BARNenvy
Photos by Erin Gilmore and Carly Nasznic
Farm W ELLINGTON, F LORIDA
undreds of equine abodes dot the landscape in glittery Wellington, Florida, most of them hidden behind tall hedges and iron gates. These are private stables for the privileged few, and the very lucky, that call the winter equestrian capital of the world their home. Among that exclusive landscape, watching the gates part to grant access to Rushy Marsh Farm feels much like opening a velvet jewel box. On 10 acres in the heart of Wellington’s Grand Prix Village, Rushy Marsh Farm glitters as much as any piece of land can, from its many blooming orchids to the exotic canaries that stand post at the barn’s entryway. Frank McCourt and his fiancé Monica Algarra saw the farm as a blank canvas when they purchased it in 2013. The barn was pretty but without character; the land solid but plain, and Algarra immediately went to work on a thorough renovation of the property. Working alongside their interior designer Edwina Alexis, Amberway Equine assisted with the paver design, layout, and installation as well as the LED lighting throughout the barn. While the farm was initially planned to be an investment property, once the renovations were complete, Algarra had fallen so deeply in love with the farm that she couldn’t imagine leaving. An amateur rider who trains with Kim Prince, Algarra made Rushy Marsh uniquely her own. An assortment of lucky rescue animals that includes a dozen chickens, two miniature horses, a pair of pigs, and the irresistible rescue donkeys Chula and Chiquita lounge in their own special paddock during the day, and rest in modified stalls inside the barn at night. Lop-eared rabbits and a dozen chickens complete the Rushy Marsh herd. The farm’s vast arena and adjacent grass jumping field provide ample training ground for the farm’s full size equine residents, which compete with Agarra at the nearby Winter Equestrian Festival. For horse, human, rabbit and hen the farm was designed for comfort. If ever there were a haven for animals large and small, it is Rushy Marsh Farm.
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april/may ·
87