Arly Golombek and Coronet © McMillen Photography.
Lexington, KY – October 23, 2013 – Team Rakowsky Equestrian specializes in importing, training and selling quality hunter, jumper and equitation horses, in addition to developing riders into top competitors. With a focus on the unique qualities and skill set of each horse and rider, Team Rakowsky offers customized and individual training programs tailored to achieve optimum results at all levels and has done so for over a decade.
Finishing up the Indoor season at the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, KY, the rest of the Team Rakowsky horses and staff are settling in at the Wellington, FL facility.
Who’s on the Team
In 2001, Ivan Rakowsky and Arly Golombek partnered to create Team Rakowsky Equestrian. Ivan Rakowsky was successful at the Grand Prix level, competing in numerous international show jumping competitions as well as Nations Cups in Florida and South America. He served as Chef d’Equipe for the Mexican International Show Jumping Team and continues to coach top grand prix competitors at high-level events including traveling to the 2012 FEI World Cup Finals.
As a trainer, Rakowsky has worked with NAJYRC medalists, hunter champions and equitation finalists, both horses and riders. One of many memorable mounts was the horse Uriam, later named Monterrey, who won Grappa Award for best horse at the 2011 East Coast USET Talent Search Finals.
“For us, the main focus is not only the development of horses and riders, but matching them so that they can be as successful and competitive as possible in the sport. With riders, the goal is to develop international riders and top competitors from the ground up. With horses, the focus is to develop young horses, prepare them for competition, and run a strong sales program of top quality horses,” explained Rakowsky.
Rakowsky’s partner, Arly Golombek, is an integral part of the team. After achieving tremendous success in the amateur ring in both hunters and jumpers, Golombek turned professional in 2012. Along with Rakowsky, she excels in developing horses for sales in every arena from 3′ divisions to international level show jumpers. While taking impeccable care of the horses, she keeps the Team Rakowsky schedule running smoothly. Golombek’s meticulous attention to detail brings an unrivaled quality to the training and care of each horse and rider in the program.
“Our philosophy is that each horse is a little different. Each one requires his or her own pace and we appreciate them as individuals,” said Golombek.
Rakowsky added, “We have a huge regard for horsemanship and aim to provide the best care, by not only being involved with top farriers and vets, but by providing the best feeding program and monitoring each horse’s progress and well-being.”
Team Rakowsky recently added professional rider Javier Berganza to their team. Berganza, 25, grew up riding in Mexico and Europe. He began competing at the grand prix level at the age of 17, won multiple NAJYRC medals, and qualified for the FEI World Cup Finals at the age of 18.
“As a horseman it is fabulous when you get to work and ride with people like Ivan and Arly that put so much energy into the care and well-being of their horses. It is also nice to have someone promoting you as a rider and making sure that you are in an environment where you can excel, not only in training young horses, but in higher level competition too,” Berganza remarked.
Location, Location, Location!
Team Rakowsky Equestrian is based in two of the top equestrian locations, Wellington, FL, and Lexington, KY. The winter base in Wellington is an equestrian paradise. Boasting 40 acres, 50 12’x12′ stalls equipped with softstall matting, an outdoor arena, covered arena, grass jump field, regulation polo field and practice field, an exercise track, and a six-horse European walker. There are also 20 grass paddocks with automatic waterers, five tack rooms, industrial laundry room and multiple grooming and wash bays. The facility is located in the heart of Wellington, less than two miles from the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival showgrounds at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
The team spends their summers in Lexington, KY, where they have a beautiful facility located approximately two miles east of the Kentucky Horse Park on Ironworks Pike at the historic Crown Colony Farm. The summer facility offers over 300 picturesque rolling bluegrass acres, 60 matted large stalls in five separate barns, 25 lush paddocks and pastures equipped with automatic waterers and shade of old trees, a 125’x500′ riding arena with all-weather footing, built-in irrigation and full hunter and jumper courses.
Success at All Levels
From Wellington to Lexington, Traverse City to Chantilly, Team Rakowsky clients garnered great miles, as well as top ribbons this year. Some highlights include: Elizabeth Patz, who earned many championships and circuit championships aboard her multiple mounts in the Amateur Owner Hunters and Jumpers, including ribbons when competing in Europe this summer. Caroline Donnally had a successful show season with numerous ribbons and clear rounds aboard her string of Amateur Owner Jumpers. Alex Beckstett and Beth Bidgood both had tremendous seasons in the Amateur Owner Hunters, including championships at WEF, Horse Shows by the Bay, and in Kentucky. Alexa Schwartz won numerous ribbons and championships in the junior hunters, equitation divisions, and children’s jumpers. Caroline Madden and Lauren White are moving up the jumper ranks with ribbons and clear rounds in the low children’s jumpers.
In addition to training and riding, Team Rakowsky imports a variety of sale horses and specializes in finding the best match for each individual, both horse and rider. Striving to make the purchase or sale of horse(s) as simple and smooth as possible, all horses have been carefully inspected for soundness and performance and have a full set of recent digital x-rays.
Rakowsky and Golombek also take time to give back to the sport through the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) They each sit on committees – Golombek is on the Horse and Rider Advocacy committee and Rakowsky sits on the Young Rider Task Force.
Golombek said, “We are always trying to be better at what we do. Learning from each horse, making clients happy in the show ring, is our reward. No matter how long a day we’ve had, a smile at the end of a round well-ridden makes it all worthwhile.”
For more information on the team and their program, please visit www.teamrakowsky.com or www.facebook.com/teamrakowsky.
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