Wellington Classic Dressage is gearing up for the 2012 show season at the beautiful Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center and major improvements to the Center will mean that no matter the weather, the show can go on.
The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, one of Palm Beach County’s Parks and Recreation facilities, has been host to Dressage and other equestrian events for the past six years. The facility has undergone major improvements this summer including landscaping and beautification, but also what matters most to dressage riders – footing. The FEI rings and warm-ups have new footing and an additional $100,000 was spent on a state-of-the-art drainage system in the show arenas and barns.
The new footing is courtesy of Wellington Classic Dressage, said Joan Hutchinson, facility manager for the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. “And we’re grateful for that,” she said. “Those footing improvements were paid for by Wellington Classic and yet it benefits everyone, not just dressage riders.”
The new drainage system was covered by Palm Beach County and Hutchinson said that while it’s one of those vitally important improvements it’s also not one that is easily noticed. “When it floods, people notice that, but the idea here is that neither the rings nor the barn will flood and people don’t usually notice an improvement that’s good.” Noreen O’Sullivan, Managing Partner for Wellington Classic and President of Gold Coast Dressage Association (a 501 (c)(3), not-for-profit), agrees, adding, “Florida is in a tropical climate and is subject to heavy rainstorms at times, so although we can’t control the weather, it’s great that we have such a great system in place.” Wellington Classic and Gold Coast Dressage hosts shows year-round at Jim Brandon.