Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.
Wellington, FL – December 18, 2015 – The inaugural Wellington Eventing Showcase, hosted at The Stadium at PBIEC, offered an incredible new platform for the sport of eventing. This year, the Asheville Regional Airport Wellington Eventing Showcase, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will be held at The Stadium at PBIEC on February 5-6 and prize money has been increased to $75,000.
Approximately thirty of the world’s top horse/rider combinations in the sport, including Olympians, Pan American Games participants, and members of World Equestrian Games teams from several countries will compete this winter.
Competitors will demonstrate the first phase of the three-part sport, focusing on the balance and fluidity of dressage on Friday, February 5. The competition then continues with the stadium jumping and cross-country portions of the sport the following day, Saturday, February 6. The event will run at the Advanced level.
In the inaugural event, more than 2,000 spectators enjoyed a spectacular view of the cross-country phase from the hill beside the derby field, as many were introduced to eventing for the first time. Captain Mark Phillips, one of the sport’s most renowned course designers, was responsible for creating a difficult track for competitors that accurately showcased the adrenaline-pumping excitement of the cross-country phase through the polo and derby fields adjacent to The Stadium arena.
Capt. Phillips returns in 2016 with a new course to challenge the riders. Many of the combinations enter the showcase event as preparation for spring CCI 3* and 4* events and the course proved to be perfect.
In last year’s press conference following his win, Olympian Boyd Martin commentated to the press, “I’ve been lucky enough – I’m 35 and I’ve competed in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Holland, U.S., France, England, and this is by far the best competition I have ever been to,” he said. “The organizers have put on something I have never seen before, and I am just so proud to be here.”
The overall success of the inaugural Asheville Regional Airport Wellington Eventing Showcase served as a crucial building point and platform for which the sport of eventing is sure to expand. Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners and CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions LLC, understands that the need to access new groups of potential sponsors and owners, as well as broadening the spectator base, is essential when continuing the effort to secure more mainstream coverage for equestrian sport.
“Michael Stone, Jim Wolf, and I had been contemplating this event for probably three or four years, trying to figure out something interesting we could do with eventing,” remarked Bellissimo. “When we threw out the idea of doing an event, we talked about what it would take to get people to come down here. Jim suggested $25,000; we decided to double it to $50,000, not realizing that it would become the second largest event in terms of prize money in the country. The athletes are spectacular and the owners are amazing in this sport. It is a great group of people, and we are encouraged and inspired to take this sport to the next level in Wellington.”
Inspired by the success of last year’s event, and the reception by the riders, Bellissimo has decided to up the ante and increase the prize money to $75,000.
Along with title sponsor Asheville Regional Airport and presenting sponsor Wellington Equestrian Realty, Equestrian Sport Productions thanks sponsors Rolex, Land Rover, Ariat®, and Adequan®.
VIP tables, which include lunch buffet and drinks each day, are available for the event for prime viewing of both the dressage and stadium jumping arenas as well as the cross-country course. Please contact Shelley Howerton Spielman for details and order forms at shspielman@gmail.com.
As with all events at The Stadium at PBIEC, general admission and parking are free. The Stadium at PBIEC is located at 13500 South Shore Boulevard. For more information, please visit www.pbiec.com.