The primary purpose of the Wellington Chamber Equestrian Committee is to promote, enhance and support the equestrian industry in Wellington. According to the Palm Beach County Business Development Board, the equestrian industry annually brings in over $180 million to Palm Beach County.
Wellington has long been the flagship for the equestrian industry in Palm Beach County. With the beginning of Palm Beach Polo in 1978, the equestrian impact has flourished to bring the very top international competitions in polo, hunter/jumper and dressage to Wellington.
This winter being an Olympic qualifying season for the summer Olympics of 2020, presnted a much busier season than past seasons, with some of the top competitors from all over the world vying for spots on their country’s team.
Wellington’s International Polo Club (IPC), host of the U.S. Open Polo Championship, is the permanent home for the foreseeable future. Wellington boasts the most complete range of polo competition anywhere, with a robust schedule for low goal, medium goal and high goal competitions.
The Winter Equestrian Festival offers the greatest prize money in the world’s largest and longest-running international hunter/jumper events, as well as the top dressage venue of the world. The Global Dressage Festival series has combined to host an unprecedented series of FEI competitions to its roster of great events, offering unprecedented prize money and drawing top European riders to Wellington.
The Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge Series features USEF/USDF-recognized dressage shows hosted at the Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, located in nearby West Palm Beach. The series runs from January through April, with plans for additional shows based on rider demand.
The Wellington Chamber and the Wellington Chamber Equestrian Committee continue to promote and protect the economic interests of the equestrian community in Wellington. We look forward to continued growth, and we will continue to enhance and support Wellington’s equestrian community as well as to bring its economic impact to the entire Wellington community.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email our Equestrian Committee Chairperson, Jane Garifo-Springer, at Janepspringer@gmail.com, or contact our executive director, Michela Green, at info@wellingtonchamber.com.