McLain Ward aboard Coco 135.
Ridge At Wellington Returns As The Wellington Turf Tour
Fills A Needed Niche Story and Photos by Kendall Bierer
A layer of fog lifted to reveal a lush haven of green fields set against a labyrinth of bright fences. The buzzer sounded, and the first horse of the day entered the ring as the Wellington Turf Tour commenced. With a plethora of grass fields complementing the equestrian estates of Wellington, the Ridge at Wellington has created a niche competition utilizing the beauty of private venues to advance the equestrian sport of show jumping. The 2014 Wellington Turf Tour promises another season of toptier competition. Last winter, Wellington was introduced to a new way of competition — one involving rolling grass fields, top-tier hospitality and great competition. Although the “Nona Shows” have been taking place for years at the local Ridge at Wellington location in Palm Beach Point, Olympian Nona Garson and partner George D’Ambrosio responded to a call that has long needed answering. The Turf Tour offers riveting competition for every level of horse and rider, honing skills outside of the daily grind of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival. “It is really nice that they have added more ven-
ues,” Irish show jumper Kevin Babington said. “One of the downsides of WEF is that you are jumping in the same ring, week in and week out. The horses get a little bored. I think this breaks it up for them. I definitely think that this complements WEF. For the young horses, just to see different venues and get into different rings is crucial.” Last year, the “Nona Shows” took a step in a new direction, offering a weekly 1.40m Grand Prix series to run over 10 weeks, concluding with the $24,750 finale at the breathtaking Deeridge Farms. It was met with open arms as riders made the mile hack to different properties to tackle the course and hopefully come away with the weekly prize money. “We wanted to provide top conditions to help improve our sport,” D’Ambrosio said. “Our goal is to improve the standard of show jumping, and offer quality competition at an extremely feasible cost. This allows riders and horses to develop and grow. We heard what people wanted, and we gave it to them.” There are two days of recognized show jumping each week of the series, with three classes available. Two classes will be offered each week at the 1.30m1.35m height, while the 1.40m Invitational Grand 10th Anniversary |wellington the magazine| February 2014
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