Polo and Equestrian Partnership in Wellington
The International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC,) and the Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEP) announced today that they have come to an agreement, to work in partnership to promote, develop, and enhance, the world class equestrian destination of Wellington, FL, a community within Palm Beach County Florida.
John Goodman, founder of the International Polo Club Palm Beach has also become an investor in the WEP partnership and joins the Partnership’s Operating Committee which is reserved for its largest investors. The operating committee guides WEP’s $230 million dollar Wellington investment. The Operating Committee currently consists of Mark and Katherine Bellissimo, Roger and Jennifer Smith, Dennis and Marsha Dammerman, Craig and Frances Lindner, Robert and Lisa Lourie, Stuart and Susan Goldstein, Bruce Duchossois, and Howard and Gwen Dvorkin.
The community of Wellington has created a unique 8,000 acre equestrian preserve that is home to thousands of horses and hundreds of horse farms. The community has become the de-facto winter home for worldwide equestrian sport. IPC, WEP and its affiliates own or control close to 1,000 acres within the preserve. Despite a challenging world economy, both organizations had successful years due to a very passionate and committed customer base of horse enthusiasts and sponsors.
WEP owns and operates the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) home of the world-renowned Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), the largest and longest running horse show in the world. The annual WEF event draws thousands of exhibitors and over 5,000 horses, from 46 states, and 23 countries. These exhibitors compete for over $5.6 million dollars in prize money during the 12 week circuit. The WEF includes North America’s only Nations Cup, the World Dressage Masters, and the FTI Consulting Grand Prix Challenge which is the richest evening in American Show Jumping awarding over $600,000 in prize money. The Company operates close to 40 weeks worth of United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) licensed shows. In addition the company operates the Palm Beach Steeplechase which is now a Thanksgiving weekend tradition in Wellington.
The International Polo Club Palm Beach is an internationally acclaimed polo facility, and home to one of the world’s most prestigious polo seasons. For sixteen weeks each winter, IPC’s Winter Polo Season attracts the highest ranking competitors from around the globe, who flock to Wellington, to play at the highest level the sport has to offer. IPC is home to the only high goal polo tournaments being played in the United States today, and is host of the U.S. Open Polo Championship ™, which will be marking its 106th year in April 2010. The season consists of six major renowned tournaments, which include the Piaget Gold Cup, Joe Barry Memorial Cup, Iglehart Cup, Ylvisaker Cup, and the C.V. Whitney Cup. Featured matches are played every Sunday during the season, as thousands of spectators and enthusiasts, including many high profile celebrities, and sponsors, are on hand for Sunday Polo, a quintessential and long time Palm Beach tradition.
IPC has also integrated polo eventsLive into its affiliated property, the Wanderers Golf Club of Wellington, a private course that reopened in 2008 after a renovation completed by Jacobsen Hardy Golf Designs.
The Polo, Show Jumping, and Dressage worlds have operated independently within Wellington for over 30 years and now for the first time will be working collaboratively to promote Wellington as an equestrian destination. WEP will target their main PBIEC eventsLive on Saturday evening, while IPC will target their Sunday Polo tournaments. While the two groups are committed to promoting the equestrian destination locally, nationally and internationally, they are also committed to working with the Village of Wellington and its residents to preserve and integrate the equestrian lifestyle elements that have made Wellington a distinctive and unique residential community.
Mark Bellissimo, the Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners and CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions, operator of the shows stated, “John and our partnership have always shared a common vision, however, we have not coordinated our efforts. We are excited to be finally working collaboratively towards a common goal of making Wellington the premiere equestrian lifestyle destination in the world. It is a very exciting time for this community and our respective sports.”
John Goodman added, “I believe a partnership between IPC and WEP has been a long time coming. While Wellington is one of the greatest equestrian environments in the world, our joint efforts will raise Wellington to a new level.”
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