POLO Equestrian low

Scenes from
the season
Polo
Just before the new year,
there’s a quiet buzz that
starts to vibrate throughout
the community. Wellington’s
back roads that have
remained relatively dormant
since last spring
start to come alive with
the sights and sounds of
the approaching polo/
equestrian season.
A quick tour of the
area looks something
like this:
– A teenage girl takes
a break from jumping practice with
her horse. She stands on the property’s
lush, green lawn with her Cavalier
King Charles spaniel at her feet and
phone in hand, texting away.
– Out-of–state license plates dot
every other car, truck and SUV in
the parking lot at the Palm Beach
International Equestrian Center. One
vehicle has a bumper sticker that proclaims:
“I’d rather be with my horse.”
– Trucks and trailers kick up dust
on side streets as they transport
horses.
– Golf carts zip around with
workers putting finishing touches on
facilities’ buildings, landscaping and
grounds.
And just like that, even before the
ball drops on New Year’s Eve, the
season has begun.
The quiet buzz turns into a roar
as polo ponies and players thunder
down the field at the International
Polo Club Palm Beach, racing toward
the Herbie Pennell Cup and Joe Barry
Cup trophies in the first few weeks of
competition.
Days later, the dancing horses of
dressage and their elegantly-attired
riders (some of them Olympians) converge
at The Stadium where the goal
is to qualify for the World Equestrian
Games coming to North Carolina in
September.
Saturday nights are all right for
show jumpers as the Winter Equestrian
Festival is the last event to start
the season. Overcoming obstacles,
literally, is what these
premier athletes train for
all year long.
In Polo Equestrian
of the Palm Beaches, we
Kari Barnett
Editor
bring the experience to
you.
Fancy a VIP brunch
experience while you witness
the thrilling competition
of a high-goal polo
game? The details are inside.
Are you looking to cheer on your
favorite rider and charity in the season’s
most popular fundraising event?
Find out what organizers have in store
for the Great Charity Challenge.
If you’ve never witnessed ponies
prancing to pop music, check out the
dressage schedule to plan your first
visit to Friday Night Stars.
For regular competition updates,
plus exclusive content, throughout the
season, visit us at WellingtonVillager.
com and Facebook.com/Wellington-
Villager.
See you next month, when we take
a look at the best shopping opportunities
of the season.
Polo Equestrian of the Palm Beaches
is published in January, February and
March.
Copies are available at area businesses
and hotels, as well as the competition
grounds:
– International Polo Club Palm Beach,
3667 120th Ave. S.
– Palm Beach International
Equestrian Center, 3400 Equestrian
Club Drive
– The Stadium, 13500 South Shore
Blvd.
OF THE PALM BEACHES
JANUARY 2018
Editor
Kari Barnett
561-228-5560
kabarnett@sun-sentinel.com
Advertising Manager
Caroline Pinsker
954-356-4804
cpinsker@sun-sentinel.com
Contributors
Austen Erblat
Natalya Jones
Jennifer Shapiro-Sacks
Y.A. Teitelbaum
Designers
Jamie Keene
David Schutz
Executive
Director of Advertising
Rick Robinson
Editor
Judith Zizzo
A magazine of
333 SW 12th Ave.
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
4 | JANUARY 2018