club has had fewer and fewer foal registries since 1990—well before the most recent economic recession. In 1990, 44,143 foals were registered.

After the recession, in both 2010 and 2011, there was more than a 12 percent decline, although this decline has stabilized in recent years. Fewer Thoroughbred foals than ever were born in 2018 (10,500). For perspective, consider that more than twice that number were born in 1990.

The key feature when looking at foaling trends is to acknowledge that horses live a very long time. A horse born in 1990 could still be alive in 2019 at STACIE BOSWELL.

There have been, and probably will always be, people who are unable to provide appropriate food, shelter, or medical care to the animals that depend on them. The well-being of these unlucky horses truly suffers. A survey taken in 2012 determined that half of horse owners in the United States had an annual income of less than $50,000.

When the economy crashed in the late 2000s, people and horses were left starving and out in the cold.

Around the same time, the federal budget no longer provided funding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to maintain the three equine slaughter facilities in the country. At this time, when a horse goes to slaughter, it is in another country. The trailer ride is long. There is no USDA oversight of foreign slaughter facilities to ensure humane handling. Try as we might to prevent this fact, an average 68,000 horses per

JULIANE FELLNER

EC O N O MI C FACTOR S

HORSE POPUL AT I ON CHANGES

Stacie Boswell, DVM, DACVS, is an equine veterinarian who completed five years of specialty training beyond veterinary school, earning Diplomat status with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). She has raised and trained her own horses for over two decades, and is a lifetime member of the AQHA and APHA, as well as participating in Backcountry Horsemen of America (BCHA).

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E Q U E S T R I A N P R O P E RT I E S

Thank You.

Healthcare Professionals First Responders Sanitation Teams Grocery Store Clerks Delivery Carriers Restaurant Workers Caregivers Utility Workers Vets and Farriers Warehouse Workers Trainers and Grooms Heroes and Helpers And so many more

In good times and bad, always committed.

David Welles, P.A. c. 561.313.9123

wellesproperties.com dwelles@equestriansir.com

Wellington, FL OC TOB E R/NOVE MB E R | 20 1 6 | EQ L I V I NG .CO M | 8 9

EQ UU E SETS R P EPRE -RT I E S EQ T IRAI N A NP RPO RO

Gloria Rose Ott D I S T I N C T LY

VIRGINIA

WINDSOR & JERICHO Flint Hill, Virginia 90 | EQ UE S T R I A N L I V IN G | OC TOB ER/ N OVEMB ER | 2016

E Q U E S T R I A N P R O P E RT I E S

WINDSOR & JERICHO (featured left page & above) Flint Hill, Virginia | Rappahannock County | Prices & Parcels on Request Over 800 acres on multiple parcels with numerous options. Main House • Guest Houses • Open Land • 2 Streams • Barns • Lake

BLAIRMAR (left) Warrenton, Virginia | Fauquier County | $1,800,000 10 acres • Horses Welcome Exceptional Tudor Estate Home Fabulous Pool Cabanas & Outdoor Kitchen Pond with Aeration Fountain Meticulous Grounds

Gloria Rose Ott Vice President • Broker Associate m +1 540 454 4394 | gloriarose.ott@sir.com gloriaroseott.com Flagship Brokerage 1206 30th Street NW, Washington DC

Gloria Rose Ott D I S T I N C T LY

VIRGINIA

OC TOB E R/NOVE MB E R | 20 1 6 | EQ L I V I NG .CO M | 9 1 ©2020 Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. SIR1

HORSES IN NEED

Continued from page 88

EQ E S S E N T I A L S | F A V O R I T E S

”

THERE WERE DARK DAYS FOR HORSES, WITH REPORTS OF PEOPLE TURNING THEIR HERDS OUT IN THE FORESTS OF THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES OR IN REMOTE AREAS OF THE WEST.

STACIE BOSWELL.

Even a very thin mare can be pregnant, so all rescued mares should be evaluated for this condition.

29 years of age. Caring for a horse is a real long-term commitment. Financial circumstances of some horse owners through that period of time may well have changed so the problem of overpopulation could ricochet for years given that unwanted and aging horses already existed before the recession.

While the horse market “corrected” itself and breeders decreased the number of foals they raised during the last decade, many horses are still in need of rescue.

Between 2008 and 2018, the University of Tennessee alone treated 114 horses for emaciation and neglect, of which 28 died despite aggressive medical therapy.

During the worst part of the decline, there were dark days for horses, with reports of people turning their herds out in the forests of the central United States or in remote areas of the West. Nobody

knows for sure how many horses this happened to or what became of them.

CONFISCATION OR A SSISTANCE

When evaluating a horse’s situation, consider if he is not cared for because of a short-term or a permanent problem. For example, a family that ordinarily allows their horses to graze on pasture can experience severe drought. A herd that normally accesses low-land winter pasture can experience a particularly snowy year, preventing access to forage.

For temporary problems, keeping a horse in the home he already has is best.

Moving him out of the owner’s hands often turns him into an unwanted horse and further burdens the system that is managing the horse overpopulation problem.

We can educate and assist people to improve the plight of their stock.

Funding can be acquired from state or

local government or non-profit assistance.

Reaching out to help the humans as much as possible helps horses. We often don’t know the whole story and sometimes people just need a boost.

The daunting facts are that we cannot save every single horse in need. Money is a huge factor in restoring health. We may have to choose between the possibility of helping a horse with a very expensive problem or helping four or five other horses with less severe problems. It may take six months to a year to restore a starved and neglected horse to maximal health. There may be lingering health or behavioral consequences that last his lifetime.

Morally, we must help alleviate suffering. Horse people are strong people, and this is even truer for people who rescue horses. By working together to learn what each horse needs, we can better help horses who depend on us for their fate.

CONTACT INFO | PAGE 96

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MEET CALLIE Callie, Danny and Ron’s 10,000th rescue, was adopted by LESLIE BURR HOWARD.

I

terrier—that’s where she gets her personality. She has the nose of a dachshund, for sure. She can smell anything miles away. If she’s upstairs in the bedroom, and I open the refrigerator and pull out a piece of hamburger, she’s instantly there.

When anyone comes to the barn, she runs up and barks, barks, barks, barks, barks, and wags her tail the whole time. She’s not at all aggressive, but she’s a real loudmouth. She sleeps with me in bed, and she has her own routine. She always begins the night at the bottom of the bed, and then somewhere around 2 in the morning, she’s up with her head on the pillow. Then when the alarm goes off every morning, she jumps up, stands on my chest, and licks my face until I can’t stand it anymore. So she’s my alarm clock on top of everything else.

Callie is naturally clever about horses.

When I first got her, because she was so tiny, I was always worried that she’d get smooshed. But she’s really smart about not getting underneath them. She likes horses and is in the barn all the time.

Right from the beginning, she’d sucker them into nuzzling her. She’ll be on a tack box and stick her nose out and look sweet. Of course, as soon as they put their noses out to nuzzle her back, she bites them. She has a feisty personality that way.

KIM TUDOR

Leslie Burr Howard is one of America’s greatest show jumpers. At age 14, she was training with George Morris, and just one year later, she won the famed Maclay Finals at Madison Square Garden, laying the groundwork for an incredible professional career.

Leslie won Olympic gold in Los Angeles, team silver in Atlanta, and numerous other international competitions.

Her business is based out of Redgate Farm in Newtown, Connecticut, and caters to top show jumpers.

GEORGE KAMPER

’ve gotten several dogs from Danny and Ron over the years. As it turns out, Molly Ashe Cawley sent me a picture of Callie, who, I think, was four or five weeks old at the time. Of course, as all puppies are, she was absolutely adorable. We had always had tri-colored Catahoulas, which are medium-sized dogs. So I showed [the picture] to my husband, Peter, and he said, “It looks so tiny! I don’t know that it’s going to get very big.” I asked, “How big do you think it’s going to get? Do you think it’ll get to 40 pounds?” And he said, “Yeah, probably.” Of course, she topped out at 23 pounds. Danny and Ron brought her to Florida for me; she was their 10,000th adopted dog. Literally, when I met her, I could hold her in one hand, she was so tiny.

98 | EQ UE S T R I A N L I V IN G | J U LY / AU GU S T | 2020

SHE LICKS MY FACE UNTIL I CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE. Right from the beginning, she always had tons of personality—she was feisty and cute.

Callie was one of four puppies; the other three died. Danny and Ron fed her with a little dropper. I’m not sure when they got her, but I know she was very young. The mother was a spaniel; I would assume it was a King Charles Spaniel because Callie is pretty tiny.

We had her DNA done, and she’s part dachshund, part spaniel, part chow, part