WAG magazine - April 2015

MARIANO AGUERRE

LEADS THE MEN OF GREENWICH POLO

PUPPY LOVE AT THE ‘TODAY’ SHOW PETER BRANT A HORSEMAN’S LIFE ART’S ANIMAL NATURE THE AMERICAN GOLD CUP LEAPS INTO NEW LONGINES LEAGUE SEEING AND BEING SEEN AT THE POLO BAR CASABLANCA POLO FOR ON – AND OFF – THE FIELD DRAGONS FIRE UP MET CHINA EXHIBIT

animal

PASSION WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE APRIL 2015 | WAGMAG.COM

Beautiful Equestrian Community • Wellington, Florida

Southfields: On 7.61 acres and a shor t hack to either WEF or GDF, this property is perfect for anyone looking for something spectacular. The property enjoys an 11stall, center aisle barn with 2 wash bays, tack room, laundry room, feed room, lots of storage, and a peaceful viewing lanai. Included in the purchase price and acreage count is a 3.91-acre vacant lot adjacent to the southern edge of the developed lot. Offered at $8,800,000

Golf & Tennis Village: Fully r enovated with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, this bungalow is an absolute must see. Gorgeous French doors leading out to the screened-in porch with lake views accentuate the open and airy floor plan. The large kitchen enjoys stainless steel appliances and a marble-top island with barstool seating that flows effortlessly into the dining and living areas. Offered at $675,000

Southfields: Situated on 2.94-acres within the gates of the quiet and cozy Southfields neighborhood is this wonderful property. This home is move-in ready and has four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. The kitchen is open and airy and flows into the rest of the house beautifully. Brand new cement and wood floors throughout majority of the home. The property is two lots in one and there is plenty of space to build a barn and arena. Offered at $5,250,000

Hurlingham: This lovely two bedroom, two bathroom condo has recently undergone a complete renovation.

Both bathrooms and the kitchen have been totally and tastefully redone. Beautiful hardwood floors flow throughout the living spaces and bedrooms. The doors and windows have all been replaced and are now hurricane impact glass. The condo enjoys tons of natural light and great views. Offered at $495,000

Southfields: This beautiful 5+ acre pr oper ty is perfectly situated adjacent to the Palm Beach Equine Clinic.

Located within the lovely Southfields neighborhood, this barn is a quick hack to the Global Dressage Festival and the Winter Equestrian Festival. There are two barns on the property that contain a total of 38 stalls, providing plenty of space for all of your horses or to be utilized as rental stalls (great investment property potential).

Offered at $3,750,000

Rene Lacoste: With thr ee bedr ooms, thr ee bathrooms, and an office, this corner unit is a rare find. The fenced courtyard offers a lovely and private space to relax and enjoy the sunshine. The rear of the home has a large screened in patio that is ideal for entertaining, and offers a spectacular lake view. The vaulted ceilings are a focal point with their rustic wood details. Fully renovated and upgraded, this bungalow is an absolute move-in ready home. Offered at $625,000

Equestrian Club: This light and open 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom home sits on a one-of-a-kind lot that backs up to Field 1 of the International Polo Club. The floor plan conveniently has the master suite and a guest bedroom on the main floor, with three additional bedrooms and a loft on the upper level. The gourmet kitchen is equipped with natural gas and stainless steel appliances. The expansive outdoor space boasts a covered area, as well as a beautiful pool and spa. Offered at $895,000

Southfields: This proper ty has 2.8 acres of land that holds a main house, a guest cottage, a 7-stall barn, large paddocks, a sand ring, and a backyard paradise. The main house has two bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property is minutes from the new Dressage facility and Winter Equestrian Festival. Offered at $3,900,000

Las Casitas: This amazing villa has recently under-gone a complete renovation - everything from the con-crete floors, appliances, impact glass doors and windows, etc. is new - and done to the highest standards of excel-lence.

The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. As an end unit in Las Casitas, this villa has one of the largest backyards in the neighborhood. Offered at $750,000

Amy Carr • Phone +1 561-662-0728 • Fax +1-561-791 2221 www.amycarr.evusa.com • Wellington, Florida • amy.carr@evusa.com

CONTENTS APRIL 2015

What’s inside: 12 Basic instincts 14 The horseman 18 Blue-ribbon gallery 22 … China’s ‘Celestial Horses’ 24 Horse power 26 Riding high 28 A league of its own 32 The Wood Memorial 34 A most stylish menagerie 36 A dog’s life 40 Tails of independence 42 Matchmaker, matchmaker…

44 A final stop for all God’s creatures…

46 Holistic vet followed unusual path to healing 48 Perilous times for the Giant Panda 50 Casablanca Polo 53 COVER STORY: The Men of Greenwich Polo

2

Audrey Ronning Topping took this photograph of the original bronze statue of the famous “Flying Celestial Horse” in 1972, shortly after the object was found near Wu-Wei (Gansu Province) in the tomb of a Han Dynasty (206- 220) emperor. See her story on Page 22 WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

We provided the advanced care.

She provided the will to survive.

Mimi Abbott Brain aneurysm survivor / Grandmother

Mimi doesn’t remember much from that day but her husband, Hirschel, remembers it all too well.

From New Orleans, they were visiting their son in New York when Mimi was stricken with a burst brain aneurysm. After she was stabilized, Westchester Medical Center’s neurovascular surgical team performed an intricate procedure that helped Mimi beat the odds and recapture her life.

westchestermedicalcenter.com

WAGVERTISERS

APRIL 2015

57 WAY

Where art & architecture meet

62 WEAR

China is no sleeping dragon

66 WEAR

Aqua Pool and Patio - 19 aquapool.com

Gregory Sahagian & Sons - 35 gsawning.com

John Rizzo - 90 johnrizzophoto.com

Bennett Cancer Center – 89 hopeinmotion.com

Greenwich Medical Skincare and Laser Spa - 64 greenwichmedicalspa.com

Royal Closet - 10 royalcloset.com

Neil S. Berman - 21 neilsberman.com

68 WEAR

Neiman Marcus changes it up

71 CHIC CHOICES

Gifts and new products

74 WANDERS

Savoring Coworth Park

77 WONDERFUL DINING

Hot Spot… The Polo Bar

80 WINE & DINE

When wine took a Stag’s Leap forward

82 WHETTING THE APPETITE

Jackie Ruby’s saffron rice pilaf with toasted linguine

Skin Center Advanced Medical Aesthetics - Back Cover, 87 bestskincenter.com

Mercedes Benz of Greenwich - 27 mercedesbenzofgreenwich.com

Sotheby’s International Realty – 39 sothebysrealty.com

Miller MotorCars - 13 millermotorcars.com

SoundWorks NY - 59 soundworksny.com

Moderne Barn - 17 modernebarn.com

Sportime Lake Isle Summer Camps - 33 sportimeCamps.com/LIsle

Douglas Cutler – 51 modulararchitecture.com

Must Love Dogs - 89 mustlovedogskatonah.com

Brandon Steiner – 102 brandonsteiner.com

Douglas Elliman – 25 elliman.com

ONS - 11 onsmd.com

Twin Lakes Farm – 85 twinlakesfarm.com

Eager Beaver Tree Service - 94 eagerbeavertreeservice.com

Ox Ridge Hunt Club Riding Academy – 86 oxridge.com

UK Gourmet - 69 UKgourmet.US

Casafina – 5 casafinagifts.com Chelsea Piers - 65 chelseapiersCT.com Christopher Noland Salon & Beauty Spa - 6 christophernoland.com

Engel & Volkers – Inside Front Cover englevolkers.com

84 WHAT’S UP

My cat wants me dead

Entergy Nuclear Northeast - 61 entergy.com

88 PET OF THE MONTH

Euphoria Kitchen and Bath - 37 euphoriakitchens.com

Jonesing for Jonesie

91 WHEN & WHERE Upcoming events

We’re out and about

104 WIT

What animal instinct do you rely on?

MARIANO AGUERRE

LEADS THE MEN OF GREENWICH POLO

PUPPY LOVE AT THE ‘TODAY’ SHOW PETER BRANT A HORSEMAN’S LIFE ART’S ANIMAL NATURE THE AMERICAN GOLD CUP LEAPS INTO NEW LONGINES LEAGUE SEEING AND BEING SEEN AT THE POLO BAR CASABLANCA POLO FOR ON – AND OFF – THE FIELD DRAGONS FIRE UP MET CHINA EXHIBIT

animal

PASSION WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE APRIL 2015 | WAGMAG.COM

Infinity Stone – 23 ellen@infinitysba.com Iron Horse Grill - 45 ironhorsepleasantville.com

95 WATCH

Salem Golf Club - 37 salemgolfclub.org

Harry T. Tucker – 83 tuckerdocks.com

The Bristal Assisted Living- 9 thebristal.com

Moonstruck

Guiding Eyes for the Blind – 51 guidingeyes.org

Lawton Adams Construction Corp - 30 lawtonadams.com Lia Grasso - 60 liagrasso.com

Pegasus Therapeutic Riding– 41 pegasustr.com Penny Pincher Boutique - 15 pennypincherboutique.com Performing Arts Center - 73 artscenter.org PetWorks - 47 alphapet.com Prutting & Company Custom Builders – inside back cover prutting.com Ridgefield Playhouse - 93 ridgefieldplayhouse.org

Vincent & Whittemore - 31 vinwhit.com The Water Edge at Giovanni’s - 81 watersedgeatgiovannis.com Warburg Realty – 67 warburgrealty.com Westchester Medical Center - 3 westchestermedicalcenter.com White Plains Hospital - 7 wphospital.org R&M Woodrow Jewelers - 1 woodrowjewelers.com

ON THE COVER: Mariano Aguerre of the Greenwich Polo Club.

Photograph by Juan Lamarca. Courtesy of the Greenwich Polo Club.

LISA CASH

ANNE JORDAN DUFFY

BARBARA HANLON

MARCIA PFLUG

PATRICE SULLIVAN

RORY VAN GELDER

Our WAG-savvy sales team will assist you in optimizing your message to captivate and capture your audience. Contact them at 914-358-0746.

4

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dee DelBello dee@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0749 Dan Viteri ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR dviteri@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0772

EDITORIAL

by Christopher Noland

Georgette Gouveia EDITOR ggouveia@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0761

Bob Rozycki MANAGING EDITOR bobr@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0745 Mary Shustack WRITER

Audrey Ronning Topping FEATURES WRITER

ART

voted best blowout in fairfield and westchester

Dan Viteri SENIOR ART & DIGITAL DIRECTOR dviteri@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0772

Michaela Zalko ART DIRECTOR mzalko@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0756

PHOTOGRAPHY Anthony Carboni, John Rizzo, Bob Rozycki

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nikki Davidson, Ronni Diamondstein, Jane Dove, Bill Fallon, Mark Lungariello, Frank Pagani, Doug Paulding, Danielle Renda, Leif Skodnick Billy Losapio ADVISER

ADVERTISING Anne Jordan Duff y SALES MANAGER / ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER anne@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0764

Lisa Cash, Barbara Hanlon, Marcia Pflug, Patrice Sullivan, Rory Van Gelder ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Robin Costello ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER rcostello@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0760

Holly DeBartolo EVENTS MANAGER hdebartolo@westfarinc.com | 914-358-0742

Marcia Pflug DIRECTOR, PROMOTIONS AND SPONSORS mpflug@wfpromote.com | 203-733-4545

Marcia Rudy CIRCULATION SALES marcia@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0755

Sylvia Sikoutris CIRCULATION SALES sylvia@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0754

WHAT IS WAG?

Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.” We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.

HEADQUARTERS WAG A division of Westfair Communications Inc. 3 Westchester Park Drive, White Plains, NY 10604 Telephone: 914-358-0746 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com

All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff.

No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call (914) 694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at (914) 694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com

6

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

White Plains Hospital.

The Hospital of Choice in Westchester.

A N D T H E R E A R E G O O D R E A S O N S F O R T H AT.

The Hospital has earned the kind of recognition that inspires confidence.

White Plains is among just 7% of hospitals nationwide to achieve Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. Ranked among the top 5% of hospitals in the nation by Healthgrades for patient experience, it is also a 12 time recipient of the Consumer Choice award for highest quality and image. And now, White Plains is the proud recipient of the evidence-based Women’s Choice Award, as an America’s Best Hospital for Obstetrics in 2015.

W H I T E P L A I N S H O S P I TA L I S A M E M B E R O F T H E M O N T E F I O R E H E A LT H S Y S T E M

TO FIND A PHYSICIAN CALL

914 - 6 81-1010

w w w.wphospital.org

WAGGERS

ANTHONY CARBONI

NIKKI DAVIDSON

RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN

ROBIN COSTELLO

JANE DOVE

BILL FALLON

FRANK PAGANI

DOUG PAULDING

DANIELLE K. RENDA

JOHN RIZZO

BOB ROZYCKI

MARY SHUSTACK

AUDREY TOPPING

JEREMY WAYNE

NEW WAGGER

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WAGWEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR THE LATEST IN FASHION, BEAUTY, DINING, ENTERTAINMENT AND MORE – FEATURING EXCLUSIVE CONTENT NOT SEEN IN PRINT.

SIGN UP ON WAGMAG.COM

8

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Mary Sue Iarocci has 10 years experience as a reporter in Westchester County. She has covered news and events for The Journal News, business features for the Westchester County Business Journal and marketing and public relations writing for small businesses. When she’s not working, she spends her time volunteering at her local animal shelter.

The Bristal Assisted Living | Where Ever y Day Means More

TM

I am living a new chapter in my LifeStory “I really care about other people, so

I became a nurse as soon as I raised my family. At St. Francis I served as a

cardiac, and then, oncology nurse. After I retired, I volunteered in the gift shop

because I just couldn’t stay away from the place.

My two wonderful sons and my

grandchildren visit me all the time and think The Bristal is just about the best

Ethel, Resident of The Bristal

place in the whole world. And the staff!

Well I couldn’t say enough about how well they treat us.”

For more about Ethel, tune in at thebristal.com/truelifestories

Ask about Reflections at The Bristal an area providing secure and compassionate memory care

ARMONK | 90 Business Park Drive | (914) 432.8200 WHITE PLAINS | 305 North Street | (914) 681.1800 Visit our website for all locations in the tri-state area

THE BRISTAL.COM LICENSED BY THE DEPT OF HEALTH • ELIGIBLE FOR MOST LONG TERM CARE POLICIES

Quality Communities By The Engel Burman Group

EDITOR'S LETTER GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

The Affordable Closet Experts Custom designed simple to elegant closets. We offer a full line of materials that range from melamine laminate to stained wood with your choice of finish. Our professional closet designers will be happy to give you a free in-home consultation.

Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities enable us to keep our quality high and our prices low.

•• Home ce & Home Offi office & Mudroom mudroomAreas areas EntertainmentCenters centers •• Entertainment QUA Bookcases •• Bookcases LI Pantries •• Pantries FIRS TY T GarageSystems systems •• Garage Accessories ••Accessories Featured Featured in in Th Thisis Old Old House House Magazine!

Sa y i t with ! a closet

Factory Direct!

QUALITY STAINED WOOD & MELAMINE SYSTEMS

Free In-Home Consultation 203-847-4179 Visit our showroom: 6-B Muller Park Norwalk, CT 06851 1"/53*&4 t ("3"(& 4:45&.4 t "$$&4403*&4

10

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

’VE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT SPOT IN MY HEART FOR POLO PLAYERS. So when we had an opportunity to feature the men of Greenwich Polo on our April “Animal Passions” cover — and interview club founder Peter Brant as well — I leapt at the chance. This ancient “sport of kings” has long been misunderstood, thanks in part to the media. There’s an assumption that it is elitist and chauvinistic, even effete. But polo, which was used to train our military until World War II, requires what top player Mariano Aguerre calls the balance between elegance and aggression. And while its energy is masculine, it’s a world increasingly populated by female players in which we ladies can feel at home. Indeed, a day at Greenwich Polo — where the matches are often played for charity — is the perfect family outing.

The same can be said for the elegant equestrian events that make up the Spring Horse Shows and American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, which continues to be among the top-rated American venues. Adding to the farm’s and the Gold Cup’s prestige this year is the Cup’s participation in the newly formed Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League.

Longines has long been a byword for fine chronographs and equine patronage, and we’re delighted to feature the company in this issue. Indeed, we’re particularly giddy about the entire issue, for which the stars really aligned.

From our on-set visit with Wrangler, the Guiding Eyes for the Blind pup that the genial “Today” show gang is raising; to our scrumptious dinner at the Polo Bar, the new It Place; from Neiman Marcus Westchester’s new stable of designers, to the stable of animal artists who exhibit at Old Salem Farm, our beloved Waggers had a blast.

Mary enjoyed sampling the wares and wears at Casablanca Polo in Greenwich and Patricia’s Presents in Ridgefield while also visiting with Nicole Patrick, whose Chic Chien Chateau facilitates pet adoptions in the digital age.

Mary Sue joins us with poignant stories on ECAD, which provides service dogs to wounded warriors and other disabled individuals, and the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, where pets and their owners can rest together for eternity.

Our resident Sino expert Audrey considers China’s twin icons — the Ce-

With Willy, one of our office MVPs – most valuable pooches.

Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

lestial Horse and, everyone’s fave, the panda. Staying with this global giant, Danielle gives us a sneak peek at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s upcoming blockbuster on the effect of Chinese imagery on culture, including the use of the dragon as a symbol of protectiveness in Asia.

Just as we welcome Mary Sue, we bid a fond farewell to Leif, who’s going off to greener pastures — but not before he weighs in on the Wood Memorial, a key Triple Crown tune-up. And to think when we started our “hoof and woof” issues four years ago, we didn’t know a paddock from a pasture. All that’s changed, thanks to the participation of people like Vivien Malloy, not only a top breeder but, as Frank’s piece demonstrates, a great lady who takes particular care of the horses she breeds.

The hits keep coming: Jane takes us to a fab house in Bronxville’s historic Lawrence Park that teems with color, animal artwork and life, then spends time with Babette Gladstein, who’s in the vanguard of holistic veterinarians.

Doug takes us back to a time when American wine took a Stag’s Leap onto the world stage, while our Brit bon vivant Jeremy takes us to Ascot and regal Coworth Park where even horses get manicures and bubble baths.

But I know what our cat readers are thinking: What, no felines? Thank goodness for Mark and his tortured love affair with Ella. He’s certain she’s out to get him. We think she’s just killing him with kitty kindness.

Georgette Gouveia is the author of “Water Music” and the forthcoming “The Penalty for Holding,” part of her series, “The Games Men Play,” which is the name of the sports/culture blog she writes at thegamesmenplay.com.

The ONS Advantage The #1 reason patients choose ONS is the quality and expertise of ONS physicians. With advanced fellowship training from the most respected medical institutions in the U.S., ONS patients have direct access to the latest research and cutting edge treatments from physicians focused on achieving the best outcomes.

“Other doctors laughed at the time frame we pursued. But my doctor at ONS totally gets the athlete mentality; he was even more determined than I was.”

— Will M., Former Pro Football Player

Read more about Will’s story here

New Stamford Office HIGH RIDGE ROAD | JUNE 2015

GREENWICH

6 GREENWICH OFFICE PARK

STAMFORD

ORTHOPAEDIC & NEUROSURGERY SPECIALISTS | 203.869.1145

5 HIGH RIDGE PARK

WWW.ONSMD.COM

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

11

BASIC INSTINCTS Human nature remains part of nature –for better or worse

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

PERHAPS NATURE IS LESS AT WAR WITH ITSELF THAN WE ARE WITH NATURE. We struggle, in the biblical

his men to take a Japanese-held island during the Battle of Guadalcanal in “The Thin Red Line” (1998). “Look at the vines, the way they twine around the trees, swallowing everything. Nature’s cruel, Staros.”

But nature — represented in the film equally by lotus blossoms and crocodiles — is neither here nor there. It is what it is. The only part of nature capable of cruelty is man himself, because he alone can reason between good and evil. (Or is what we perceive to be good and evil nothing more than our failure to bring our animalistic antecedents into harmony with our evolved rational mind?)

Still, we either refuse to acknowledge any of this or fail to reconcile it. Virtually and physically, we feed our bloodlust along with our lust, thrilling — or at least acquiescing — to brute power like Stella. We rail against nature in a mistaken stab at control like Captain Ahab, hell-bent on avenging himself on the great white whale that took his leg in Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” as if such vengeance could make

scheme of things, to “fill the earth and subdue it” — fracking and framing it, corralling and redirecting it, harnessing and leashing it, muzzling and manicuring it. But in the end, we exercise little control over nature as the land and sea cover us all, and we return to the elements from which we came.

This is particularly true of our animal nature, which has evolved over millennia. How many times have we heard about nature’s (and our) maternal instinct: Is that the maternal instinct of the dog that rescues her pups from a burning building one by one — carrying them out by the scruff of their necks at great risk to herself, resting only when the last of the litter is safely out of harm’s way? Or is the basic instinct we speak of that of the panda that kills one of her two cubs, because she can only care for one and so must sacrifice the other to give the stronger a chance for survival?

In Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” Heathcliff and Cathy (Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, seen here in the acclaimed 1939 film version) will be divided not only from each other but between What about the tiger mother? the raw animalism of the Heights and the social graces of neighboring Thrushcross Grange.

Amy Chua, the New Haven lawyer and mom, raised a firestorm when “A man has a choice,” the righteous Adam Trask she used that metaphor in her memoir “Battle him whole.

(Raymond Massey) tells his seemingly bad-to-theHymn of the Tiger Mother” to describe the rigorWe try to have it both ways — the freedom of the bone son Cal (James Dean) in the 1955 film “East of ous Chinese approach to parenting. Maybe her wild and the status of society. In Emily Brontë’s Eden,” based on John Steinbeck’s sweeping retellcritics were just “going for the jugular,” another “Wuthering Heights,” Catherine Earnshaw foring of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. “That’s where remnant of our animalistic ancestry. sakes the Heights, her rough-hewn childhood he’s different from an animal.”

Or take “animal magnetism,” now there’s home flung upon the moors, and her equally But while it’s a lesson he will ultimately come to something we can sink our teeth into, right? earthy soulmate, Heathcliff, for the cultured comabsorb — albeit after much tragedy — the wily Cal Marlon Brando in a ripped T bellowing for “Stelforts of neighboring Thrushcross Grange. But no also recognizes something that his naïve father laaaaaaaaaaa!” as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee amount of outward finery can transform Cathy does not: “I guess there’s just a certain amount of Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” one of the and Heathcliff into gentlefolk, and her betrayal of good and bad you get from your parents….” Or as most memorable mating calls in history. We undernature – and thus of her true nature — sets him on a Freud would say, “Biology is destiny.” stand instantly why Kim Hunter’s Stella descends course of revenge and destroys them both.

Because we’re part of nature, we go to extremes to it, quite literally. But Stanley’s rape of her sister, What keeps Cathy and Heathcliff from union, reto anthropomorphize it, often with calamitous reBlanche, which is part of that same animal lust and union and communion with each other? Or as the sults. Nature is either good and innocent — Eden hastens her descent into madness? Not on your life.

Christ-like Pvt. Witt (Jim Caviezel) wonders in “The before the fall — or manipulative and sinister.

Our relationship with our animal nature, then, Thin Red Line,” “What keeps us from reaching out, “Look at this jungle,” the ruthless Lt. Col. Goris an ambivalent one at best, stemming from the touching the glory?” don Tall (Nick Nolte) tells the compassionate Capt. knowledge that though we have long since tranIt is this — that we remain divided from nature, James Staros (Elias Koteas) as he drives him and scended this heritage, we remain tethered to it. because we remain divided in ourselves.

12

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

13

THE

HORSEMAN

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Peter Brant on Hechizo at Greenwich Polo Club.

Photograph by John Ferris Robben. Courtesy of the Greenwich Polo Club.

14 WAGMAG.COM APRIL 2015

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL PETER BRANT IS MANY THINGS — A MANUFACTURER (AS CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF WHITE BIRCH PAPER); REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER (CONYERS FARM IN GREENWICH AND NORTH CASTLE); PUBLISHER (THE MAGAZINE ANTIQUES, ART IN AMERICA, INTERVIEW AND MODERN MAGAZINE); PHILANTHROPIST (THE BRANT FOUNDATION INC. AND THE BRANT FOUNDATION ART STUDY CENTER); ART COLLECTOR; FILM PRODUCER (“BASQUIAT,” “POLLOCK,” “THE HOMESMAN,” WITH AVID POLO PLAYER TOMMY LEE JONES) AND ONE THING MORE. The Greenwich resident is a lover of horses — has been since he was a child when he learned to ride. A meeting with polo legend Tommy Glynn at the Fairfield Hunt Club in the 1970s would introduce him to the world of polo where he would become not only the top amateur player in the 1980s but a patrón, founding the White Birch Polo team in 1979. To date White Birch has won 31 championships/tournaments at the 26-goal level or above. In 1981, he established the Greenwich Polo Club.

Brant is also co-founder of the Bridgehampton Polo Club, where he continues to play; a member of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Palm Beach; and a former member of the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in Wellington, Fla., home of the winter circuit.

He’s the co-founder of the Windsor Polo Club in Vero Beach, Fla., and founder of the Saratoga Polo Association in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. So is it any wonder that he was named the sport’s MVP in 1986?

But Brant’s love of horses and thirst for accomplishment extend beyond polo to the world of horse racing. He was the breeder and owner

of Gulch, winner of the Breeder’s Cup Sprint in 1988 and co-owner of Swale, the 1984 Kentucky Derby winner. Brant holds the distinction of being the only breeder in Derby history to have bred a Derby winner along with his sire and dam — Thunder Gulch in 1995.

Naturally, when WAG caught up with him, Brant was on horseback in Florida. We’re delighted he paused long enough to consider our questions about his love of all things equestrian:

We know you have always loved horses. What is your earliest memory of them?

“My earliest memory of horses is when I went to camp in New Hampshire as a kid and learned how to ride. I also did some riding at college in Colorado and have really been riding ever since then. I seriously started playing polo at the age of 28.”

In the 1970s, you met polo legend Tommy Glynn at the Fairfield Hunt Club. How did he foster your interest in the game?

“I had a long association with his daughter — Sandy Glynn, she trained racehorses — and Tommy was also friends with another great horse trainer I knew, Allen Jerkens. Tommy was involved with polo when they played at the (Park Avenue) Armory in New York City before and after World War II. I met him and he came to Greenwich to manage Greenwich Polo Club. He helped advise me at the beginning of my polo career and the start of Greenwich Polo Club. He taught me how to play indoors and introduced me to other polo players and was a great influence on me and a wonderful man. He worked for me until he was in his 90s.”

Penny Pincher Boutique The Very Best in Women’s Luxury Consignment Established 1985

20% OFF With This Ad*

*Cannot be combined with already reduced items or during storewide sales. Does not include Hermes.

Expires 5/1/2015

l l l l

Designer Handbags, Shoes, Clothing, Accessories and More Fine Gold, Platinum, Silver and Costume Jewelry Designer Watches Eclectic Home Furnishings

Penny Pincher is a women’s luxury designer boutique offering hi-end brands of shoes, handbags, clothing, jewelry (fine and costume) and home furnishing. Call (914) 241-2134 or e-mail us to discuss consigning your designer items at info@pennypincherboutique.com.

We also provide “White Glove” private service to your home within NY, NJ, and CT areas please inquire.

184 Harris Road, (Rte. 117 By-Pass) Bedford Hills, NY | 914-241-2134 | Open 7 Days | Daily 10-6, Sunday 12-5 www.pennypincherboutique.com | info@pennypincherboutique.com

Socialize with us!

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

15

I’ve seen you with the No. 4 jersey on at Greenwich Polo. No. 4 is a defensive position. Have you always played that position?

“When I first started playing, I played in the No. 1 position. Then I played back in the No. 4 position. I’ve played all the positions at one point or another, but the defensive position is where I had the most success and reached a 7-goal handicap.

The No. 4 position defends the goal and stays with the attacker of the other team and tries to stop him.”

It must be particularly satisfying for you to have a hand in developing so many great players like Mariano Aguerre, who told me he was born at Greenwich Polo. He’s a very humorous man. What’s your relationship like?

“I’ve played with Mariano since he was 16 and zero goals — and he’s now 45 and at 9 goals. We’ve always played on the same team and we’re very close friends.

Mariano and I can spend hours just talking about horses and strategy and organizing the team. He’s the captain and we plan everything together with Nick Manifold, who manages the team year-round. We were all having lunch today and we were trying to figure out how many tournaments we’ve won and it’s just been an amazing successful run that we hope will continue for many years to come. Winning the World Cup in the ’90s with Mariano sticks out as a great memory.”

You’ve also broadened the sport’s appeal with charity events, international moments such as the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup match with Prince Harry and now with your second televised match. Has polo had an unfair rep as being elitist?

“I think if you see the circuit of play around the world — England, Argentina, France, etc. — people love the game because it’s beautiful, competitive and has so many different facets. I don’t see it as elitist. It’s a great sport to watch and to play.

The serious players come from all walks of life and the common denominator is they are all very competitive. “

We had the pleasure of seeing Dawn Jones take the MVP trophy in the Sentebale match. How would you assess the quality and quantity of women in polo today?

“Dawn is a very good polo player and she works at it very hard and is a terrific example of someone who takes the game seriously, like her husband (Tommy Lee Jones).

They are both great people who love horses and love the sport. Women can play in high-goal polo and we’d welcome more female players at GPC. If you can control the horse and hit the ball, you can be very effective — whether you are a woman or a man.”

Not only are you deeply involved in polo but you’ve had success in horse racing as well. How do the challenges in that sport differ from those of polo, particularly when it comes to the horses themselves?

“I think any great horse requires the same sort of combination of things — good bloodlines, raising and training them is extremely important, how you feed them, etc.

For both polo and horse racing, it really is a team effort.”

Your wife, supermodel Stephanie Seymour Brant, is always a gracious addition to the big matches, such as last year’s finale at Greenwich Polo. Does your family share your passion for polo or perhaps other equestrian sports?

“I think my family all enjoy polo and come out to watch when they can. Four of my sons have played polo but right now don’t have enough time to play regularly. My son Chris is getting into it more and more, and I’m hoping he may play this summer at Greenwich Polo Club.”

Your multifaceted career embraces sports, publishing, art collecting , filmmaking and philanthropy. What has polo taught you about your day jobs, so to speak?

“I think it requires sharing successes and failures with your team and it makes you more humble. You can’t do it on your own. You also have to get very involved to be good at it and that’s the same with business.”

If you could play on a polo team with any three people in history — regardless of whether or not they were actual players — whom would you select?

“Well, of course, Mariano Aguerre is on my dream team. I’d also pick Gonzalo Pieres, Facundo Pieres (who has played at Greenwich Polo Club) and Hilario Ulloa, he’s really great, too, and playing on White Birch now. Really, there are just too many great players to choose from.”

PRINCE WILLIAM HAS PRINCE HARRY, SNOOPY HAS SPIKE – YOU KNOW, THE BAD-BOY BABY BRO WHO’S A CHUNK OF CHARM AND A TON OF TROUBLE. That’s what WAG Weekly is to WAG. In our e-newsletter, we let down our hair (and occasionally, our grammar) to take you behind behind-the-scenes of the hottest parties and events, offer our thoughts on the most controversial issues of the day, share what couldn’t be contained in our glossy pages and tell you what to do and where to go this weekend – all while whetting your appetite for the next issue.

If you can’t get enough of WAG — or you just want to get WAG unplugged — then you won’t want to miss WAG Weekly, coming to your tablet each Friday a.m.

16

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Your neighborhood joint

430 BEDFORD ROAD | ARMONK, NY 10504 | 914.730.0001 | MODERNEBARN.COM /ModerneBarn

@ModerneBarnRest

@ModerneBarn

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

17

G

Jocelyn Sandor Urban’s “Yearlings” (2012), conte crayon drawing. Courtesy of the artist.

Blue-ribbon

ALLERY

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

ONE OF THE GREAT PLEASURES OF ATTENDING THE SPRING HORSE SHOWS AND AMERICAN GOLD CUP EVERY YEAR AT OLD SALEM FARM IN NORTH SALEM is the chance to stroll along the related stalls of vendors, stopping to chat, listen to their stories and see their wares. WAG has rounded up a quartet of artists whose soulful portraits of horses and dogs we particularly enjoyed at last year’s Gold Cup:

18

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

GEORJEAN BUSHA HERTZWIG

STUDIO: Pawling, N.Y. MEDIA: Bronze, oil and pastel BACKGROUND: For a quarter of a century, Hertzwig has been capturing farm and show animals in bronze, adding painted portraits in 2005. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from The Chronicle of the Horse to Bedford Magazine. Meanwhile, photographs of her working champion Australian Shepherds — with whom she lives, along with three cats, on a 12-acre farm in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains — have graced a cover of Life and the book “A Celebration of Rare Breeds.” Not surprisingly, this hall of fame breeder’s work has also appeared in a number of publications about Australian Shepherds. In 2009, she received The Art Spirit Foundation/Dianne B. Bernhard Gold Medal Award for Excellence for “Ken’s Bucky,” a rare honor for a canine portrait. (It was a commissioned pastel of an Australian Shepherd.)

Hertzwig’s website notes that her knowledge of animal anatomy has played a critical role in her art. She continues to study with a local animal illustrator and will soon be embarking on a new commission to serve as sculptor for a Hawaiian hotel in 2016.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT: “Seeing everything as beautiful as an artist, I am granted the gift of allowing the energy of a moment to express itself in a way that lives beyond itself. Color, line, composition all combine to reveal the soul of nature, uncovering its inner beauty.

Thus can the dance that is life be frozen in time. It is my joy to create

A

wagMag

.indd

forms that invite those who witness them to move through the portrayed moment into the timeless and boundless realm of eternity.”

VISIT: georjart.com

PEGGY KAUFFMAN

STUDIO: Millerton, N.Y. MEDIA: Bronze, clay and pastel BACKGROUND: Kauffman is known for her portraits of two-legged as well as four-legged creatures, including cattle, deer and llamas, completing more than 75 commissions in bronze. As her website notes, the many hours she spends working on each wax or clay sculpture before creating a mold for casting afford her the attention to detail necessary to render “the soul of a subject.”

Recently, she illustrated two published books — Anne McIntosh’s “The Fox’s Morning” and Jessi Trotta McQuilkin’s “Clayton in the Moonlight.” She studied at (the now-defunct) Bennett College in Millbrook and the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and is keen to do portraits of children and pets. Kauffman will be participating in the second week of the Spring Horse Shows and at the American Gold Cup. ARTIST’S STATEMENT: “My inspiration evolves by tapping into that emotional quality that moves the spirit of my subject. If I get lost, I persist and stay with it. Something always manifests itself. I just keep my faith in the process.”

VISIT: peggykauffman.com

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

AM 19

A print by the artist Christophan, inspired by Adrian Landon’s “Grand Cheval 1” (2010), steel sculpture. Courtesy of the artists.

ADRIAN LANDON

Peggy Kauff man at work.

Courtesy of the artist.

20

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

STUDIO: Brooklyn MEDIUM: Metal sculpture BACKGROUND: Landon grew up in New York City, the son of a French violinmaker and his Dutch wife, and the grandson of an equine veterinarian and equestrian who was a colonel in the French army during the Algerian war. Horseback riding, then, and craftsmanship were part of his life at an early age. “Being around horses and riding, truly a great amount of work, has become an irreplaceable part of my life,” notes Landon, who has spent summers riding and playing polo in Middletown and Patterson, N.Y. Landon explored industrial design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, traveled throughout the American West, then studied metal sculpture with Cliff Dufton at The Arts Students League of New York in Manhattan.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT: “It’s all about the process, the work, about manipulating, forming, shaping the material, putting my energy into it, my force, my sweat, using my hands and my body to wrestle wth metal, and making sure people can see

that. I want people to see and understand what it took to make it, to notice hints of the process, to see that the material has been sculpted and that the piece was made by hand, by me. I feel that this is where the true value of the work comes from.

“Metal, steel in particular, is my main medium, as it is the best candidate for me to satisfy these needs. It is an ultimate material in its formability (forge-ability) and universality and owns a very special range of colors and textures. There is an inextinguishable curiosity that I can continually satisfy in sculpting and pounding metal, stretching it until it rips, taking it to ever larger scales, feeling the essence of the material and taking it to its limits.”

VISIT: adrianlandon.com

JOCELYN SANDOR URBAN

STUDIO: Georgetown, Conn.

MEDIA: Drawing and painting BACKGROUND: Urban’s art training began in childhood with her father and grandmother. Formally, she holds a bachelor of science degree in fine art from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. and a

master of fine arts degree in printmaking from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. After graduate school, she exhibited her landscape woodcut prints in galleries in New York, Boston and Chicago, but she also took her animal portraits to horse and dog shows, which led to commissions. Her work is in many private and corporate collections, and she plans on exhibiting once more at the Gold Cup as well as the Spring Horse Shows at Old Salem Farm.

In 1990, Urban and her veterinarian-husband, Richard B. Urban, created Fursure Enterprises, a company with a line of humorous equine greeting cards still found in tack and saddlery shops in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The line also includes Christmas cards and cards with dog portraits.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT: “I try to capture the soul of each animal I draw or paint. Each one is different. Each has its own story. A drawing can emphasize important aspects of the look of an animal in ways a photo cannot. An accurate, sensitive representation of a subject in an interesting composition is my goal.

“Horses and dogs have been a part of my life since childhood and have always been subject matter for my artwork. Life with animals is an important part of human existence, and I feel it is my job to document these beautiful creatures. I have been fortunate to have met thousands of horses and dogs as well as their owners, who have given me the opportunity to create this body of work.”

VISIT: fursure.com

Georjean Busha Hertzwig’s “Orion and Lion” (2015), oil on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.

WESTCHESTER’S MOST EXPERIENCED & LARGEST COIN AND CURRENCY DEALER Neil S. Berman Inc.

Author of “Coin Collecting for Dummies” and “The Investor’s Guide to United States Coins”

Buying coins and currency since 1968 American and Foreign Gold, Silver, Jewelry and Watches ESTATES PURCHASED

914-244-9500

Call for an Appointment 139 East Main Street, Mt. Kisco New York 10549 www.bermanbuyscollectibles.com Westchester License #350

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

21

On the Old Silk Road with China’s ‘Celestial Horses’ STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUDREY RONNING TOPPING

N 1949, SHORTLY BEFORE THE END OF CHINA’S CIVIL WAR as the Communist troops were about to cross the Yangtze River to seize China’s capital city of Nanking, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, president of Nationalist China, asked my father, Canadian Ambassador Chester Ronning, if he would exercise his horse, Wudi, until arrangements could be made for the stallion to be sent to his palatial sanctuary in Formosa (Taiwan). The Generalissimo confided that none of his officers dared to ride the spirited horse.

Dad was delighted. It was the best offer made to him since his diplomatic assignment in China.

In his youth, as an aspiring cowboy in Western Canada, he had tamed wild horses and was certain he could handle this one. But Chiang Kaishek’s horse was no ordinary equine. He was a “Celestial Horse” (Tien Ma), a beautiful chestnut Ferghana steed, whose pedigree dated from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220).

22

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Wudi’s namesake was Han Dynasty Emperor Wu, the “Son of Heaven,” (140-87 B.C. ), famous for his military conquests. Over 2,000 years ago, this “Martial Emperor’ had divined by the “I Ching,” or “Book of Changes,” that “divine horses are due to appear from the northwest.” He determined to find them.

In 138 B.C., Gen. Zhang Qian, the commander of the guards at the imperial palace, volunteered to make the hazardous journey to Central Asia to make peace with nomadic tribes in order to trade silk for their horses, who were reputed to be descendants of supernatural or Celestial Horses. They were also the fastest and most beautiful horses in the world. They had been bred to perfection and used as war horses by the bloodthirsty Xiongnu (Huns), a Turkish-speaking nomadic tribe, who drank their slain enemy’s blood from their skulls. At the apex of its power, in the second century B.C., the Huns held sway over a

territory that extended from Eastern Mongolia to the Astral Sea. From time to time, the ruthless cavalry of Huns, mounted on “golden steeds,” raided China. The Great Wall was built to keep them out.

Gen. Zhang set off with a hundred mounted men. They rode 3,106 miles northwest to the lush Ferghana Valley, (Turkestan), now Uzbekistan.

They were ambushed and captured by the Huns and remained in captivity for 10 years. However, they were treated well. Zhang married and fathered two sons. His wife, like much of the population, was a descendant of Alexander the Great’s Greco-Macedonian colonists, who occupied the area in the fourth century B.C. When the general saw the Celestial Horses he was stunned by their beauty and strength. They stood 16 hands and were superior in muscle and stamina to China’s indigenous breeds. They were believed to be supernatural because of their extraordinary speed

and, while galloping, the horses sweated blood without losing power.

In 104 B.C., Gen. Zhang managed to escape and return to the Han court. He described the magnificent steeds to the Emperor: “Dry, noble head with a slight Roman nose, graceful neck with a clear curve, strong well-defined shoulders, long, strong back. Well-muscled croup. The horse carries the rider in a well-balanced smooth manner. ... They move like snakes and look like dragons.”

During the continual wars among growing empires in Asia, it was evident that achieving power depended on the ability to fight on horseback. The art of cavalry required the strongest horses. Emperor Wu Di ordered the general to trade bolts of silk for a thousand horses and march them back along the northern Silk Road to the Han court. However, it was easier said than done.

The king of the Huns in Samarkand, who considered the horses national treasures, refused to trade them.

So began the first war ever fought over horses.

The emperor assigned Zhang to lead an army of 40,000 men to Ferghana to commandeer the horses, but the Chinese were defeated. A year later, Zhang led a reinforced army of 60,000. They managed to negotiate (forcibly) the acquisition of horses in exchange for silk and tea. The general commandeered 3,000 of the finest stallions and mares and reached an agreement that Ferghana would send two Celestial Horses each year to the Han emperor, along with enough seed to grow alfalfa for their nourishment. The stately caravan of heavenly horses trooped back along the Silk Road to the Han court, but only 1,000 of the strongest survived the long journey through the Hexi Corridor. It was

the first of many caravans that followed the Silk Road to Ch’ang-an (Xian) where 20 centuries later Chiang Kai-shek’s horse was bred of Celestial champions.

The “sweating blood” horses were also documented by Silk Road travelers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Why the horses sweated blood remained a mystery until it was discovered that the cause was parasites that burrowed into the subcutaneous tissues under the skin around the horses shoulders. This produced little skin nodules that burst and bled when the horses sustained a long hard gallop.

“Promenade of the Three Beauties” by Li Gonglin, Sung dynasty (960-1279) from 8th century Tang artist Zhang Xuan. The “pony tail” hair style was originally worn By 1948, when my father was riding Chiby these ladies. ang Kai-shek’s Celestial Horse, these bloodsucking parasites had disappeared, but he soon found out why the Generalissimo’s officers had refused to exercise his horse. Celestial burial chamber of an Eastern Han general, who died Wudi taught him a lesson in humility. The first time 2,000 years ago, was discovered in Wuwei, Gansu he mounted Wudi, the horse snorted and bucked, but province. His tomb contained a treasure trove of when he found this didn’t work, he galloped under a bronze horses and chariots considered to be the low-hanging branch knocking off the arrogant “forfi nest artwork of the Han dynasty. Celestial Horses eign devil.” The next day my father was prepared to became models for some of the fi nest bronze and duck the branches and be more diplomatic in his effort tricolored porcelain statues in the history of art. to make peace with China’s chief icon.

Prototypes for famous terra-cotta Tang dynasty Celestial Horses are still a top status symbol for the horses, on view in museums and antiques galleries, elite descendants of the original Communist revoludescended from this breed. tionaries. The horse today is called Akhai-Teke and is In Chinese astrology, the horse is considered a bred to perfection by Central Asian nomads. lucky symbol. A white celestial cloud horse is sacred Twenty centuries earlier, emperors and aristoto the Chinese goddess of Mercy, Kwan Yin. Her horse crats were buried with bronze statues of their fahas supernatural powers and flies through the heavvorite horses to ride them into eternity. In 1969, the ens, bringing blessing and good tidings.

I n f i n i t e l y E x q u i s i t e . . . I n f i n i t e l y Yo u r s .

INFINITY STONE 1261 Meriden Rd., Wolcott, CT • 203-575-9484 WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

23

A

HORSE POWER VIVIEN G. MALLOY’S WINNING ‘FAMILY’

BY FRANK PAGANI

FTER RAISING FIVE CHILDREN AND BEING A STAY-AT-HOME MOM, VIVIEN G. MALLOY DECIDED AT THE AGE OF 49 TO BEGIN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HER LIFE, ONE THAT WOULD FULFILL HER LOVE FOR HORSES.

The youngsters also participated in horse shows and were active members of the Pony Club.

That exposure led to three of the five children becoming serious about horses. One of them, Debby, became an accomplished equestrian and was It began when she and her husband, Henry, bought their fi rst married to German Olympian equestrian gold medalist Hans Gunther broodmare, Roberta’s Dream. Three years later, Roberta’s Dream Winker. She died in 2011 when she fell from her horse near her home in Gergave birth to Dreamy Croissant, Malloy’s fi rst racehorse. many. The tragedy inspired the Malloy family to establish the Debby Mal“The rest and best was yet to come,” Malloy says. loy Winkler Memorial Trophy, with the inaugural trophy awarded to DebOver the next 34 years she would create Edition Farm, which bie McCarthy aboard Scottsdale last year at Old Salem Farm’s Spring Horse would lead to her being named, twice, the top owner and breedShows. Their names, along with those of future champions, will be inscribed er in New York state by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders on the trophy, which will remain at the North Salem farm.

Association (2006 and 2010) as well as the 2010 Breeder of the Year by New It is fitting that the trophy is named after Malloy’s daughter. Not only did the York Thoroughbred Breeders young equestrian participate as Inc. a junior at Old Salem Farm, but What began modestly with she had come to appreciate her a little tractor shed and pony mother’s practice of caring for reat Malloy’s fi rst home in Purtired racehorses on the family’s chase would significantly grow farms. That speaks to another at two properties — 22 acres at equally important component of her home in Waccabuc and Malloy’s business model.

200 acres in Hyde Park.

“Once you breed a horse, it Her Waccabuc homestead is not over. A retired racehorse serves as headquarters for can have a long and productive Edition Farm while also houscareer as a trail-riding, showing retired broodmares. In jumping or steeplechase horse Hyde Park, as many as 45 for as many as 15 or more years. horses — broodmares, retired At Edition Farm, we also care broodmares, yearlings and for client mares and I am alcolts — can be seen grazing in ways looking to adopt and care what Malloy has called one for horses that may have been of the best natural environslightly injured.” ments, accomplished through Malloy, 83, says the best is yet hard work in maintaining ahead for Edition Farm. fields with a high concentra“I am always interested in tion of nutrients in the soil and learning more about breeding grasses. and caring for horses. I take the “We are not a factory, and cue from my father-in-law, who I take very seriously the role told me, ‘Never learn anything Vivien Malloy with her 2013 colt, Then She Laughs by Smart Strike, at Niall Brennan’s as steward of the land where with your mouth open. Listen training center in Ocala, Fla. Photograph by Kathy Landman. horses can live healthy lives,” and absorb.’” she says.

She counts herself fortunate Malloy estimates she has bred several hundred racehorses at Edition in having surrounded herself with a network of people she admires and trust.

Farm. Many have done fi nancially well for their owners and several have Best of all, the passion for horses continues to flourish in her family across the been championship winners, including A Chin Forward, which broke a generations. Her son, Mark, provides technological support for the business track record in Japan, as well as stakes winner Wake Up Kiss and Awesome and her daughter, Vivi, not only rides well but is a social worker who helps Luke, who won twice so far this year at Aqueduct Racetrack. disabled individuals experience the joy of riding horses that have been esThe care that she has provided to each and every horse is reflected in the pecially trained for that purpose. Malloy’s granddaughter, Kaitlin, manages a tiny books that line four shelves of her Waccabuc office, fi lled with Malloy’s show barn, and Carly, a 16-year-old niece, has the bug for horses as well. handwritten entries.

But Malloy’s greatest satisfaction is seeing her horses race and do well on Malloy was smitten by horses at the age of 5 when her grandfather startthe track. ed giving her riding lessons and also took her to what was then Yonkers “Once you are a breeder, you are always a breeder. These horses are like Raceway where she saw Triple Crown winner Whirlaway run. your babies and I am so proud of them, especially when they win. It is simply Malloy and her husband instilled a love for horses in their children, who the greatest thrill to see them cross the fi nish line in fi rst place and then to were taught the patience and commitment needed to ride and care for join them in the winners’ circle to share the victory with them.” horses. The family participated in the hunt, hunter pace and trail riding.

For more, visit editionfarm.com.

24

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

DE Equestrian April Wag_Pru DE 3/19/15 12:11 PM Page 1

MANHATTAN | BROOKLYN | QUEENS | LONG ISLAND | THE HAMPTONS | THE NORTH FORK | RIVERDALE | WESTCHESTER/PUTNAM | ASPEN | LOS ANGELES | FLORIDA © 2015 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDT T. E ING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS ARE DEEMED RELIABLE, BUT SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. 26 POPHAM ROAD, SCARSDALE, NY 10583

DOUBLE H FARM Ridgefield, CT | Price Upon Request | Turn-key, one-of-a-kind, Olympic caliber equestrian estate 1 ¼ hours from New York City, Double H Farm has successfully nurtured Olympic level riders and horses with its perfected equestrian amenities including: a 3 ½ acre Grand Prix derby field, oversized outdoor riding ring, indoor riding ring, state-ofthe-art stables and groom’s quarters. There are three homes including the main residence, over 14,500 sf with 100 mile westerly views over the entire compound.

Web# DE08404

Web# 4433619

JT FARM

EQUESTRIAN AND GOLF LIFESTYLE

South Salem, NY | Price Upon Request | Equestrian Estate – 5-bedroom Colonial high on a hill with a story book setting – overlooking expansive fenced meadows, a bucolic pond and stables for over 25 horses. Gorgeous pool with jacuzzi, stone walls and built-in grill. Includes 4 huge meadows with run-in sheds, an 8 acre riding/turn-out field with shed, all weather paddocks, outdoor riding ring, groom’s/staff apartments, every amenity. Borders the 4,500 acre Pound Ridge Reservation with miles of riding trails. One hour to NYC. Web# 4433614

Sleepy Hollow Country Club Grounds | $3,375,000 | This quintessential Hudson Valley estate borders Sleepy Hollow Stables – Full Service Equestrian Center and Riding Academy, with direct access to 55 miles of scenic riding on the Rockefeller Preserve. Enjoy panoramic Hudson River views from this 7,000+ sf brilliantly designed residence beautifully sited on 2+ acres. 43 minute NYC commute via Metro North Scarborough Station. Web# 4430514 Dan Bucci, O: 914.238.3988, C: 845.507.2555

®

BEDFORD OFFICE 914.234.4590 ASKELLIMAN.COM

RIDING HIGH OLD SALEM FARM BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH TOP SHOWS

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

THESE ARE HEADY DAYS AT OLD SALEM FARM IN NORTH SALEM. The Spring Horse Shows, held the first two weeks in May, are once again among the Top 25 shows selected by the North American Riders Group (NARG). That same group also named the $200,000 American Gold Cup, an FEI World Cup Qualifying Competition CSI4*-W, the top show jumping event in the U.S. for the second year in a row.

Recently, the Cup joined the newly formed Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League.

“That’s going to bring (the Cup) up to another level,” says Frank Madden, head trainer at Old Salem.

It also adds to the prestige of the farm, which has been praised by NARG for its constant improvement and attention to detail. This year, Old Salem has added a VIP tent between the two sand rings for riders, trainers and owners. (There’s already a two-tier VIP tent for Jessica Springsteen raises the 2014 American Gold Cup, her first-ever Grand Prix win. sponsors and special guests.)

Photograph by Emily Riden/Phelps Media Group. Courtesy American Gold Cup. And yet, the farm remains an approachable place.

“It’s an imposing venue,” Madden says, “but we try to make it really user-friendly.”

“There’s a higher spookiness for the horses,” he says.

Indeed, part of the charm of the Spring Shows and the Gold Cup is picThen, too, as anyone who’s ever watched Wimbledon can attest, grass — as opnicking on the rolling landscape that banks the grass ring with family, posed to the all-weather surface used in other venues — can be slippery when wet. friends and pets. (There are always plenty of dogs at horse shows.) Or takAll of which Vaillancourt will take into account as he mounts and spaces his gates, ing in the action from the grandstand. Or meeting various artists and other walls, pillars and poles to test the mettle of the two- and four-legged competitors. vendors.

“The field dictates what I’m going to do. …The first gate will be easy, exciting and So you don’t have to know a paddock from a pasture to enjoy Old Salem’s solid,” he says, to entice horse and rider. “Halfway through, the gate will be delicate, events. But it helps. While the Spring Shows and Gold Cup will include both tricky, not as solid as the first one.” junior amateurs and adult professionals, the two events are complements, The riders you’ll encounter in the Spring Shows and the Cup are certainly up to Madden says. The Spring Shows are more varied and national; the Gold Cup, such challenges. specific and international in its cast.

Among those you may see this season are Beezie Madden, a two-time Olympic The Spring Shows, which award nearly $500,000 in prize money, feature hunter gold medalist in team jumping, a former World Cup winner and Frank’s sister-incompetitions, which judge the horse’s form over lower obstacles that you might law; McLain Ward, part of the same U.S. team as Beezie that took gold in Athens encounter on a hunt; jumper events, which focus on speed and accuracy; and eqand Beijing; Georgina Bloomberg, who won the $127,000 Adequan Grand Prix CSI uitation, which considers the rider’s performance. (Only jumping is an Olympic 3* at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Fla., recently aboard her sport.) mare Lili; and Jessica Springsteen, who won the Gold Cup last year, her first-ever The Gold Cup — the name of both the five-day event and the culminating Grand Grand Prix title.

Prix that is shown on NBCSN — features only show jumping.

Says Frank Madden of Jessica, daughter of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa: “I like to say jumper is like hockey while hunter is like figure skating,” says Michel “When I was in New Jersey, I was their neighbor and I started her as a rider. It’s Vaillancourt, who won an individual silver medal in his home country at the 1976 been fun to see her develop into the caliber rider she is, and I can’t imagine she Olympics in Montreal. The former chef d’équipe, or coach, of the Canadian Equeswon’t be back to defend her title.” trian Team, Vaillancourt has been charged with designing the jumper course for Particularly in a venue as lovely as Old Salem Farm. the first week of the Spring Shows, which he says is a challenge.

For more on the Spring Horse Shows, which take place May 5-10 and 12-17, While NARG has praised Old Salem’s grass field as second to none, Vaillancourt visit oldsalemfarm.net. For more on the American Gold Cup, Sept. 9-13, visit says the classic field is nonetheless uneven with permanent natural obstacles. theamericangoldcup.com or stadiumjumping.com.

26

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

MBG041507P-WagMag-BC-rev.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

1

3/16/15

4:38 PM

A

LEAGUE OF ITS OWN NEW LONGINES LEAGUE FEATURES AMERICAN GOLD CUP

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Lucy Davis at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Lyon, France last year.

Photograph

by Richard Juilliart/FEI. 29 WAGMAG.COM APRIL 2015

LONGINES

— the Swiss watchmaker that has been intimately associated with equestrian sports for 137 years — has announced the formation of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League.

The league, which bows on Aug. 6, features seven East Coast and seven West Coast events, including the American Gold Cup, to be held once again this fall at Old Salem Farm in North Salem.

Competing for points, 14 riders — the top seven from the East Coast, the top three from the West Coast and the two best finishers in Canada and in Mexico — will be among those qualifying for next year’s Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, to be held March 23-28 in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Longines will provide a dedicated timekeeping team and data handling service for each of the 14 qualifiers.) This year’s final takes place April 15 through 19 in Las Vegas.

Longines — the top partner and official watch and timekeeper of the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale), the 94-year-old governing body of equestrian sports — has an equine history nearly as old as the company itself. Since 1832, it has been based in the Swiss town of Saint-Imier, where for U.S. jumper Charlie Jacobs demonstrates the power and athleticism of his sport, alongside Liudmila Khitrova from the many years the “comptoir,” or trading office, was run by AuMinsk Bolshoi, ahead of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Lyon, France last year. Photograph by Hamish Brown/FEI. guste Agassiz. In those days, watches were made under the “établissage” system, by craftsmen working at home. That all changed in 1867 with the arrival of Ernest Francillon, Agassiz’s nephew and successor. The 1878, the company created a watch engraved with a jockey and his mount. Four years resulting Longines factory began creating pieces that were champions of a different sort. later, Longines watches, which enabled performances to be timed to the second, made In 1889, Francillon patented the Longines’ name with the winged hourglass that is their debut in the New York equestrian world. now its logo. The brand — a member of the Swatch group, with outlets in more than 140 Today Longines is also the title partner and official timekeeper and watch of the countries — continues its timekeeping tradition in archery, alpine skiing and gymnasLongines FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League and the Longines FEI tics as well as at the French Open at Roland-Garros in Paris.

World Cup Jumping China League.

But it is with equestrian sports that Longines has perhaps its fondest association. In For more, visit fei.org.

Riding rings are our specialty From design to finish footing All Phases of Site Work • Excavation • Drainage • Commercial or Private • Indoor & Outdoor Rings • Hunter-Jumper • Dressage • Grand Prix & Derby Fields • Tracks • Grass or Dry Paddocks • Ring Maintenance • Dust Control Products

30

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Comple te pric list now onlinee Visit o . u Lawto r new webs nAdam it s.come!

References upon request

260 Route 100 • Somers, New York 10589 914 232-3275 lic WC2139-H89

– where future champions tread

BY LEIF SKODNICK

El Kabeir runs to victory in the Gotham Stakes on March 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Courtesy of NYRA. 32 WAGMAG.COM APRIL 2015

EACH APRIL AS THE SNOW MELTS AWAY, THE GROUND WARMS AND THE TULIPS BLOOM, SPORTS FANS LOOK TO QUEENS, HOPING TO GET AN EARLY GLIMPSE AT A FUTURE CHAMPION IN A TRADITION THAT DATES FROM 1925.

There at the Aqueduct, Thoroughbreds are led from the paddock to the main track, loaded into a starting gate positioned on the front stretch and launched on a mile-andan-eighth run in the Wood Memorial Stakes, the biggest preparatory race in New York for the Triple Crown.

Winning the Wood Memorial will get a horse’s name and the colors of his jockey’s silks immortalized on the wall inside the Aqueduct grandstand and will earn 100 points toward one of the 20 coveted spots in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, contested at Churchill Downs in Louisville this year on May 2.

In all, 11 winners of the Wood Memorial Stakes have gone on to win “the Run for the Roses,” while four Wood Memorial winners — Gallant Fox in 1930, Count Fleet in 1943, Assault in 1946 and Seattle Slew in 1977 — have gone on to win the Triple Crown, being first under the wire in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

But what of that greatest of racehorses, Secretariat? He ran in the 1973 edition of the Wood Memorial — coupled with stable-mate, Angle Light, and bothered by a sore inside his mouth.

“The race was a disaster,” wrote Secretariat’s biographer, William Nack, in a piece for Sports Illustrated shortly after the super-horse was euthanized due to laminitis in 1989. “(Jockey Ron) Turcotte held the colt back early, but when he tried to get Secretariat to pick up the bit and run, he got no response.

I could see at the far turn that the horse was dead. He never made a race of it, struggling to finish third, beaten by four lengths by his own stable-mate, Angle Light, and by Sham.”

Secretariat, of course, went on to capture the Triple Crown, winning the Preakness at Pimlico and then the Belmont, where he lengthened his lead from the backstretch to the far turn, moving, as CBS announcer Chic Anderson says, like a tremendous machine, to pass under the wire 31 lengths in front of his nearest competitor, besting Belmont Park’s record for a mile-and-a-half route by two- and three-fifths seconds.

Still, the path for those who aspire to Secretariat-like great-

ness passes through the Wood Memorial. It’s been 14 years since Fusaichi Pegasus captured both the Memorial and the Derby, but El Kabeir, a roan colt

by Salt Daddy out of Great Venue, is looking to do just that, running in the Wood Memorial April 4 after winning the March 7 Gotham Stakes by two and three-quarters lengths.

In the Gotham, El Kabeir came from off the pace — he was in ninth place after one-quarter of a mile — to sweep ahead down the stretch under jockey C.C. Lopez and beat Tiz Shea D and Classy Class.

“I was very impressed, visually,” says John Terranova, who trains the colt for Zayat Stables. “The way the race unfolded, he showed a whole new dimension. A lot was thrown at him yesterday and he made two big moves. It was very impressive.

We’re real proud of him.”

Since his debut last summer at Saratoga, El Kabeir has been able to score in two graded stakes races, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and the Jerome Stakes, and finished second in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 7.

“He’s a tough, strong horse. He’s got a great constitution,” says Terranova in a piece on the New York Racing Association’s website. “We’ve got a tremendous foundation under him now, and I think the winter has toughened him up even

more. We’ll see how things go, but he seems to love [racing]. Every race he’s gotten stronger.”

After winning the Gotham Stakes, El Kabeir sat atop the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings, which gives the colt and Lopez a chance for horse racing immortality.

Lopez could become the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby if El Kabeir delivers a victory at Churchill Downs. At 54 years, eight months and 28 days old, he’ll be 14 days older than Bill Shoemaker was when he rode Ferdinand to victory in the Derby in 1986.

According to Lopez, El Kabeir’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, has guaranteed him the mount and a shot at the first Grade 1 stakes victory of his long riding career that has included more than 3,500 career wins.

“He says, ‘You don’t have to worry about that no more. You ride him, win, lose or draw,’ and I thanked him, because he’s probably got 40 riders wanting to get aboard now, and sometimes people are influenced,” Lopez told the New York Racing Association’s website. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have El Kabeir, Mr. Zayat and my wife in my life, for getting me to where I am now.”

For more on the Wood Memorial Stakes and the other prep races for the Kentucky Derby, visit kentuckyderby.com/road.

Jockey Rajiv Maragh celebrates winning the 2014 Wood Memorial Stakes atop Wicked Strong. Courtesy of NYRA/Susie Raisher.

SPORTIME LAKE ISLE SUMMER CAMPS TENNIS

GOLF

CALL AND ASK ABOUT OUR

POOL

SPRING BREAK CA APRIL 6TH - APRI

SPORTIME UNDER 10 TENNIS CAMPS

MPS

L 10TH!

EXCEL TENNIS TRAINING CAMPS

For young athletes ages 5-10

Presented by the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and SPORTIME

The perfect summer camp for kids that love tennis, sports, swimming and more! Jump into summer fun at SPORTIME!

High-performance tennis camp for players of all levels.

Train where the serious players train - the JMTA!

CALL TODAY! 914-777-5151

* NEW FOR 2015 - GOLF OPTION *

We’re located on the grounds of the Lake Isle Country Club!

Visit us online at www.SportimeCamps.com/LIsle for more information.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

33

A MOST STYLISH MENAGERIE

34

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Patricia Polk in her Ridgefield boutique.

Patricia’s Presents filled with animal themed gifts and more

BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB ROZYCKI

I

F ANYONE WERE TO BE IN SEARCH OF A PILLOW FEATURING A CAT WEARING A PEARL NECKLACE, WE KNOW JUST WHERE TO SEND YOU. Come to think of it, this Ridgefield boutique is also the place to find a pinkflamingo keychain, leopard-print foldable ballet flats, a Collie eyeglass case or a beaded foxhead pin.

And while Patricia’s Presents has certainly made a home for the whimsical — “People seem to appreciate the fact it’s a little quirky,” owner Patricia Polk says — there is more than enough room for straight-ahead sophistication.

To that end, shoppers will delight in equestrian-themed prints by noted Woodstock artist Harvey Konigsberg, luxe needlepoint pillows depicting traditional fox hunt scenes, handturned wooden bowls, distinctive women’s fashions and, most notably, boldly dramatic jewelry designed by Polk herself.

The shop is a colorful destination where customers are greeted warmly by Polk, a personable blonde with a stylish flair.

The New Milford resident, a veteran of the jewelry field, opened the shop last April on the outskirts of town.

It is, she says, the culmination of quite a journey for the New York City-raised woman.

“I grew up riding in Central Park,” she says of her earliest days on horseback.

She would go on to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology, specializing in merchandising. Though working in the Garment District, she never let go of a dream, one she shares with a bit of laughter.

“All I ever wanted to do was be a flight attendant,” she says. That whim became a temporary job that turned into a new career.

It allowed her, she says, to explore the world and gather materials and sources for her jewelry design work, creations she was showing in salons.

“That’s what we did in New York in the ’70s,” she says.

Her travel, though, allowed her to expand, with her company formalized in the mid-1980s and focusing on wholesale work (showcased in venues from Henri Bendel to the Smithsonian) and select shows.

But, Polk says, “Life is funny,” and her exhibiting would eventually open her up to a whole

new audience.

It was in 2000 when someone asked her why not exhibit at dog shows.

“The women wear jewelry. It’s a great market,” Polk was told.

And so it began.

“The dog shows led me to pillows and all the doggy accessories, which led me to the horse shows,” she says.

She was soon a regular exhibitor at shows such as the American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm in North Salem and decided to open up her own shop.

Polk, who has a beloved rescue dog herself, has found an audience attracted to the unexpected offerings with a definite nod toward all things animal-themed.

“I think it’s a different mix,” Polk agrees. Indeed, one can expect horse themes to decorate everything from a wastepaper basket to a cosmetic bag to a vegan, custommade handbag. There are elegant pillows devoted to countless dog breeds, playful notecards, coin purses, porcelain figurines and wall hangings.

One might see a flying-pig pillow, a rooster tassel or a Terrier wallet.

Many of the gifts, especially the prints, are designed purely for fun.

“Sometimes I try to leave people alone when they’re walking around and I hear them. They’re giggling,” she says.

Fair Trade jewelry complements Polk’s own creations, many statement pieces with a vivid sense of artistry.

“I’ve been really, really lucky over the years,” she says. “I still have contacts in Europe and Nepal.”

That allows her to source unique elements for her work.

Necklaces created with vintage bridle decorations are featured at Patricia’s Presents.

She is also beginning to integrate garden-themed gifts and accessories, including vibrantly colored gloves.

Fashion is also part of the mix.

“I usually just do jackets and tops,” she says, noting many a woman’s preference for a starting point of black.

“There’s like nothing here you can’t wear with all black.”

She says many clients, those who ride horses or play tennis, like her fashions and accessories.

“They’re sporty, but they can go and be dressed (up),” she says.

The customers often include those who travel the busy Route 7 corridor.

“I seem to get a lot of businessmen going back and

forth,” Polk says.

Many stop by, beckoned by her filled-to-the-brim windows, and leave with neckties for themselves, gifts for their wives or bosses or toys for the grandkids.

No matter the day, Polk says she welcomes customers of all kinds.

“The store is fun. People seem to enjoy it.”

For Polk, the shop will never be complete.

“I’m trying to bring more and more interesting things in.”

We say she’s well on the way.

Patricia’s Presents is at 199 Ethan Allen Highway in Ridgefield. For more, visit patriciaspresents.com.

Get ready for Summer 2015 Transform your deck, patio, or terrace into an extra living space that everyone will enjoy. With summer right around the corner, now is the time to start thinking about purchasing a shading product. Maintain the traditional appearance of your home by installing a stationary awning or create a more contemporary look with a retractable system. Our awnings are custom-crafted and professionally installed to create a cool, natural extension to your home.

info@gssawning.com • www.gssawning.com

Gregory Sahagian & Son, Inc. A Full Service Awning Company Since 1990 Fully Licensed and Insured LIC.# WC-10266-H99

18 North Central Avenue Hartsdale, NY 10530

(914) 949-9877

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

35

A dogs life ‘TODAY’ CAST RAISES A PUPPY FOR GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO

Wrangler

36

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

S

TUDIO 1A, THE ORANGE-HUED SET OF THE “TODAY” SHOW AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER, IS INTIMATE AND BUSTLING, WITH LIGHTS COFFERING THE CEILING AND CABLES SNAKING ACROSS THE FLOOR. Like the onair talent, visitors are in continual motion, trying to stay out of the way of the cameras while doing double-takes. Ooh, is that Rita Wilson?

And yet, the atmosphere is calm and genial, thanks in part, everyone says, to a little fellow who’s made himself quite at home on the set. His name is Wrangler, and he’s a 4½-month-old Yellow Labrador puppy that Matt, Savannah, Al, Natalie and the rest of the “Today’ show gang are helping to raise on behalf of Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown Heights.

“We deal with tough news,” says Matt Lauer, coanchor of NBC News’ “Today” since 1997. “Wrangler just puts a smile on everyone’s face.”

“He ties in so well with whatever we’re doing,” says Tamron Hall, co-anchor of “Today’s Take,” the third hour of the show. Hall says she and her “Today” colleagues were talking on-air about being sleep deprived from binging on the series “House of Cards.”

Cut to Wrangler, asleep in his orange kennel.

“He also has a calming effect on celebrities,” she says. Wrangler has sat on Rosie Perez’s lap and shared playtime with Oscar winner Anne Hathaway. He and Cookie Monster got on famously. (They’re both furry foodies.)

However, Wrangler’s encounter with the one celebrity you would’ve expected him to bond with instantly — Miss P, who recently took Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club — turned instead into a teachable moment.

“He liked Miss P, but he had to sit and stay,” says Saxon Eastman, a Guiding Eyes instructor who’s actually raising Wrangler. “It was a great opportunity for dog discipline.”

Wrangler, who was bred at Guiding Eyes’ Canine Development Center in Patterson, N.Y., lives with Saxon not far from the nonprofit’s Westchester headquarters, learning house manners and basic socialization. The pair has been on the “Today” set five days a week from 6:30 to 11 a.m. since Jan. 14. Wrangler will be there through March of next year when he’ll begin professional guide dog training, which can take anywhere from six months to two years. After that, he’ll become a service dog either for the visually impaired or for children on the autism spectrum as part of Guiding Eyes’ Heeling Autism program.

Savannah Guthrie holding her baby, Vale, while trainer Saxon Eastman holds Wrangler.

Courtesy of Samantha Okazaki/TODAY.

Dream Kitchens and Baths

Innovative Membership Opportunity for the Young Professionals Available at Salem Golf Club

CRAFT-MAID CRAFTT MAID ■ BIRCHCRAFT ■ HOLIDAY TA ■ CABICO ■ STONE ■ QUARTZ ■ CORIAN ■ DECORATIVE AY DECORAT A IVE HARDWARE AT HARDWA W RE WA

Dream Kitchens and Baths

Northern Westchester’s Premier Private Golf Club CRAFT-MAID ■ BIRCHCRAFT ■ HOLIDAY ■ CABICO ■ STONE ■ QUARTZ ■ CORIAN ■ DECORATIVE HARDWARE

Designed for the golf enthusiast between the ages of 21-35, our young professional’s program provides an entry into golf club life with great networking opportunities.

Salem Golf Club is sensitive to our young professionals who believe that being a member of a premier club has to be expensive. At Salem, there are no upfront dues nor are there any greens fees, initiation fees, assessments, sales tax on dues, or food minimums. With no tee times, you just show up and play. *Salem Golf Club has submitted plans to the town of North Salem for a pool complex to be completed in 2016.

F A M I LY

O W N E D

A N D

O P E R AT E D

S I N C E

19 6 5

KITCHEN & BATH, LTD. 164 Harris Road, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 914.241.3046 | www.euphoriakitchens.com H O U R S : FT U M DS A T A EMS I- LFYR I O1 0W: 3N0 AEMD- 5AP N O 1P 1EA MR A- T4 PEMD | S GI CN LCI CE. #1W9 C6- 156 2 2 4 - H 0 5

Contact Lisa Woods at 914.669.5485 or lisaw@salemgolfclub.org 18 Bloomer Road, North Salem, NY

Pictured in foreground Hole #13 Par 4, 407 yards Rated Best Hole by Westchester Magazine

KITCHEN & BATH, LTD. 164 Harris Road, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 914.241.3046 | www.euphoriakitchens.com H O U R S : T U E S - F R I 10 : 3 0 A M - 5 P M S AT 11 A M - 4 P M

|

G C L I C . # W C - 16 2 2 4 - H 0 5

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

37

Matt Lauer with Wrangler.

TEEING OFF FOR GUIDING EYES Hosted by New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, the 38th annual Guiding Eyes’ Golf Classic takes place June 8 and includes breakfast, lunch and a banquet dinner with silent auction. Manning, Guiding Eyes’ dogs and top U.S. blind golfers will be on the course throughout the day. The event is held at the Mount Kisco Country Club and Fairview Country Club (Greenwich). Foursomes start at $3,500.

For more about the online auction or raffle tickets to win a new Lexus ES 350 or Rolex watch, contact Tricia McTernan at 914-761-7111 or tricia@hrginc.net or visit guidingeyes.org/golf.

38

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

“As a guide dog he’ll be out in the world, responsible for someone’s life,” Saxon says.

“He’ll have to be able to deal with a lot going on around him.”

So far, so good. Guiding Eyes uses Labs for their high trainability and equanimity.

“He’s pretty even-tempered,” Saxon says.

“He’s confident but very balanced.”

“He’s such a good dog and brings such joy to us,” says “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who’s introduced baby daughter Vale Guthrie Feldman to the pup. “He’s clever with a little sass, which Saxon is trying to breed out of him.

But I’m encouraging it.”

Wrangler may be the show’s “puppy with a purpose,” then, but he has just the right hint of ’tude. Already, he’s posted a selfie and sent this tweet from outside Matt’s office: “Oh, this is where the bathroom is.”

Though it’s clear that Wrangler plays well with the entire cast, he and Matt have a special bond, with the pup bounding over, tail wag-

ging, as Matt finishes a segment and comes to sit by his kennel.

“I just love dogs,” says Matt, who grew up in WAG country (Chappaqua, Ardsley, Hartsdale and Greenwich) and worked for Richards specialty store in Greenwich while in college.

Matt has a pet of his own, Jules, a white female German Shepherd. Other “Today” pooch parents include co-anchors Natalie Morales, who has a rescue Border Collie mix, Zara; and Al Roker, whose rescue Havanese mix is named Pepper.

Al in particular knows the importance of Guiding Eyes as he once lived down the street from the organization. But the irrepressible weatherman can’t resist a puckish observation, noting that Wrangler gets a lot of face time with pretty actresses like Olivia Wilde: “He brings new meaning to the expression ‘It’s a dog’s life.’”

For more on Wrangler’s day job, visit today.com.

CONYERS CONNECTICUT LAKEFRONT BEAUTY | $27,895,000 | WEB ID: 00672429 Spectacular 30.97+/- acre park-like Conyers Farm sportsman’s paradise on majestic Converse Lake. Quietly elegant stone-and-shingle residence designed by influential architect Alan Wanzenberg. The versatile floor-plan supports grand-scale entertaining and every aspect of family living.

The compound includes a guest house with 2 apartments, pool with pool house, tennis court, 1/2 court basketball and a 3-tee golf course.

Fran Ehrlich | 203.618.3164

STEEPLECHASE FARM | $23,500,000 | WEB ID: 0067295 This beautiful home is the center piece of an almost 13-acre working horse farm complete with stable, indoor riding arena, grazing paddocks, run-in sheds and equipment garage with groom’s quarters. Designed in the “shingle style” with relaxed open verandas and gambrel roofs.

Constructed using the latest green technology including spray foam insulation and geothermal heating and cooling system.

Brad Hvolbeck | 203.618.3110

GREENWICH BROKERAGE | 203.869.4343 One Pickwick Plaza | Greenwich, CT 06830 Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

Lu and Dale Picard, founders of ECAD.

F

OR DISABLED VETERAN NICHOLAS MONTIJIL, GOING OUT IN PUBLIC USED TO BE A NIGHTMARE.

dog would come around eventually and be there to help me live my life pushed me to get through that period.”

It was hard for the 26-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Milwaukee, Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, ECAD trains service dogs to help people whose military service included a combat tour in Afghanistan, to predict with more than 60 disabilities achieve greater independence and mobility while what would trigger symptoms of also placing facility dogs in hospitals, nursPost Traumatic Stress Disorder ing homes and courtrooms.

(PTSD).

Service dogs have highly specialized Even hearing a common skills and can perform a wide variety of sound like a high-pitched laugh during a tasks including everything from opening trip to the mall could cause him to panic doors to activating light switches and pulland shut down, and it got to the point ing wheelchairs to clearing the dinner table where he wasn’t able to navigate the outand helping load the dishwasher. side world alone.

“She gets my mail, carries my drinks and So Montijil stayed home — a lot. It was can even do the laundry,” 30-year-old Jeras if his life was on hold until hope came emy Cote of Goshen, Mass., whose balance in the form of a 2-year-old black Golden/ issues require him to use a wheelchair, says Labrador Retriever mix named Tabor. of his ECAD service dog, Brie. “When we go “The day I got the phone call that I to a restaurant she carries the doggy bag STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARY SUE IAROCCI was getting a service dog was one of the out and that always gets a lot of attention, a greatest days of my life,” says Montijil, dog carrying a doggy bag.” who applied for his service dog through Dobbs Ferry-based nonprofit Educated To date, ECAD has placed 275 service dogs in 20 states and has grown to include Canines Assisting with Disabilities (ECAD) on the recommendation of his doctor. “I 15 employees and 100 volunteers on two campuses, including its main office and was in a really dark place just dealing with the world and having the hope that this Canine Education Center at The Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry and another

TAILS OF INDEPENDENCE

These pooches aid veterans and the disabled

40

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

training facility in Torrington, Conn.

Dale Picard, who founded ECAD with his wife, Lu, in 1995, says the idea for the organization was formed after his father-in-law had a stroke.

“He went into the hospital and came out half the man that he was before he went in,” he says. “He couldn’t take care of himself or even get himself up off the couch to go to the bathroom. But he didn’t want to go into a rehab facility and wound up coming back to our house.”

One day Lu Picard had an idea: What if she could train her pets to help her father with simple tasks that he was unable to perform himself?

“I started to teach our dogs little things like to retrieve the remote control or to help him get up off the couch, and it worked so well that I decided I wanted to perfect my craft and do this for other disabled people,” she says. “I didn’t realize what I was getting into when I started. I thought this would be all about the dogs, but it is very much people-based. For someone who is disabled, a service dog can change their life.”

Dale Picard says ECAD service dogs, all Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers bred at its Torrington campus, know about 90 words or commands and are all trained by at-risk youth at residential treatment facilities, including The Children’s Village and Graham Windham in Hastings-on-Hudson.

A service dog is ready for placement at 18 months to 2 years of age and after having at least 1,400 hours of hands-on positive reinforcement training. It costs about $30,000 to raise and educate a service dog and although ECAD does not charge for one, a client is expected to pay $8,500 for a two-week intensive training workshop before he is placed with a service dog.

Although ECAD is actively accepting applications and interviewing candidates, there is a two-year waiting list for a service dog — something the organization hopes to change by expanding.

“We’re looking to grow,” says David Post, ECAD’s management consultant.

Future ECAD service dogs.

“Right now, we are going into a $5 million capital campaign where we hope to find a much larger facility that will allow us to double or even triple our placement rate and to offer broader kinds of services to help more people.”

“Denim Heels Boots Tails,” ECAD’s annual fundraising event, will take place at 6:30 p.m. May 7 at the Brynwood Golf and Country Club in Armonk. The evening will include dinner, dancing, a live auction and a program with ECAD clients and their service dogs in attendance. Tickets are $200 per person. For information on sponsorship opportunities, including the purchase of a table, call 914-693-0600, ext. 1950. For further information, visit ecad1.org/dhbt.

And for more general information, visit ecad1.org.

“Riding with Pegasus gave me wings and a sense of accomplishment. Finally I found a sport that I was able to excel at.”

Now in our 40th year of service, Pegasus provides the many benefits of equine-assisted activities and therapies to people with special needs, veterans and at-risk individuals. We are a PATH International Premier Accredited Center that serves more than 300 participants ages 4 and up each year at our chapters in Brewster, Darien, Greenwich and Pleasantville. Our programs include mounted and unmounted activities that offer a wide range of opportunites for sport, recreation, learning and socialization. Through the incredible therapeutic power of the horse, participants gain selfconfidence and strength in a nonjudgmental environment created to help them meet their individual goals and celebrate the joys of success.

We need YOUR help to keep our riders in the saddle, fund our unmounted programs and ensure our irreplaceable therapeutic horses stay healthy and content. YOU can change a life today by making a contribution in support of our mission. We also invite you to become a Pegasus volunteer, donate a horse to our program, attend our events or refer a potential student.

Join our Pegasus community and experience the magic of the human/horse connection!

Make your life-changing contribution to our riders today at

pegasustr.org

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

41

Nicole Patrick, founder of Chic Chien Chateau, with her own dogs, from left, Tabitha, Tribeca and Gatsby.

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER… Actress Nicole Patrick helps dogs find good homes

BY MARY SHUSTACK | PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROZYCKI

HERE’S NO DENYING NICOLE PATRICK’S LOVE OF DOGS. A kind manner and a firm-yet-gentle authority are more than evident on a recent morning when WAG catches up with the New York City-based actress.

On this day, Patrick — and her three dogs — just happen to be visiting her parents’ home in Pound Ridge.

We’ve stopped by to hear all about Chic Chien Chateau, one of Patrick’s pas42

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

sions and a venture she launched in 2014.

Patrick both founded and funds the nonprofit agency that she has described as “a virtual animal shelter specializing in designer and teacup dogs that need adopting.”

The featured animals, she adds, are the same you might find at a breeder or pet store but, because of circumstances, are truly in need of good homes.

She placed calls to the ASPCA to complain about the conditions, eventually buying the dog and nursing her back to health.

“That kind of opened my eyes to puppy mills.”

Patrick would go on to adopt Gatsby, a Golden Retriever mix who’s now 4. She also has an 8-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Tabitha.

Around this time, Patrick was looking to do some volunteer work in the city.

“Because I’m an actress, I have a lot of free time.”

But as she also might be away on a set for months at a time, she decided to create her own opportunity with what she likens to a bit of a matchmaking service.

Patrick does the extensive research, identifying dogs in local shelters or listed online (most often on Petfinder.com) and then matching them with a new home.

THE FAMILY BUSINESS

It’s work that both fulfills her desire to help — and fits her interests and schedule.

Patrick’s credits include the Woody Allen film “Whatever Works” and TV series “Gossip Girl” and “All My Children.” Recently, she appeared in “The Rewrite,” starring Hugh Grant, and a short film that she hopes will debut at the Sundance Film Festival.

“I started acting when I was about 10,” Patrick says. “My parents are both in the film business so I kind of grew up on sets.”

Her father, assistant director and producer Richard Patrick, has worked in both films (including numerous Woody Allen projects, such as “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “Sweet and Lowdown”) and television (“Elementary,” “In Treatment”), while her mother, Stacy Patrick, has worked as a production assistant.

Vincent Patrick, Nicole’s grandfather, wrote the book and screenplay for “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” the 1984 film starring Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts.

Patrick, who attended Fox Lane High School in Bedford and The Harvey School in Katonah, moved into the city at age 15 and attended The Juilliard School at 17 to study opera. Her acting studies have included time at The Actors Studio and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, in Sanford Meisner classes and with coach Sheila Gray.

“I go to California a lot,” Patrick says, before adding with a laugh. “That being said, a lot of the work I get in New York is (as) ‘the California girl.’”

LOOKING AHEAD

“I want to save dogs, first and foremost, that don’t have a chance.”

Rescue animals, she says, have a special bond with their new families.

“They’re happier because they know that you saved them. They’re more loved.”

Chic Chien Chateau grew out of Patrick’s longtime love of animals and her own experiences.

With her own — and her family’s — histories of pet rescues, Patrick found her friends would call on her for advice.

“My friends would start asking me, ‘Could you help me find a Yorkie or a Pomeranian?’” She would point them to animal shelters or rescue websites but, overwhelmed by the task, they asked Patrick to take a more active role.

SEEING THE NEED

It was her experience with a particular dog that gave Patrick the real push.

“I saw Tribeca in a pet store and she was so sick,” she says of her now-healthy, 6-year-old Pomeranian mix.

Other pursuits include singing — she’s recording an album and likens her music to that of Adele — and along with a friend has launched a “dog and people clothing” company, It Girls NYC. A vegan, Patrick is also collaborating on a blog and cookbook.

She has long been influenced by time spent in Europe. She’ll casually command her dogs in French. Patrick, who has also modeled in Ibiza and SaintTropez, is looking into further study at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

“As long as I’m working, I’m happy,” she says.

On the Chic Chien Chateau front, she has plans for a major fundraiser this year and would also like to build a network of volunteers and foster families.

“I would like to eventually get my own space and really have a shelter, (one) that’s really a boutique shelter.”

In the meantime, she focuses on the day-to-day successes.

Since Chic Chien Chateau’s July launch, Patrick has placed six dogs with new families and now has four families she is working with on “finding the perfect dog for them.”

“I put a lot more time in than most people have to spend looking for dogs,” she says.

But clearly, it’s a labor of love.

For more, visit chienchateau.com.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

43

A FINAL STOP FOR

ALL GOD’S CREATURES

BY MARY SUE IAROCCI

f you asked Edward C. Martin Jr. to describe his typical cusnever married and had no children. To this day, I am at peace knowing Mickey is tomer, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. surrounded by my Grandma Martha and all her dogs, which I consider family.”

“There is no significant thing that you could pin your hat Martin says that a pet cemetery operates very much like a human cemetery. Pets’ on to, so I think it’s hard to stereotype people who choose to bodies are buried in caskets. Loved ones can hold a wake of sorts in the cemetery’s bury their pets in a pet cemetery,” says Martin, who has been viewing room and spend time with their pet’s body just before burial or cremation, the director of Hartsdale Pet Cemetery for the last 40 years. after which the cemetery provides a private family funeral and procession down “If you walked around the cemetery you would see differto the burial plot. Human bodies must be cremated prior to the burial and funeral ent religions represented. You could look at the names and see the differences in service. names, differences in languages. There are people who are very wealthy and there Like Martha Murphy, Martin plans on spending eternity at the cemetery, where are people who have modest his cremated remains will be means. They’re not stone broke, buried in his family’s plot alongof course, but they choose to side both his parents and sevdo this as opposed to spending eral pets including his grandtheir money on something else.” daughter’s goldfish.

Founded by a New York City Martin says the cemetery veterinarian in 1896, Hartsdale buries 425 pets a year while Pet Cemetery is America’s oldthe Hartsdale Pet Crematory — est pet cemetery and the final which is on cemetery grounds resting place of almost 100,000 but is a separate business — pets and more than 700 people does 1,500 cremations annually on five acres of a former apple for the cemetery’s customers. orchard overlooking Central AvAs with human funerals, enue. burial is significantly more exKathy Reilly Fallon, a foot-andpensive than cremation. If you ankle surgeon from Armonk, wanted to bury a pet, going the has family buried at the cemleast expensive way would cost etery — both animal and human. about $1,800, while it would be Fallon was in the middle of $200 to have a pet cremated. taking her last midterm for mediWhile at least 90 percent of cal school on a rainy Tuesday afthe pets buried at the cemetery ternoon in February 1992 when are dogs and cats, Martin says Mickey, her cat and constant there are many other kinds of companion of 15 years, passed animals represented, including The War Dog Memorial at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery was dedicated in 1923 to honor the working dogs away at home in her mother’s a lion cub, rabbits, ferrets, guinea that served in World War I and all succeeding conflicts. Believed to be the first memorial of its kind, it arms. pigs, birds and even a plot full of is a designated Westchester County landmark and is listed in the Art Inventories Catalog of the Smithsonian Institution. Courtesy of Hartsdale Pet Cemetery.

Martha Murphy, a longtime turtles. family friend to whom Fallon “There was an elderly woman, was so close that she called her long since gone, who was very “Grandma,” owned a large plot at the cemetery and offered to have Mickey laid to sharp and when her landlord wouldn’t let her have a dog or a cat, she decided she’d rest there alongside her dogs as an early graduation present. get pet turtles and keep them in her bathtub,” Martin says. “She bought a plot, and Murphy stood by Fallon’s side at the funeral as she placed a set of rosary beads now all of her turtles are buried together.” and a letter thanking her pet for his unconditional love inside Mickey’s rosewoodAcross the street from The Sacred Heart Church, the cemetery raises existential colored casket, where he lay on white satin with a pillow and blanket. questions about the possibility of pets having souls and thus enjoying an afterlife.

It was comforting to Fallon to have her beloved pet memorialized in such a spePope Francis — who took his name from the patron saint of animals — recently cial and meaningful way. The next time she returned to the cemetery it was a few raised the issue, as well as some controversy, when he was quoted as saying, “Parayears later, for Murphy’s own funeral. dise is open to all God’s creatures.” But apparently, he didn’t mean to suggest, as in Fallon could think of no better final resting place for Murphy, who owned a beauthe title of the 1989 film, that “All Dogs Go To Heaven.” ty parlor across the street from her house in the Bronx and was “a true woman “I think what happens is that you get tremendously attached to your pets and entrepreneur” back in the 1960s through the 1980s. many, many people, myself included, think of their pets as part of their family,” Mar“Grandma Martha was an avid dog lover who would take in stray dogs that she tin says. “We don’t equate them with humans, but it doesn’t mean there’s any real would find abandoned in her neighborhood, and I was always greeted by two or difference in the love we have for them.” three dogs when I went to her house,” Fallon says. “She was a kind, loving soul who For more, visit petcem.com.

44

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

HOLISTIC VET followed unusual path to healing

Babette Gladstein with Golden Retrievers.

Photograph by Bruce Weber. Courtesy of Babette Gladstein.

46

W WAGMAG.COM

BY JANE K. DOVE

HEN A BELOVED PET IS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC PAIN, THE OWNER SUFFERS, TOO. And when that pain is deep in the joints, seeing a formerly active and lively dog struggle to walk up and down steps, simply rise to his or her feet or get up on the couch to snuggle can be very distressing.

But Babette Gladstein offers hope for pets and their owners as a Manhattan-based veterinarian specializing

APRIL 2015

in alternative and holistic treatments for dogs and horses that include acupuncture, ultrasound, chiropractic approaches, massage and laser therapy and prolotherapy.

“I am now doing a lot with prolotherapy in addition to the other treatment methods I use,” Gladstein says. “Prolotherapy is a recognized orthopedic procedure that is used in sports medicine for humans. It stimulates the body’s natural healing process to strengthen joints weakened by injury or arthritis.”

In prolotherapy, she adds, injections of a dextrose and lidocaine combination are used to thicken ligaments and tendons in the affected area. The thickening makes joints more stable and less painful once new tendon and muscle growth begins to take hold.

“It is a nonsurgical way to heal pets with chronic joint pain so they can once again lead active, pain-free lives. And because prolotherapy is noninvasive, there is no need for lengthy and painful physical rehabilitation.”

Gladstein has been using prolotherapy in her practice since 2006.

“It can be used for a variety of painful joint and tendon ailments, including arthritis, ligament injury, spinal stenosis, disc disease, chronic tendonitis, dysplasia, sprained joints and partially torn tendons anywhere in the animal’s body,” she says.

“I am very enthusiastic about prolotherapy, because it is really a cure. It can be used on dogs of all breeds and sizes, from tiny Poodles up to giant breeds like Newfoundlands and Mastiffs. Of course, I have to assess the animal to see if they can tolerate the ingredients used in prolotherapy. In the vast majority of cases, they can.”

Prolotherapy, she adds, usually yields quick results. “The ingredient lidocaine quells chronic pain receptors almost immediately. Treatments typically extend over five to six months and are given once a month. During the therapy, new collagen is forming to support and strengthen the affected area. It is an established therapy that is scientifically proven and offers tremendous advantages.”

Gladstein says that even older dogs with severe conditions like advanced hip dysplasia can see good results. “I would say that if you start treatment early enough, 90 percent of cases will show marked improvement.”

She advises all of her clients to make sure they keep their pets’ weight at the proper level.

“I cannot use prolotherapy on animals that are overweight,” she says.

“And animals that have developed diabetes cannot take the dextrose that is part of the prolotherapy mixture.”

A DIFFERENT ROAD Eschewing the traditional approach to veterinary medicine, which often relies heavily on the use of drugs, Gladstein has also observed and studied

the benefits of nutrition and nutritional supplements in animal care over the years. And she has followed this up with investigations into therapeutic ultrasound, massage and acupuncture, as well as physical therapy for dogs and horses.

She is highly trained in veterinary acupuncture, which in addition to relieving pain and muscle spasms, stimulates the immune system to promote healing.

Chiropractic therapy is also on the list of her specialties.

“Chiropractic therapy allows the animal to experience an immediate reduction in pain and increase its range of motion,” she says. “It can be used to relieve a variety of conditions, including muscle and joint injuries, lameness in the front legs, stiffness and back injuries.”

It’s not surprising that Gladstein would be interested in alternative medicine as this graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, or PennVet, took an unusual path to that career. A native of New Jersey, she spent her early years working in the world of finance.

“I was a money manager and financial planner for many years,” she says.

“I decided at a certain point to do something I had always wanted to do — care for and heal animals. I graduated from vet school in 2002 at the age of 51 and since then have maintained a practice that makes house calls exclusively.”

The vet did postdoctoral work in veterinary acupuncture at the American Academy of Veterinary Medical Acupuncture at Colorado State University as well as pre-veterinary studies at Hunter College in Manhattan.

“Now I am doing what I believe I was meant to do in life,” she says. “I have always had a passion for animals and now caring for them is very fulfilling.”

Gladstein is licensed to practice her profession in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida and California.

“Naturally, I spend most of my time making house calls in the New York metropolitan area,” she says. “In my areas of specialization, I find this works best for my clients and their pets. This is my true calling and I am very happy in what I do.”

For more information, contact Babette Gladstein at drbabette @animalacupuncture.net.

Does Your Dog Get Out More Than You Do? We have containment solutions to protect your dog as well as your home!

Please call us at: 1-800 DOGWATCH |

visit us at: www.alphapet.com

Service in New York Counties: Westchester & Putnam Service in Connecticut Towns: New Canaan, Darien, Stamford, Greenwich & Cos Cob PetWorks 148 North Bedford Rd, Mount Kisco, NY 914-666-4480

Featuring DogWatch Hidden Fence

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

47

Perilous times for the GIANT PANDA

BY AUDREY RONNING TOPPING

48

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

G

IANT PANDAS SEEM TO EXUDE A MYSTIC POWER THAT ENCHANTS ALL WHO GAZE UPON THEM, BUT THIS MYSTICAL APPEAL MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO SAVE THEM. The species re-

mains at extreme risk of extinction, because human activity is shrinking the panda’s habitat.

Since China’s former Chairman Mao Zedong gifted LingLing and Hsing-Hsing to the Washington National Zoo in the 1970s, giant pandas have become popular all over the world. Animal lovers are smitten by the furry black-andwhite creatures with black eyepatches, who resemble teddy bears and can melt your heart at first glance.

Pandas have startling human-like attributes that children of all ages find irresistible. A baby panda has an appealing childlike cry causing its mother to sit up and cradle her suckling baby to her breast while caressing it, like a human mother, with the other forepaw.

The giant panda is the only bearlike animal with a thumb like humans. Its powerful jaws can sever a stalk of crisp umbrella bamboo in one mighty crunch.

Then, rather than lower its mouth to feed like most other four-legged animals, the panda will lean nonchalantly against a tree, peel the bamboo with its thumb and bring it up to its mouth like a child eating ice cream.

For centuries, the Chinese have held giant pandas in special esteem. They were kept in captivity as pets by ancient emperors. Chinese books, written 3,000 years ago, claim the giant panda was endowed with mystical powers capable of warding off natural disasters and evil spirits. The black-and-white patterned panda actually personifies the two great Chinese forces of separation and unity that constitute and balance the universe — the yin and yang, black and white, dark and light, moon and sun, death and life. For thousands of years, farmers have considered them lucky charms or even divine and have refrained from killing the pandas that entered their fields or raided their beehives.

George B. Schaller, a leading panda biologist, noted that the panda is a “perfectly symbolic animal, the embodiment of innocence and vulnerability,” but warned in his book “The Last Panda,” “Humankind has upset the balance, and the panda’s existence is now shadowed by the fear of extinction.” Schaller adds, “Because the panda has become a lucrative commodity, protecting it in the wild seems a near impossible task.”

The main threats to the panda are destruction of its habitat, deliberate poaching for the export of live animals and skins and accidental snaring in traps set for other animals. A live panda sells for $112,000 on the illegal Chinese black market.

In Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan, black marketers are getting $10,000 or more for dead pandas sold as grisly trophies. There are about 300 in captivity worldwide.

Although Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing were gifts, Western zoos now pay millions to rent a panda for exhibit. The five pandas in zoos in San Diego, Memphis, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. are here on loan, $8 million for 10 years.

The forbidden world of the giant pandas is known in China as “Hsi-fan,” “the Land of the Western Barbarians.” The World Wildlife Fund, which uses the panda in its logo, reports that the bears’ suitable habitat has shrunk by about 50 percent in the last 20 years. Once they had the freedom to roam in huge coniferous and broadleaf forests, with an understory of bamboo that only grew deep in the remote mountains of central China in alpine valleys with elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. Now they have only six isolated areas where they can find the rare bamboo they thrive on.

Although many types of bamboo exist in China, only two kinds, the fountain

and the umbrella bamboo, are hardy enough to grow on the floors of humid ravines and the icy mountain slopes where the giant panda lives. Both species of bamboo appear to follow a 100-year cycle. Roughly once in a century they bloom, drop their seeds and die. In 1975 the entire generation of bamboo died off en masse, leaving the panda without its main food source and no place to go. When the bamboo dies out, the giant pandas succumb to starvation because they lack the ability to move to new areas.

Pandas have existed for millions of years and are believed to have survived the ice age. The origin of the giant panda still remains a puzzle. In 1874, the German zoologist Max Weber pronounced it a living fossil descended from Hyenarctos, a Miocene carnivore. In 1915, A.S. Woodward published a report declaring that a prehistoric giant panda lived 2 million years ago in the Pleistocene Epoch. The first record of the giant panda in Chinese chronicles noted that a “beishung” or white bear was included in the tribute to the Kingdom of Yu from the Kingdom of Chin (Sechuan) in 200 B.C. Although naturalists have now had ample time to study the giant panda in captivity, they cannot agree whether it belongs to the bear family or the raccoon. But recent studies appear to confirm what the ancients have long known: The giant panda is unique.

Although Marco Polo wrote about seeing the skins of black-and-white bears in Emperor Kublai Khan’s Imperial Palace in Peking, the first Westerner to travel into the Hsi-fan and actually see a giant panda was the Jesuit missionary Père Jean Pierre Armand David in 1869. He described Hsi-fan’s difficult terrain in his diary: “For four whole hours we pull ourselves from rock to rock as high as we can go by clinging to roots and trees. All that is not vertical is covered with frozen snow. The inconceivable difficulties of the monkey-like ascent absorbs us so much that we pay no attention to the fresh traces of several large animals in the snow. At last the sun, which has shone till 3 o’clock, disappears in the thick fog, in which we are soon lost.”

During a trip to China in 1975, I, too, trekked into Hsi-fan territory and shivered in the icy forest while attempting to get a photo of the legendary giant panda. I traveled first by horseback and then by foot with some Tibetan farmers, who had recently rescued five pandas from starvation. They said that a number of thin pandas had wandered into their cornfields. They soon found dozens of emaciated carcasses and reported the disaster to local officials, who sent rescue teams.

Equipped with ropes and nets they managed to catch dozens of live pandas, but saw dozens more that had pathetically propped themselves against trees with their front paws over their ears to die. The rescued pandas were brought to collecting posts and fed sweet potatoes and rice gruel contributed by the local people, chiefly Tibetans who had lived in the area for centuries. Younger Tibetans scaled the rugged, snow-covered mountains to forage umbrella bamboo to feed to orphaned cubs. The rescued pandas were returned to the forest when the snow melted, except for about 10 that were donated to zoos.

Although we saw broken bamboo and fresh panda tracks in the snow, we never encountered a panda, dead or alive. But I did have the thrill of experiencing the forbidding mountain terrain where these mysterious denizens of China’s primordial forests have roamed since the days of the dinosaurs. I never had the honor to meet a giant panda in the wild, but I did have the opportunity to study at close range the pandas my Tibetan friends had rescued. I was enchanted, awed, yet filled with sadness. It was obvious why these superb creatures have been revered for centuries. They seem to contain the wisdom of the ages. With their aura of mystery, so innocent and gentle, they remained calm and self-contained even in captivity. The realization that this species is slowly slipping off our planet into oblivion because of human encroachment and greed brought a dreadful sorrow to my heart.

The plight of the panda is perhaps the greatest challenge the conservationists have yet faced. There are fewer than 1,500 left in the wild. Schaller tells us that a realistic plan to save the species does exist. “But unless we implement the plan now, our brief pang of love for the panda will end with an eternity for remorse.

We must make a global commitment. If we can’t save a spectacular animal like the panda, what the hell are we doing?”

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

49

CASABLANCA The source for on (and off) POLO the playing field

BY MARY SHUSTACK | PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB ROZYCKI

Store manager Tucker Roulx Pope, left, and Casablanca Polo partner Andrew Seibert in the Greenwich store.

50

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

F

FOR THOSE WHO PLAY — OR SIMPLY ADMIRE THE LIFESTYLE — CASABLANCA POLO IN GREENWICH HAS QUICKLY BECOME A GO-TO SOURCE.

In less than a year on the avenue, the store has proven itself a popular destination for players in search of everything from polo whites to helmets to leather boots.

With stores in Argentina, London and America, Casablanca Polo bills itself as “the world’s foremost producer of leading edge polo equipment and apparel.”

Knowing the sport from the playing field up has led to continued growth for the 10-year-old brand that started out as an equipment supplier, says Andrew Seibert, a partner in the company founded by brothers-in-law Stephen Alexander and Alejandro Viel in England.

As Seibert, a Greenwich resident, says, “Our tagline is ‘Inspired by Passion’ because we love it… We are polo players.”

Fellow players, he says, recognize “an authenticity,” one that has led to Casablanca working closely with a number of top players.

“They let us test our equipment on them,” Seibert says, with resulting products (equipment made in Argentina) featured exclusively in American stores in Houston and Greenwich.

Of course, setting up shop in Fairfield County wasn’t by chance.

“There’s seven clubs within a hundred miles of here, and that doesn’t count Saratoga,” Seibert says of the noted polo hotspot. “There is an experience here.”

OFF THE FIELD But the attractive store, which deftly

combines sleek sophistication with an easygoing approach, is equally welcoming of those who don’t know a mallet from a chukker.

The brand’s merchandise is designed to attract those in search of understated apparel and gear that emphasizes quality, durability and style.

“You don’t have to play polo to appreciate it,” Seibert says, showing WAG around on a recent afternoon. “It fits into the local aesthetic.”

Indeed, the store at first glance resembles a clothing boutique accented with polo equipment — by design.

“I don’t want to play it up to the point where you say ‘You can’t come in here if you don’t know how to ride a horse.’”

Even the logo — a graphic that upon a closer look is two horse tails — is not boldly emblazoned on the off-field clothing.

Instead, one might notice it on a coat’s silvertone buttons or catch the company’s signature orange hue on a zipper pull.

“It’s kind of ‘If you know, you know,’” Seibert says.

And plenty already know, with Casablanca Polo not only serving as the offi-

cial supplier for the Greenwich Polo Club, Seibert says, but also providing jerseys for the Audi Polo Team in Florida and for collegiate play, including the teams at Yale University, Skidmore College and Texas A&M University.

FOR EVERY MAN (AND WOMAN) “Everything we do is kind of a mix of recreation and luxury,” Seibert says.

The luxury aspect is evident on a wool field jacket he pulls out, a waterproof style that’s far from bulky.

“The fit is very spot-on,” Seibert points out, adding that “all the outerwear, all the knits are made in Italy.”

The styles, store manager Tucker Roulx Pope adds, work well on all ages.

“This is what’s great about the clothing,” he says. “I can wear it and feel comfortable. …I wear a lot of our shirts untucked and (with) rolled-up sleeves.”

The 23-year-old, who grew up in Simsbury, will sell the same style to customers who work on Wall Street and wear the Oxford-style dress shirts “under a suit and tie.”

But Casablanca Polo isn’t ready to

ENTER TO WIN ENTER TO WIN!

Help Wrigley become a Guiding Eyes dog…

Help Nemo become a Guiding Eyes dog…

…and you may become the winner of a new Lexus or a Rolex watch!

Enter our raffle to win a 2014 Lexus IS 250 or a

Enter our raffle to win a 2015 LexusMen’s ES350 a Rolex Watch!

Rolexor Oyster Perpetual Datejust Watch.

Only 1,000 tickets will be sold. Tickets are tickets $100willeach. online Only 1,000 be sold!Purchase Tickets are $100 each.

PurchaseEyes online at guidingeyes.org/raffle at www.guidingeyes.org/raffle. Guiding provides guide dogs to All proceeds benefit Eyes forwith the Blind, people with vision loss, as well as service dogs toGuiding children autism. the renowned nonprofit guide dog school that has We are passionate about connectingprovided exceptional dogs with individuals professionally bred and trained guide dogs to the blind impaired since 1954. and families for greater independence.

Alland ofvisually our services are provided Lexus ISfree 250 sponsored in part by provided will take Drawing will take place June 9, 2014at at the of charge.

Raffle Watch drawing place June 8, 2015 the Lexus of Mt. Kisco

by Rolex Guiding Eyes Golf Classic, hosted by Eli Manning.

Guiding Eyes Golf Classic, hosted by Eli Manning.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a nonprofit guide dog school dedicated to enriching the lives of the blind and visually impaired. Visit www.guidingeyes.org/raffle to purchase a raffle ticket or learn more about the organization.

To place a bid in the online auction, visit www.biddingforgood.com/guidingeyes.

guidingeyes.org

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

51

Distinctive loafers make an off-the-field statement.

provide traditional business attire, Seibert quickly points out.

“The reality is the guys who play (polo) are horse lovers. They’re cowboys. We’ll never have ties or jackets.”

Versatility is exemplified by a suede bomber jacket, which within a week Pope sold to both a 65-year-old, California-based sports journalist and a twentysomething local.

“They’re going to wear it (with) completely different styles, (on) completely different coasts,” he says.

It’s all about seeing what works for each customer.

“I tell people all the time when they come into the store, ‘Please, try everything on.’”

After all, it’s not your everyday designer duds, Pope adds.

“You’re getting something a little bit different. You get a bit of flair.”

Further evidence? Look to the loafers sporting a skull-and-crossbones motif, an example of the company’s collaborative work with Del Toro Shoes in Miami.

While the dedicated equipment, which includes saddles and stirrups, whips and elbow pads, is for match day, some accessories — such as the sturdy kit bag — translate to a wider audience.

“I sold three of them to a couple going on safari to Africa,” Pope says.

And Casablanca Polo isn’t just for the gentlemen, Seibert points out.

“We take cues from our markets. The 52

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

women would come in and say ‘What’s for us?’”

Now, there are options ranging from white skinny jeans to fitted T-shirts, footwear to casual jackets.

LET’S PLAY Representatives from the store are at the Greenwich Polo Club every Sunday in season, not only to showcase the brand but to educate those who might “have questions about the sport,” Pope says.

Customers can also settle into the store’s lounge area where polo coverage is featured on a flat screen or check out Casablanca on social media. (More than 4,000 follow it on Instagram).

It’s all about a connection, and on this late-winter afternoon, when the air holds that promise of spring, thoughts have already turned to the field.

“It’s really lucky when you’re able to stand outside on a Sunday afternoon under the blue sky and call it work,” Seibert says.

Cultivating an appreciation of the game in others is where Casablanca shines.

As Seibert says, “You can come in here and get everything you need — barring a horse — and go out and play tomorrow.”

He pauses, then adds with a laugh: “To be fair, I could even get you a horse if you need it. We know enough people.”

Casablanca Polo is at 133 Greenwich Ave. in Greenwich. For more, visit casablancapolo.com.

Casablanca Polo is filled with polo equipment as well as clothing for on and off the field.

Leather boots at Casablanca Polo.

MEN OF GREENWICH POLO

THE

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

The men of Greenwich Polo at White Birch Farm in Wellington, Fla. From left Michel Dorignac, Mariano Aguerre, Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario and Nick Manifold. All photographs by Juan Lamarca. Courtesy of Greenwich Polo Club.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

53

L

Taking five at White Birch in Florida. From left Hilario Ulloa (seated), Nick Manifold, Michel Dorignac, Mariano Aguerre, Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario and Joao Paulo Ganon.

IKE MANY OF THE WORLD’S FINEST POLO PLAYERS, MARIANO AGUERRE IS FROM ARGENTINA. BUT WHEN HE RETURNS TO THE GREENWICH POLO CLUB, WHICH OPENS ITS SEASON JUNE 7, HE’LL BE COMING HOME.

“I was born at Greenwich Polo,” says Aguerre, who won the U.S. Polo Association Gold Cup with the club’s White Birch team in 1987. “I started as a pro there … so I feel a special chemistry there. I feel comfortable there. It’s my favorite place.”

For the men of Greenwich Polo — who play either on or against the White Birch team established by club founder Peter Brant — the club is like no other place in the world.

“Well, it’s so beautiful, and it’s centrally located near New York City,” says Nick Manifold, who not only plays on the club’s verdant backcountry expanse (a space nine times the size of an American football field) but helps with its operation.

Adds Aguerre — who has won just about every polo title you might name multiple times, from the Argentine Open to the U.S. Open — “Everything has been developed in good taste, the stone clubhouse, the tents with their wood and shingles, by people who know what they’re doing.”

Indeed, there are probably not many sporting greens that are punctuated by such sculptures as Urs Fischer’s “Big Clay,” a kind of Postmodern “Winged Victory” that stands like a sentinel in one corner off the field. Brant is as ardent an art collector as he is a polo player.

Fans and newcomers alike will get a broader view of the facility when NBCSN

telecasts the finals of the East Coast Open, which Greenwich Polo is presenting with the U.S. Polo Association Aug. 23 through Sept. 6. (The finals will actually be shown on Sept.

13.) This is not the first time a Greenwich Polo Club match has been televised, Manifold says, referring to the CBS telecast of the 1986 Americas Polo Championship, in which an Argentine team squared off against a North American one.

“It’s very exciting and great for the club facilities,” he says.

It will also offer the TV audience a rare glimpse into a thrilling, fluid, oft-misunderstood sport as well as the men (and increasingly, women) who play it.

HOCKEY ON HORSEBACK

For the uninitiated, polo is played by two teams of four on horseback using mallets to strike a wooden or plastic ball through goalposts. The match is divided into six periods, or chukkers, with the team scoring the most goals winning. Each player has a handicap from 1 to 10, with 10 goals being the best.

At the Greenwich club, teams play high-goal polo, in which the team handicap is 20 or better. Aguerre, a 9-goaler, plays the No. 3 position, a kind of field commander.

“You have to adapt the way you play to the team you’re playing with and organize them. As the No. 3, you manage the speed of the horses.”

Argentina’s Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario, a 7-goaler whom you’ll see at Greenwich Polo this season with Team Palm Beach, plays the No. 2 position.

“No. 2 works to open the way for the No. 3,” he says through interpreter Mariana Castro, Greenwich Polo’s marketing director. “He really opens the field.”

Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario

Mariano Aguerre

Manifold, an Australian, is another No. 2 player, a position he assumes for Team CT Energia.

The No. 1 position is another offensive spot, while the No. 4 player is on defense.

“I play all kinds of sports,” Aguerre says, “tennis, golf, soccer. I find polo to be the perfect balance between the gentleman and the aggressor.”

Part of what makes polo particularly exciting to watch is the dynamic choreography that naturally unfolds among players and horses. At times the match is so intimately contested that the two- and four-legged players are flank to hip, the mallets seeming to tangle like Pick-up Sticks.

Then someone, getting his mallet on the ball, breaks through, and the players come thundering down the field.

“The feeling you get when you’re on a breakaway, it’s a feeling you get no other place,” says Aguerre, who grew up on a farm, following in the footsteps of his polo-playing father and two older brothers. “It’s a unique sensation.”

The adrenaline that flows then is what Ferrario, who learned the sport from an uncle, says he loves about polo. That and the horses.

They’re called polo ponies, but they’re mature Thoroughbreds, usually mares and geldings, sometimes former racehorses that are retrained for polo. While a patrón, or team owner, might provide his players with horses, generally a player trains and trains with his own, using six to Joao Paulo Ganon and Mariano Aguerre

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

55

Mariano Aguerre

eight horses per match. Manifold, who started playing polo as a teenager Down Under, and Aguerre breed prize-winning polo ponies on Argentina’s Los Machitos Farm.

Manifold says, “You’re looking for a nice temperament, not too hot, good confirmation, agility, not too heavy of bone.” Adds Aguerre, “The horses have to be strong mentally.”

Maturity, mental strength, agility, good bones, an even temperament — sounds like the ingredients for an ideal polo player as well.

“You don’t want to be too big or muscular,” says Ferrario, who weighs 172 pounds at 5 feet, 9 inches and works with a personal trainer doing many repetitions of light weights.

But Manifold counters that a certain heft can come in handy when you’re striking the ball. It’s how you use that heft.

Still, “You don’t want to be a linebacker,” says Aguerre, who travels with trainer Norberto Imas. “I don’t go anywhere without him. He helps me mentally and physically. Hey, I’m 45. If I want to compete with young guys (like Ferrario, 31), I have to work out.”

‘THE BALL IS THE EARTH, AND I AM THE STICK’

Often called “the sport of kings,” polo — from the Tibetan “pulu,” meaning “ball” — had its origins in ancient Asia, specifically the Persia of emperors and their cavalry.

According to the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame’s website, the Persian Emperor Darius III sent his Greco-Macedonian adversary Alexander the Great an early version of a mallet and ball as a way of demeaning the youthful, would-be conqueror — much as centuries later the French would send the seemingly callow Henry V of England a basket of tennis balls.

“The ball is the earth, and I am the stick,” Alexander is said to have replied.

He made good on that threat, sweeping across the Persian Empire aboard his fiery black steed Bucephalus to become lord of Asia, while polo would continue to be associated with military training. Indeed, the American Army would use polo as a regimen until World War II — the 1930s being the sport’s glory days in this country when it would draw crowds of 35,000.

After that, polo began to be considered more elitist, an image reinforced by the cost of maintaining polo ponies and by movies like “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Pretty Woman” and Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” and the ABC series “Revenge.” It’s an image that’s changing.

Such programs as Work to Ride at the Chamounix Equestrian Center not far from Philadelphia’s Main Line seek to introduce disadvantaged children to polo and other equestrian sports. The Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, contested at Greenwich Polo in 56

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

2013 with Prince Harry and polo player (and Polo spokesmodel) Nacho Figueras, raised money for the prince’s Sentebale charity, aiding youngsters at risk in Lesotho. A 2014 Greenwich Polo match was the site for a luncheon benefitting ECAD (Educating Canines Assisting With Disabilities), which provides our wounded warriors with service dogs.

These servicemen were among those who’ve enjoyed matches with relatives, friends and pet dogs — picnicking, taking in vendors and savoring the halftime tradition of stomping the divots, tufts of grass kicked up by the horses.

“It’s just a great family day,” Manifold says of any Greenwich Polo match.

Just as polo brings together humans and animals, professional players and talented amateurs like Peter Brant, the haves and have-lesses, polo is also, like other equestrian sports, one in which women can compete with and against men.

That’s because, Ferrario says, “a lot of the sport is about the horses.”

Women are the fastest growing segment of the game. Prominent players include Sunny Hale, the first woman to win the U.S. Open Polo Championship, and Dawn Jones, wife of actor Tommy Lee Jones, who was named MVP of the 2013 Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup. While men may bring more power to swinging a mallet, the men of Greenwich Polo say they welcome women to the sport — many of whom are fine equestrians who began their careers in show jumping.

Whoever their teammates or opponents, the men of Greenwich Polo continue to dream big on and off its field.

Ferrario’s goal is to play in the Argentine Open of Polo in Palermo.

For Aguerre — who’s won that Open nine times, the U.S. Polo Association Gold Cup eight times, the C.V. Whitney Cup six times, the Hurlingham Open five times and the U.S. Polo Open Championship twice, among many titles — it’s all about an enduring passion.

“Polo is not what I do. It’s who I am,” he says. “It’s where I met my wife, my friends….You know, when I started, I didn’t think I’d be able to do 10 percent of what I’ve done. I’m playing with the casino’s money now. The love I have for the sport, the desire, is still there.”

The Greenwich Polo Club season opens June 7, with the Monty Waterbury Cup, which continues June 14 and 21. Then it’s the Butler Handicap June 28 and July 5 and 12. The East Coast Open will be contested Aug. 23 and Aug. 30, with the finals Sept. 6.

(The finasl will actually be televised on NBCSN on Sept. 13.) The season closes Sept.

13. Gates open at 1 p.m. Sundays, with the matches at 3 p.m. The entry fee is $40 per car. The dress code is casual chic. (Ladies, remember your hats.) The field address is 1 Hurlingham Drive. For more, visit greenwichpolo.com.

WHERE ART & ARCHITECTURE MEET NEW OWNER SOUGHT FOR BRONXVILLE GEM

BY JANE K. DOVE PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF JULIA B. FEE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

B

RONXVILLE’S LOVELY AND HISTORIC LAWRENCE PARK, A 20-ACRE ENCLAVE OF VINTAGE HOMES OF THE FINEST QUALITY, IS ONE OF WESTCHESTER’S ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES. Lawrence Park’s developer, William Van Duzer Lawrence, who loved the hilltop site, hired architect William Bates, fresh from successfully completing a group of “cottages” for millionaires at Tuxedo Park, to design the first homes.

Lawrence, a wealthy businessman, philanthropist and founder of neighboring Sarah Lawrence College, personally oversaw design and construction of the first homes, which were ready for occupancy in 1891.

The house on Prescott Avenue, designed by Bates a bit later, reflects many of the architectural details he incorporated into his original, innovative and sometimes whimsical designs.

Bates was known for building in a variety of styles, including Victorian, Gothic and English Tudor. The exterior includes features popular in the Victorian age — bay windows, bracketed eaves, 17th century-style balusters, detailed shingle and wood trim and a three-story stone and stucco tower with a cone-shaped roof.

The windows feature many different designs, from Grand Palladian edged in stained glass to round “portholes.”

The home is currently occupied by two artists who have

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

57

decorated the 5,994-square-foot interior in a distinctive style, using a mix of vibrant colors punctuated by eclectic art and artifacts collected from around the world — many of which have an animal theme.

AN ARTISTIC PLACE

J

ust 15 miles from New York City, Lawrence Park contains 98 homes built on a wooded hill along winding roads. From the first, the enclave attracted many prominent artists, writers and arts lovers, including children’s author Kate Douglas Wiggins, animal painter William Henry Howe, painter Mary Fairchild MacMonnies and Elizabeth Custer, widow of Gen. George Armstrong Custer. (Longtime New Yorker critic Brendan Gill was a later resident.) Lawrence Park is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, assuring the structural integrity of the homes within its boundaries.

With a large concentration of individuals in the arts as original homeowners, it was not long before Lawrence Park acquired the reputation of being an exclusive literary and artistic development.

It was that reputation that attracted the current owners — artist Elena Agostinis and her husband, Martin Patterson, a financier, caricaturist, art collector and race-car driver. The two are both natives of South Africa.

“We were living in another house in Bronxville with our two growing boys and needed more space,” Agostinis says.

“When we first saw the house, we loved the unusual entrance, the turret and the large window in the stairwell. It had lots of wonderfully quirky features with a very playful attitude.”

The couple decided the home, built in 1898, had plenty of room for both the family and their extensive collection of different types of art from around the world.

“We saw that we could go in a lot of different directions and have fun doing it,” Agostinis says. “We also liked the many levels, designed to fit the lay of the hillside site. The floor plan is not a traditional one. The home kind of floats down the hill, with natural light flowing into every room.”

OUT OF (SOUTH) AFRICA

A

58

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

gostinis says her style of decorating is a reflection of her artwork.

“Being born and raised in South

Africa, I was used to hot and fearless colors — red, orange, yellow, turquoise.

These are used extensively throughout the house, but balanced by some cooler colors like greens, soft beiges and creamy yellows in other rooms.”

The artwork throughout the interior is equally vibrant and includes many unique features like a rug made from yellow police tape in the living room, with its fireplace and 13-foot ceiling, to the stylish boots that line the rails of one of the staircases.

The artist’s brightly colored wall and ceiling paintings, sculpture and vivid hues add visual interest to every room.

Patterson has tastefully filled spaces with pieces from a notable bronze animal collection. International elements collected during the owners’ travels to India, Mexico, Ethiopia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Morocco, as well as their own native South Africa, are all included in the décor.

Since buying the property in 1993, the owners have added new structural components to the historic home, including a kitchen extension, a two-story turret, a new cedar shingle roof, new chimneys, four new baths and a two-car garage.

Located on a quarter acre, the property has seven bedrooms and four full and two half-baths, including a master bedroom in the tower with the domed ceiling, fi replace and large walk-in closet. Other spaces include an entry hall with a fi replace, a dining room with French doors leading onto a balcony, two family rooms, an exercise room, a laundry and a basement used for an art studio/workshop and storage.

Over the years, Agostinis says she and her husband have added significant landscaping, a major aspect of the appeal of the home, which they are selling for $4.25 million.

“We have felt very comfortable living in this beautiful house for more than 20 years,” Agostinis says. “The previous owners lived here for 27 years. I like the fact that this is a place where people have stayed and had a good history. It’s a family house, a happy house, not just another piece of real estate to be turned over for a quick profit. We hope the new owners get as much pleasure from it as we have.”

For information, contact William Dowling, Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, at 914-620-8978 or William.Dowling@juliabfee.com.

Imagine the possiblities

Soundworks is a passionate company integrating technology into your home using the latest in Apple products.

Soundworks is a certified Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association member which includes Certified (CEDIA) technicians on staff. Soundworks services, designs and installs integrated A/V systems in homes throughout the Tri-State area.

NOW YOU CAN

Home Theater | Automated Lighting Solutions | Automated Shading Solutions | Distributed House Audio & Video | Computer Networking

1 H U N T E R AV E N U E , A R M O N K

•

914.765.0461

•

S O U N D W O R K S N Y. C O M

MODERN LIVING IN AN ENCHANTING, HISTORIC SETTING

N

Nestled on Warwick Road within the prestigious Lawrence Park West estate enclave of Bronxville is one of the area’s finest historical structures.

The most-admired home, a rarity on the market, is now offered by only the second owner in its storied history.

The 1919 Tudor Revival, designed by renowned architect William Bates for one of Bronxville’s pioneers William Frederick Kraft, is a perfect

• • • • • •

List price: $2,150,000 3,905 square feet 5 bedroom, 4.5 baths Over half an acre Finished/walk-out basement Less than 1 mile to the village of Bronxville and train station • 28 minutes to Grand Central Station MLS # 4508202

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT LIA GRASSO OF DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE WAGMAG.COM 914-232-3700 APRIL 2015 AT60 914-584-8440, OR LIA.GRASSO@ELLIMAN.COM

example of a well-maintained property.

The landmarked three-story, stone-and-timber building with a slate roof is a design masterpiece set within more than half an acre of private property landscaped to perfection with mature trees and plantings and complemented by an artistically handcrafted gazebo and a detached twocar garage.

After entering through an arched portico you are surrounded by an elegant dining room and living room with a marble fireplace. French doors lead to a four-season, light-filled and stone-walled sunroom/porch. The dining room leads you to a stone-walled breakfast room, where

an abundance of windows allow a light and bright setting that virtually brings the outside in.

The home’s interior exemplifies architect Bates’ enthusiasm for designing spaces ideal for entertaining. All were created with the thought to provide ample light throughout, with grouped windows in varying sizes creating the ideal environment for gatherings. Spaces flow from room to room and seemingly right into the outdoors.

As it has since its creation nearly a century ago, this one-of-a-kind home promises to provide the setting for an exceptional life for whoever is lucky enough to become its third owner.

“Peekskill is my home, and keeping us safe is my job.”

Kaitlyn Corbett Nuclear Engineer

Kaitlyn Corbett has always called New York home. Born and raised in Buffalo, she earned her degree in nuclear power engineering at SUNY College of Technology and moved to Peekskill to start her career at Indian Point. Safety is the single most important mission for Kaitlyn and her 1,000 colleagues at the plant, and it’s been the focus of her years of study and training in the nuclear power industry. Every day, engineers are graded on their performance by inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC recently gave Kaitlyn and the team at Indian Point its highest safety rating — for the fifth year in a row.

Discover more about Indian Point at SafeSecureVital.com

POWERING NEW YORK

62

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Evening dress, Travis Banton, 1934, Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ch na

IS NO SLEEP NG DRAGON

BY DANIELLE RENDA

THE COUNTRY HAS LONG HAD AN INFLUENCE ON WORLD CULTURE, FROM EXPORT PORCELAIN TO SCROLL PAINTINGS, FROM FANS AND ROBES TO REGIONAL FOODS, FROM JADE TO THE PEKING OPERA. But in today’s global market, that influence is being felt even more keenly, particularly on the world of fashion. So much so that Anna Wintour and The Met have taken note.

“China: Through the Looking Glass,” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna Wintour Costume Center May 7 through Aug. 16, promises to be one of the season’s blockbusters, as the museum celebrates the centennial of its Department of Asian Art with a showcase of more than 130 examples of clothing, paintings, porcelain and films that spills into its Chinese galleries.

“From the earliest period of European contact with China in the 16th century, the West has been enchanted with enigmatic objects and imagery from the East, providing inspiration for fashion designers from Paul Poiret to Yves Saint Laurent, whose fashions are infused at every turn with romance, nostalgia and make-believe,” Andrew Bolton, curator for The Costume Institute, said in a statement.

A portion of the exhibit will demonstrate how Chinese artwork and clothing use mythical animals, such as the dragon, as both

decorative elements and reflections on the culture’s spirituality.

The dragon, a variation of the serpent, is closely associated with China, representing masculinity, power and luck. Dragons were traditionally depicted on imperial robes, as emperors were considered their direct descendants. As a country heavily reliant on agriculture, China has also revered the dragon in its capacity as a rainmaker. Each of its features — from its flashing eyes to its scaly tail to its chameleon-like ability — not only suggests elements of its power but has afforded designers like Roberto Cavalli, Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino the opportunity to create either colorful or sinuous designs that accentuate the female body.

These creations are among the works that will be featured in a series of “mirrored reflections” on Imperial China; the Republic of China — especially Shanghai in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s — and the People’s Republic of China, all housed in the Wintour Center. Enhancing the reflections will be scenes from the films of Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Westchester’s Ang Lee and exhibit artistic director Wong Kar Wai, along with tributes to the styles of Oeu Huilan, the former Mme. Wellington Koo; Soong May-Ling, Mme. Chiang Kai-shek; and Empress Dowager Cixi.

Above the center, the second-floor Chinese galleries will present fashion from the 1700s to the present against a back-

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

63

Evening dress, Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, fall/winter 2004-05, courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.

Chinese Cheongsam, 1932, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

drop of decorative arts from Imperial China, including jade, lacquer, cloisonné and blue-and-white porcelain. The Astor Court, with its Ming Dynasty furnishings, will have a vignette dedicated to Chinese opera star Mei Lanfang, who inspired John Galliano’s spring 2003 Christian Dior haute couture collection.

The exhibit marks the first collaboration between The Costume Institute and another curatorial department since 2006 when it teamed with the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts for “AngloMania.”

90% Clear In 3 To 4 Months.

For Real. The Acne Clinic.

Pimples aren’t simple. Acne is a complex problem that no single cream, lotion, paste or pill alone will cure. At The Acne Clinic, we offer a professionally guided, holistic, multi-step program that provides at least 90% relief of acne in 3 to 4 months.

The program begins with a consultation during which we will outline for you the products, treatments, diet, cosmetics, and lifestyle issues that, if adhered to as instructed, will leave you with a clear complexion. It works.

Got a prom or wedding coming up? Don’t dance around your pimples.

Call The Acne Clinic at The Greenwich Medical Skincare & Laser Spa today and let us tell you more about this path to clear skin in 3 to 4 months. For real.

1285 East Putnam Avenue • Greenwich • 203.637. 0662 greenwichmedicalspa.com Diamond Award, top 3% of BOTOX and Juvederm facilities in U.S. Medical Director: Mitchell Ross, MD Board Certified Dermatologist Catherine Curtin, APRN • Maureen Pothier, RN

64

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Evening dress, Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, fall/winter 2004-05, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Said Met Director and CEO Thomas P. Campbell, another Westchesterite: “I am excited about the partnership between these two forward-thinking departments, which will undoubtedly reveal provocative new insights into the West’s fascination with China.”

“China: Through the Looking Glass” will have a number of related programs, including an inaugural concert by pianist Lang Lang May 14. For more, visit metmuseum.org/ChinaLookingGlass.

OUT

PLAY THE COMPETITION

CP-AC FITNESS IS NOW OPEN! The Newest Addition to Chelsea Piers

Dunk. Spike. Swing. Score. With more sports, more teams, more courts and more choices, our members redefine working out, one game at a time. And with the introduction of CP-AC Fitness, a 65,000 square-foot full-service fitness center and clubhouse, Chelsea Piers just upped the ante.

I-95, Exit 9 • Stamford • 203.989.1234

STOP BY FOR A TOUR TODAY!

chelseapiersCT.com/join

WEAR

Simon Baker of CBS’ “The Mentalist” epitomizes Longines’ commitment to elegance.

All images courtesy 66 WAGMAG.COM APRIL 2015 of Longines.

MOONSTRUCK

L

LONGINES HAS LONG BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH EQUESTRIAN ELEGANCE, as its ads featuring Oscar

winner Kate Winslet and Simon Baker, star of CBS’ “The Mentalist,” attest. Now the watch brand has added to its stable of Conquest Classic chronographs that dates from 1954 with the Conquest Classic Moonphase.

“This model will appeal to those who are looking for a refined chronograph to be worn amidst the excitement of the most prestigious equestrian events all over the world,” the company says.

With a diameter of 42 millimeters (1.7 inches), the Moonphase houses a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement. The case is available in steel, steel and rose gold cap or 18-karat rose gold. The black or silvered dial complements the moonphase display.

Among the features are a 12-hour counter, a subdial for the seconds, a 30-minute couter and a date display.

The Moonphase is water resistant to 50 meters, or 164 feet, and has a transparent case back so you can see all the action. The watch comes with a black alligator strap or a bracelet in steel or steel and rose gold cap.

All are outfitted with a triple folding safety clasp as you wouldn’t want to lose this gem.

— Georgette Gouveia

The Conquest Classic Moonphase watch by Longines is fitted with a black alligator strap or a bracelet in steel or steel and rose gold cap.

A trusted advisor to owners and purchasers of premier properties, Camille Duvall has over a decade of experience working within the New York City real estate industry.

Whether looking for a primary or secondary residence, Camille approaches each of her clientele’s needs with professionalism and complete discretion.

Camille Duvall

Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker NY Residential Specialist® o.212-300-1833 cduvall-hero@warburgrealty.com 18 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10010 Real estate brokers and salespeople affiliated with Warburg Realty Partnership LTD are independent contractors and are not employees of Warburg Realty. Equal Housing Opportunity.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

67

WEAR

Neiman Marcus

CHANGES IT UP ON THE THIRD FLOOR

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB ROZYCKI

68

WAGMAG.COM

Clockwise from top left: Lu Gutierrez, assistant fine apparel manager; Christine Gerleit, fine apparel manager; Te Rozhaja, dedicated sales associate and APRIL 2015 Paula Davitch, dedicated sales associate.

C

CHRISTINE GERLEIT, FINE APPAREL MANAGER AT NEIMAN MARCUS WESTCHESTER, IS DISCUSSING THE STORE’S REVAMPED DESIGNER FLOOR WITH WAG WHEN ONE OF HER SALES ASSOCIATES POLITELY INTERRUPTS WITH A QUESTION FROM A CUSTOMER, WHICH GERLEIT PROMPTLY ATTENDS TO. It’s an example in action of what could be the store’s motto: The customer always comes first. And the customer is the reason for the May/June refreshment of the third floor, which will feature a stable of sophisticated designers new to the store, from the classic — Valentino, Lanvin and Roland Mouret — to the edgy and modern — Dries Van Noten and Los Angelesbased Co. “The (fine apparel) team here is very dynamic when it comes to finding out what the customer needs,” says Lu Gutierrez, assistant fine apparel manager.

“Christine and Julie (Gaynor, NMW vice president and general manager) always do a wonderful job of listening to our clients,” says Paula Davitch, DSA (dedicated sales associate) for Michael Kors at the store.

Over coffee at Mariposa, Neiman Marcus Westchester’s restaurant, the designer-floor team members discuss what their customers like and are like.

“They’re always looking for occasion dresses,” Gerleit says of the store’s clients, many of whom have been in the midst of the Grammy-Oscar-Tony awards season. “It’s a constant,” Davitch agrees, adding that the dresses have to be unusual. “(The customers) don’t want to see themselves coming and going.”

While the NM client is savvy, the team says, the Westchester customer is a breed apart — sophisticated, New York-centric (lots of black) and unafraid of risks. She understands that the elements of an ensemble no longer have to be matchy-matchy.

The Neiman Marcus Westchester client knows exactly what she wants, although occasionally there is someone who may need a little guidance. Either way, “You have to know each brand,” says Te Rozhaja, DSA for The Row. Thanks to new brands, new sales associates and new tech tools, the designer-floor team is always prepared to meet that challenge, Gerleit says:

Gift Baskets Mocktails 125+ Teas Steak Pies 70+ 70+ Cheeses Sunday 12-4 Monday 12-4 Tues-Sat 10-5 Wed & Fri 10-7

203-426-9666 UKGourmet.US 147 MT Pleasant Rd Newtown, CT

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

69

Ksusha models a colorful Badgley Mischka gown.

“In the last three years, we’ve worked hard with our merchandising team to bring in new designers — Alexander McQueen, The Row, Cushnie et Ochs, Hervé Legér and Lela Rose. To do that is not easy, because of distribution issues. (The designers) have to make sure you’re successful. You have to have the right clothes.

You have to have the right sellers. In the last few years, tech has boomed. We don’t want (the clients) shopping online.”

Instead, she wants you to let the designer-floor sales associates find what you’re looking for via their storeprovided iPhones.

“We can watch a show on the runway, snap a picture of something for a customer and send it off to the buying office,” Davitch says.

Gone are the days when you left customers to fend for themselves amid racks of clothes. And that is fine with the designer floor team.

“This is our passion,” Davitch adds, “and if it’s your passion, what more can you ask than to do what you love?”

70

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Heidi (left) and Kalyane model Brunello Cucinelli.

Gifts and new products ideal for any occasion COMPILED BY MARY SHUSTACK

Photographs courtesy Dolce&Gabbana.

UNDERSEA WHIMSY

You don’t have to look far to find animal references in the whimsical creations of Jonathan Adler, the potter-turneddesigner (and author) whose namesake boutiques add quirky charm to Greenwich and Westport’s shopping districts. Just a quick glance through his work will yield everything from horses to giraffes, owls to elephants, foxes to hares. We’re particularly charmed by the Ceramic Seahorse Sculpture ($150) from the Menagerie Collection. The 14-inch-tall accent, of hand-cast, high-fired porcelain bisque set on a polished nickel base, is destined to inspire daydreams of an ocean escape.

For more, visit jonathanadler.com.

Photograph courtesy Jonathan Adler.

INTENSO… INDEED

The animal magnetism of actor Colin Farrell — evidenced in print work by famed photographer Mark Seliger — is adding a certain spark to the ad campaign of the newest fragrance from Dolce&Gabbana. The Italian designers bestowed the name Intenso upon the scent, one created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s first male fragrance, Pour Homme. Intenso, a woody, aromatic fragrance, is available in a 200ml bottle ($122) as well as related products such as shower gel. Mr. Farrell, you have our attention!

For more, visit dolcegabbana.com.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

71

BEST IN SHOW

For those who hate being away from their beloved pups, Erwin Pearl has a fashionable solution. The Adorable Pooches Collection features the most detailed little pins crafted with hand-painted French enamel and 22k gold or rhodium-plated jewelers metal. So wear your Bichon Frise, Shetland Sheepdog or, pictured here, Black Scottish Terrier ($120) with pride.

The line also includes charms and cuff links.

For more, visit erwinpearl.com.

Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

ANIMAL INSTINCTS

Alexis Bittar, the jewelry designer-tothe-stars with a thriving Greenwich Avenue boutique, offers a new collection featuring an oh-so-sleek (and chic) panther motif. Catching our eye from the Elements collection are, from top, the Moonlight Panther Pendant Necklace ($245), the Moonlight Small Panther Hinged Bracelet ($225) and the Moonlight Resting Panther Hinged Bracelet ($295). Each features an antique rhodium crystal pavé feline taking center stage.

Stuart Weitzman is the shoe designerknown-around-the-world who just happens to call Fairfield County home. Our cover boy of October 2013 was in the news recently with the announcement of his empire being purchased by Coach.

Not to worry, though, since he will remain creative director. That means we can look forward to many more dazzling designs including a Spring 2015 collection dotted with animal-themed styles. Options include the minimalist spin on the gladiator sandal, Backview in Adobe Cobratex ($535) above left and Lasso in Gold Nappa ($345), left, with crisscrossing straps that coil up the calf. Visit the Stuart Weitzman boutique in Greenwich, but oh, how to choose just one pair...

For more, visit alexisbittar.com.

For more, visit stuartweitzman.com.

SO SPARKLY, SO SLEEK

Photographs courtesy Stuart Weitzman.

ON AN EQUESTRIAN NOTE

Drop a note — while also supporting a worthy cause — by purchasing note cards featuring scenes from Pegasus Farm and the beautiful horses of Pegasus Therapeutic Riding. All proceeds benefit the Brewster-based nonprofit’s mission to provide equine-assisted activities for people with special needs, veterans and at-risk individuals. Featuring seasonal themes and the photography of Christine Fitzgerald, the organization’s communications director, the cards are sold in sets of eight assorted scenes ($10, plus $1.25 shipping and handling).

For more, visit pegasustr.org/news-events.

Photographs courtesy Alexis Bittar.

Photograph courtesy Pegasus Therapeutic Riding.

72

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

EXPERIENCE

SPRING at THE CENTER

JACK Quartet

Contemporary & cutting edge chamber music APRIL 12, 3PM

Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music Do, re, mi! Fun for the whole family APRIL 18, 8PM APRIL 19, 3PM

BBC Concert Orchestra

Keith Lockhart, conductor, Charlie Albright, piano APRIL 25, 8PM

Patti LuPone, The Lady with the Torch

Broadway, concert, & cabaret star - a living legend!

RIOULT Dance NY

Modern dance at its best

TICKETS NOW ON SALE! WWW.ARTSCENTER.ORG

914.251.6200

MAY 3, 3PM

Conservatory Chamber Players:

Music from the Age of Enlightenment: Bach, Handel, Purcell, and Vivaldi.

MAY 10, 3PM

Major sponsorship of The Performing Arts Center’s 2014-15 Season is provided by The Vivian and Seymour Milstein Endowed Fund The Performing Arts Center’s programs are also made possible by ArtsWestchester with support from Westchester County Government The Orchestra and Chamber Music Series are made possible in part by support from the Tanaka Memorial Foundation Special thanks to media sponsor WNYC and our corporate sponsors, Steinway & Sons and TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®

RIOULT DANCE NY | Photo © Basil Childers

MAY 2, 8PM

WANDERS

74

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Coworth Park horse.

Savoring COWORTH PARK YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A HORSE LOVER (BUT IT HELPS)

BY JEREMY WAYNE

W

ITH EASTER JUST AROUND THE CORNER, THE FLATRACING SEASON IN ENGLAND IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.

And with the season come wonderful names, like the Thousand Guineas, Gold Cup, Glorious Goodwood, Epsom Downs and the Derby (pronounced with its characteristic flat a, dar-bee) to conjure with. But of all this Sceptered Isle’s racing institutions, none is better known than Royal Ascot, the race meeting held over four days each June and traditionally attended by senior members of the Royal Family.

And here’s the thing: Were it not for its racecourse and royal patronage, Ascot itself, just 25 miles from London and with a population of 11,000 would be just another sleepy commuter town. All of which might explain why, despite the hordes that descend on Ascot for those wondrous few days in early summer, the one thing the town always lacked was a really great, really knockout hotel.

Then five years ago, all that changed, when Dorchester Collection — the people who also count the Hotel Bel-Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel in their portfolio — launched Coworth Park. Just five minutes from the

racetrack, 20 minutes from Heathrow Airport and with its own helipad to boot, this exceptional 70-room property has turned the traditional English country house hotel on its head.

I love Coworth. It’s refined and luxurious without being grandiose, a little glitzy but without ever being brash — not always easy to achieve.

The furniture in the handsome house is British made, and the delicious contemporary art reflects talent that is all homegrown. Textiles, including wool, cashmere, mohair and linen, imbue Coworth with a quintessentially British feel and the result is a subtle, understated elegance.

And as you would expect, Coworth is horsey. From the get-go, I’m told, it’s been the residence of choice for jockeys and owners from around the world visiting Ascot, and it frequently plays host to some of the world’s most prized Thoroughbreds. The hotel’s “Ultimate Horse Check-In” — at $75, a bargain in my book — includes an assigned stable (with bedding and dietary preferences noted), a personalized nameplate on the door, a “welcome gift” polo ball, carrots from the hotel’s kitchen garden and housemade horse treats. (Molasses, oats and honey prepared by Coworth’s pastry chef, Luke Frost, anyone? Yes please!) And it doesn’t end there, because registration also includes an equine manicure with a spe-

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

75

Coworth Park exterior from the Croquet Lawn.

cial hoof moisturizing treatment and a luxury, post-ride bubble bath, complete with natural equine aromatherapy wash. Well, it’s a horse’s life, don’t they say?

Now, you could get the idea that Coworth is all about the horse, but the reality is you can come here for a weekend — or better still, a week — and avoid horses altogether. This is the Hollywood equivalent of Audrey Hepburn sitting on the terrace of a glamorous ski resort somewhere in Switzerland in wraparound Ray-Bans and Givenchy head scarf — see the 1963 film “Charade” — without the slightest thought of ever actually hitting the slopes.

Then again, horselessness at Coworth somehow misses the point, because the riding experience here is superb. A host of qualified instructors specializes in every area of equestrianism and there are 240 acres of off-road hacking through Coworth’s private estate, with rides taking in views of the main house and estate cottages, the ponds and magnificent woodlands. And kids have a great time of it, too, with riders from the age of 4 welcome, the ponies and horses chosen by Coworth’s resident trainer for their willing temperaments.

If you play polo, or want to learn “the sport of kings,” Coworth is the only U.K. hotel to offer this. The Guards Polo Academy, run by former England team captain and manager, Andrew Hine, is based here, and the estate’s three polo fields are said — by people who know about these things — to be second to none.

Away from the horses, Coworth boasts a world-class spa — which, by the way, has just picked up Condé Nast Johansen’s Best Spa Award for 2015. And as for the food, well, take it from me, it rocks. All too often the restaurants in otherwise perfectly lovely English country-house hotels can be sepulchral, but I ‘m crazy for the casual barn restaurant at Coworth, with its perky “local” menu. And in the gorgeous, light-fi lled, posh-option Restaurant Coworth Park, where lunch might be scallops with shallots and black pudding followed by loin of venison with celeriac and pearl barley, the food is fi rst-rate and the service is so sweet it positively sings.

What’s more, there’s a very chic, perfectly formed bar, where I recently sat one evening gazing out over the croquet lawn and sunken gardens as the barman mixed his signature Country House Collins and dusk slowly fell. The day’s riding done, horses put to bed, there can’t be a better spot in the whole of the county. Because, as Dorothy Parker might have said, you can lead a horse to Coworth, but nothing beats a well-mixed drink.

Coworth Park is on Blacknest Road, Ascot, Berkshire, England. From £285 (around $425) a night for two, including taxes and breakfast. For more information, call 011 44 144 876600 or visit dorchestercollection.com.

76

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

The Bar - Coworth Park.

Junior Suite bedroom.

WONDERFUL DINING

HOT SPOT THE POLO BAR BRINGS NEW MEANING TO ‘GALLOPING GOURMET’

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA All images courtesy of Ralph Lauren.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

77

T WAS A BITTERLY COLD LATE-WINTER EVENING WHEN WAG VISITED THE POLO BAR IN MANHATTAN. INSIDE, HOWEVER, THE TEMPERATURE RANGED FROM WARM TO RED HOT. Was it because Ralph Lauren’s first New York restaurant — located strategically next to his flagship Polo store across from the tony St. Regis Hotel in the very space that was once home to the legendary La Côte Basque — is Manhattan’s new It Place?

Or could it be the Cole Porter/jazz soundtrack that threads snippets of overheard conversations — what Broadway play to see, why “Seinfeld” will never grow old?

Or maybe it’s the décor by the RL creative team — all bottle-green walls, rich wood paneling and coffered ceil-

78

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

ings, saddle leather chairs and banquettes, tartan pillows and brass appointments, with polo accoutrements and paintings hung academic style, one atop the other.

It’s a decidedly masculine world, an elegant man cave in which we ladies — who’ve always known how to play with the big boys, anyway — can feel right at home. This is particularly true in the soft lighting that flatters every face reflected in the border of small rectangular mirrors that shrewdly adorn some walls at seat level.

Whatever the reasons, The Polo Bar is one of those heralded New York happenings that lives up to its billing.

“I Get A Kick Out of You” indeed.

You’ll certainly get a kick out of the menu, classy American comfort food from chef Sepp Stoner that builds on Lauren’s eateries in Paris (Ralph’s) and Chicago (RL) while remaining distinctive. I was joined for the evening by my Manhattanite sister, Gina, a gourmet and superb cook who said, “Make sure you mention that the waiter

refreshed our drinks (dirty martini for her, cosmo for me) in chilled glasses, a nice touch.” Consider it done, Sis. She began the evening with The Polo Bar Crab Cake, thinly crusted and served with mustard bell pepper sauce, which she enjoyed, while I immersed myself in the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with wild mushrooms and sage. I am a collector of butternut squash soup experiences. Indeed it’s one of the few things I make well.

The Polo Bar’s isn’t as creamy as mine or some others I’ve tried, but it had a nice buttery texture and sheen plus the one thing butternut squash soup must have to be a success — the right amount of apple for that sweet-savory balance.

My sister, a healthier, more careful diner than I am, moved on to the Alaskan Black Cod, with hen-of-thewoods mushrooms, mushroom broth, garlic parsley purée and wilted spinach.

While the restaurant has an enticing vegetarian menu,

I decided I had to try the signature Polo Bar Burger, with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and pickles. (I skipped the bacon.) The burger, which came with a side of hand-cut fries, was one of the best I’ve had, thanks to the meat’s marvelous texture. The beef is sourced at select times of the year from Lauren’s Double RL ranch in Colorado, said Steven Bono, our charming, handsome server, who like all the attractive waitstaff sported custom RL gray flannel trousers, leather wingtips and silk repp ties.

Fortunately for me, the burger was not as big as it appears in photographs, which allowed me to indulge in my favorite — dessert. Tempting though it was, I bypassed Ralph’s Coffee Ice Cream, homemade with his custom coffee blend, in favor of a buttery Charleston Bourbon Pecan Pie with whipped cream — which had me dreaming of that city’s gracious grille-work and gardens — while my sister savored a creamy banana sorbet.

No visit to any stellar restaurant is complete for me without a trip to the powder room. I still secretly harbor the fantasy of writing a book titled “Great Powder Rooms of the United States” to be followed by “Great Powder Rooms of Europe.” Suffice it to say it, too, is bottle-green and I wished I could’ve whisked it back to my house, along with the painting of Triple Crown winners Man o’ War and Citation by Allen F. Brewer Jr. that hangs on the 132-seat dining room’s west wall.

But alas, those will have to remain dreams and it was out into the frigid night for me and Gina.

There’s no doubt, however, that whatever the season, The Polo Bar will retain its amber glow.

The Polo Bar is at 1 E. 55 St. at Fifth Avenue. The doors open at 5 p.m. for guests with reservations. Call 212207-8562 or visit PoloBarRalphLauren.com.

THE POLO BAR OLD FASHIONED

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ ounces Jefferson’s Bourbon 2 tablespoons Demerara Syrup 1 lemon/orange twist 3 dashes Angostura Bitters 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters 1 dash Wormwood Bitters INSTRUCTIONS: Mix ingredients together and garnish with orange/lemon twists.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

79

WINE & DINE

Just a few of the “Critter Labels” at The Wine Connection in Pound Ridge.

When wine, especially American vino, took a Stag’s Leap forward

S

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG PAULDING

O, WHAT’S IN A LABEL, specifically a wine label that tempts a shopper to pick it up off its shelf, read a bit from the front and back and bring it to the cash register? The majority of wine purchased in this country is bought to be consumed that evening. The person shopping for dinner will often stop by the wine store and look for a proper wine pairing. Anyone who has been in a well-stocked wine store recently can’t help notice the proliferation of so-called “Critter Labels.” Back in the day, labels told you the producer name, maybe showed a picture of the château, and offered up little else. France, Italy and Spain, the main wine producers from the pre-1980 era, often wouldn’t tell you the grape, with the notable exception of France’s Alsace region. A certain knowledge of the region and typical grapes was expected. Wine was not a regular go-to drink. Bars would serve up beer and cocktails. But somehow when California fi rst nudged, then barged its way into the international wine market, labels began to change.

The date was May 24, 1976 and Steven Spurrier, a British wine educator and wine store proprietor in Paris, tasted a few California wines and was impressed. He decided to arrange a blind tasting of California wines and the pedigreed wines of France. The French wine producers stacked the deck in their favor. They insisted the tasting must happen in Paris. Shipping wines great distances in questionable conditions can give the wine a temporarily unsettling quality. The producers also insisted all the judges must be French with impeccable

80

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

wine reputations and credentials. Spurrier arranged this and, to everyone’s complete shock, California wines took first place in both the red and white category. The red winner, a 1973 Stag’s Leap SLV Cabernet Sauvignon beat out two of Bordeaux’s first growth wines, Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion. And the 1973 Château Montelena Chardonnay from Calistoga, Calif., bested the famous Burgundian producers, Meursault-Charmes Roulot and Bâtard-Montrachet RamonetPrudhon, both in the ’73 vintage. Indeed, at this blind tasting, California wines took six of the top 10 spots in both the white and red category. George M. Taber was the only journalist present at this tasting. (His excellent resulting book, “Judgment of Paris,” is a fascinating, informative and an easy read.)

Pictured on the Stag’s Leap label is a fully racked stag in profile. Animals on labels can represent and conjure up a place, such as a kangaroo on an Australian label, or a wolf on South Africa’s Painted Wolf winery. They can also celebrate history as with the black rooster on the Chianti Classico, or even the wine owner’s background and passion, as in Andrew Tow’s The Withers winery (see April 2014 WAG), represented on the label by a large horse.

They can also be humorous and self-deprecating, as in the Paul Mas wines of Le Languedoc region, known as Arrogant Frog. What an animal does is personalize the wine. I spoke to Paul Wagner, a wine educator, marketing expert, author and radio personality, and asked him about this.

“Critter wines were never really about the animals. They were about the contrast between those la-

bels and the more formal labels of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the New World wineries that emulated them. The real story of critter labels was that they implied there was a real person with a sense of humor and humanity at the winery, instead of a stuff y businessperson or an impersonal corporation. Of course, once the businesspeople and corporations figured this out, they introduced their own versions of critter and other fun and informal labels. And that is still happening today, and not just in wine. It’s the major direction of craft beer labels as well.”

A critter on the label will also create an easy-to-see logo, making the wine more prominent on the shelf.

So how do you decide among all the animals pictured? I hate to reduce it to this but obviously the price is key and important for most consumers. Most $10 bottles taste like $10 bottles — little depth and structure with little to contemplate and discuss. Conversely, increase in pricing usually reflects better grape-growing plots, which produce better fruit, more careful sorting of the grapes, more time spent in better barrels and usually some quiet time in the winery post-bottling to relax a bit prior to release. All of these take time and costs money so pricing will inevitably get passed on to the consumer.

But I find a huge difference in an entry level $10 wine and a $25 wine, and another huge leap in flavor, complexity and nuance with a $50 wine. So whether it’s a frog, a rhino, a kangaroo or some mythical amalgam of human/beast, a certain personality is bestowed on the wine before tasting. Find your price point and try some.

Critter wines are not just for novices.

Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

81

WHETTING THE APPETITE

RICE, MEET PASTA

BY JACKIE RUBY PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROZYCKI

SAFFRON RICE PILAF WITH TOASTED LINGUINE Move over Rice-A-Roni. There is a new saucy rice recipe in town.

You will never buy packaged rice again after you have tried this recipe. It is easy to make and a great dish. The saffron gives it a wonderful touch and will wake up your taste buds.

Let me know how you like it.

INGREDIENTS: • • • • • • • • • • • •

¼ teaspoon saffron 4 tablespoons butter 4 ounces linguine broken into 2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1½ cups long grain white rice 2 tablespoons chopped thyme and parsley ¼ cup chopped white mushrooms 4 cups chicken stock Zest of ½ lemon ¼ cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS: 1.

2.

3.

For more, contact Jackie at jacquelineruby@hotmail.com.

82

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

4.

5.

6.

Steep the saffron in the chicken stock on medium heat. Do not boil.

Place a large skillet on medium heat. Add butter. When it foams, add pasta and stir to toast until golden. Remove pasta to a plate.

Heat olive oil and sauté onion, garlic and thyme about 3 minutes or until softened. Add rice and stir for 4 minutes. Then add salt and pepper and chopped mushrooms.

Transfer onion mix and pasta to chicken stock and bring to a medium boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is done.

Add nuts, parsley and zest. Fluff with fork.

You can add grilled chicken or shrimp as well. Serve with a dry Pinot Grigio.

Harry T. Tucker & Sons, Inc Dock Specialists & Sunstream Boat Lift Dealer

One of the top five Sunstream Authorized boat lift dealers, in the country!

For all of Connecticut, Eastern New York State, and Long Island Sound

Call us for all of your waterfront needs and have more time to enjoy and relax with a truly wonderful boating experience.

203-775-9672 490 Candlewood Lake Rd. • Brookfield, CT

WHAT’S UP

My cat wants me

DEAD EAD

BY MARK LUNGARIELLO

SURELY, THE CAT IS THINKING OF KILLING ME. It might not be a

crime of passion exactly but it would be a passionate crime — because frankly the cat is obsessed.

People with pets love to talk about their pets to other people who also love to talk about their pets. They also talk about their pets to other people who don’t have pets, don’t love pets and don’t want to hear about pets in general, thank you very much.

This column shouldn’t be looked at in the same light as those Instagram photos of catnaps taken by cat owners — not that I haven’t done that, mind you. No, this column shouldn’t be taken lightly, because chances are if I turn up dead, my killer was Ella the cat.

As I type this, her hulking mass is nestled half on my lap and half on my laptop, in a yoga-like stretch/pose optimized for maximum disruption of whatever you’re doing.

She follows me wherever I go, scratching my knees while she does that strange kneading motion cats do. She sits on my forehead or chest while I sleep and when I wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes I catch her staring at me from across the room. Sometimes she is at the foot of the bed purring. Other times, she stares blankly, like a kitty Norman Bates, from inside the closet.

I think she is jealous of me and, more specifically, my relationship with her mistress — and my wife — Julie. I think she may take me out in one of those psychopathic “If I can’t have her, you can’t either” murder plots.

I can picture my worst fears in my head now, in monochrome, like an old feline film noir: Flashbulbs go off in the kitchen as some uniformed beat cops chew gum, scribble on notepads and look around my apartment.

One says to the other, in a thick Brooklyn accent, “Damn shame, McCluskey, looks like another guy who stood too close to the microwave while cooking popcorn.”

The other replies, “Only in this city, kid, only in this city.”

But then, some slick detective in a trench coat nearby notices they are standing in the middle of a crime scene. The first giveaway is the blonde-and-white cat hair everywhere — on the victim’s clothes, on the kitchen counter where the cat is not allowed (when the humans are home), on the victim’s socks and on the floor, as if the tiles have their own fur.

On close examination, they’ll even find a cat hair somehow stuck in the victim’s eyebrow. How did it get there, they’ll wonder, the same way the victim used to wonder how cat hair ended up in the backseat of his car — which Ella never once rode in.

The second giveaway is in the corner — an empty bag of Temptations cat treats.

Flavor — Tantalizing Turkey.

“Boys,” the detective says. “This was no accident.” The cops will then realize what

84

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

the empty bag means — some cat with a raging Temptations addiction was driven over the edge. That’s when this column will come in handy.

Calling those treats Temptations, by the way, is a bit of an underestimate of their desirability to cats. It was her love of those treats that let me know she could lose it at any moment.

Ella can be woken from a deep sleep at the sound of the drawer opening, but she doesn’t get up from my lap until she is sure it is that particular type of treat being taken out of the drawer. She then leaps from a lying-down position to 3 feet in the air.

It’s not comfortable for the person the cat is sleeping on to be used as a diving board, especially when the cat is Ella’s size. She is so large that rumor has it she was scouted by both World Wrestling Entertainment and the New York Knicks.

(Frankly, she’d be a better option than some recent roster members).

The second tell-tail sign (get it, she’s a cat and has a tail?... ahem) she was after me was that Ella was actually Julie’s cat. At some point, Ella turned on Julie though.

She no longer cares if Julie gives her attention or pets her unless I’m otherwise occupied or absent. Julie isn’t offended though.

In typical cat lady fashion, she says things like, “I am just happy that Ella is happy.”

Or, “I’m glad I married you so that the cat can have a companion into her twilight years.”

Despite Julie’s support, Ella still manages to creep us out at every possible turn.

One recent morning, she was nowhere to be found and as I turned from looking out the living room window, I spotted her sitting atop the refrigerator, silently staring back at me. Another time, I found her resting snugly in a partially open drawer in the bedroom that I had forgotten to close all the way. (Don’t tell Julie about that.)

Some nights, I hear the cat running back and forth in the kitchen. The few times I’ve sat up in bed and looked out into the hall, I find her just standing there staring back with glowing eyes. Last night, I woke to complete darkness. I couldn’t see anything, but I could hear the purring near my head. I closed my eyes tightly and pretended I didn’t know she was there.

If she’s convicted, I recommend the sentencing be at least a few hours in the cat carrier. She hates it in there. The final scene in the noir film just popped into my head and it isn’t pretty — Julie, the femme fatale, convinces the judge to let Ella go free. “They are all we really have in this world,” Julie will say.

Also feel free to use this column in the trial of the accomplice.

Follow Mark on Twitter: @marklungariello.

Twin Lakes Farm

T

win Lakes Farm is Westchester’s largest diverse equestrian center, offering both boarding and a robust riding academy. The riding academy starts at age 6 with private lessons before moving up to groups; adults ride daily and take advantage of the 8pm adults-only classes.

For the more serious equestrian, Twin Lakes Farm offers Drill Teams, Interscholastic Teams, Horseshowing, and Summer Leasing while also offering year round boarding.

Camp is coeducational and runs 8:30am to 4:30pm all summer and includes riding, camp activities and the very popular Horseshow.

Set on two campuses each has its own indoor arena, 55 stalls each, lighted outdoor arenas, paddocks with hay feeders, heated tack rooms and wash stalls.

The North Barn is home to the Riding Academy, Drill Team and Therapeutic Riding Program while also hosting the interscholastic (IEA) shows and schooling shows. The South Barn houses the boarders and show team while hosting nine USEF shows each year.

Whether it’s children’s lessons, adult lessons, riding teams, showing competitively or recreational riding there is something for everyone at Twin Lakes Farm which is why we are:

“Where Westchester Learns To Ride!”

©

960 CALIFORNIA ROAD, BRONXVILLE • 914-961-2192 • WWW.TWINLAKESFARM.COM A FACILITY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER PARKS, RECREATION & CONSERVATION

Riverdale Stables ABOUT THE FARM:

Riverdale Stables is the premier riding facility in the 5 boroughs of New York, offering lessons year round at all levels.

The facility boasts over 80 stalls, indoor, and outdoor wash stalls, many turnout paddocks, a large indoor arena, along with four lighted outdoor rings-including grass hunt course!

WHAT SETS RIVERDALE APART?

Riverdale Stables is a one of a kind place. We are an equestrian oasis tucked away in the corner of Van Cortlandt Park with open green grazing space, indoor and outdoor arenas turn out paddocks, and a barn with heated tack rooms and updated stalls. We are mass-transit accessible-minutes from the bus and Subways. Riverdale Stables prides itself on offering programs for the riders of New York City who do not own horses but want the hands-on opportunities of riding and learning about proper horse care. We have afterschool programs, Therapeutic Riding, Interscholastic Teams combined with camp and lessons for all levels of riders-from novice to our show team.

Riverdale Stables …

“Where New York City Learns To Ride!”© 6394 BROADWAY BRONX, NY 10471 (718) 548-4848 WAGMAG.COM APRIL 2015 WWW.RIVERDALESTABLES.COM

85

 GALLOPING SERVICES 

FOR THE EQUESTRIANS AMONG US

Stunning farms, riveting polo, outstanding vets and equestrian businesses in our region LIST COMPILED BY DANIELLE RENDA

FARM AND RIDING LESSONS

FOR HORSE PROPERTIES

COURTYARD FARM

438 Old Post Road, Bedford, N.Y. 10506 Phone: 914-234-4590 Website: elliman.com

DOUGLAS ELLIMAN

111 Bedford Center Road, Bedford Hills, N.Y. 10507 Phone: 914-244-4488 Website: thecourtyardfarm.com

LIONSHARE FARM

SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY OF GREENWICH

GREENWICH POLO CLUB

80 Field Point Road, No. 3, Greenwich, Conn.

06830 Phone: 203-561-5821 Website: greenwichpoloclub.com Specialty: polo

GREENWICH RIDING TRAILS ASSOCIATION

404 Taconic Road, Greenwich, Conn. 06831 Phone: 203-869-4649 Website: lionsharefarm.com

1 Pickwick Plaza, Greenwich, Conn. 06830 Phone: 203-869-4343 Website: sothebyshomes.com

151 Highview Ave., Stamford, Conn. 06907 Phone: 203-661-3062 Website: thegrta.org Specialty: trails

OLD SALEM FARM

VINCENT & WHITTEMORE

GRAND PRIX EQUINE

190 June Road, North Salem, N.Y. 10560 Phone: 914-669-5610 Website: oldsalemfarm.net

629 Old Post Road, Bedford, N.Y. 10506 Phone: 914-234-3642 Website: vinwhit.com

OX RIDGE HUNT CLUB INC.

WARBURG REALTY

1311 Kitchawan Road, Ossining, N.Y. 10562 Phone: 914-329-7498 Website: sundialfarm.us Specialty: store

P.O. Box 37, Hawleyville, Conn. 06440 Phone: 203-733-0789 Website: grandprixequine.com Specialty: veterinary care

W.J. Barry Horse Transportation 21 Jansen St., Danbury, Conn. 06810 Phone: 203-792-2288 Website: NA Specialty: transport

TWIN LAKES FARM

DIVERSE SPECIALTIES

260 NY-100, No. 260, Katonah, N.Y. 10536 Phone: 914-232-3275 Website: lawtonadams.com Specialty: trail building service

FAIRFIELD EQUINE ASSOCIATES

NEW ENGLANG EQUINE PRACTICE

LAWTON ADAMS

2933 New York 22, Patterson, N.Y. 12563 Phone: 845-878-7500 Website: neequine.com Specialty: veterinary care

PEGASUS THERAPEUTIC RIDING

SUNDIAL FARM

654 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065 Phone: 212-439-4500 Website: warburgrealty.com

32 Barnabas Road, Newtown, Conn. 06470 Phone: 203-270-3600 Website: fairfieldequine.com Specialty: veterinary care

2201 State Route 17K, Montgomery, N.Y. 12549 Phone: 888-310-2246 Website: congelositrailersales.com Specialty: trailer sales

310 Peach Lake Road, Brewster, N.Y. 10509 Phone: 845-669-8102 Website: pegasustr.org Specialty: therapy

512 Middlesex Road, Darien, Conn. 06820 Phone: 203-655-2559 Website: oxridge.com

960 California Road, Bronxville, N.Y. 10708 Phone: 914-961-2192 Website: twinlakesfarm.com

PAUL CONGELOSI TRAILER SALES

Just a sampling of services in region.

A Riding Tradition for 100 Years

Ox Ridge Hunt Club Riding Academy

OX RIDGE HORSE SHOW JUNE 9 - 14, 2015

2015 July Summer Camp

Oxridgehuntclub@gmail.com Oxridge.com 203-655-2559 512 Middlesex Rd. Darien, CT 06820

86

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

For more information follow Ox Ridge Hunt Club on Facebook & Oxridge.com Oxridgehuntclub@gmail.com

DARIEN, CT

WHAT DEFINES BEAUTY? People really want to know what it means to be considered beautiful. If you do a survey, you’ll discover that there’s some traits that are commonly considered attractive. These include high cheekbones, wide open eyes, a small nose, full lips and a minimal amount of lines, wrinkles, or skin blemishes – but of course, there are many, many people who are widely held to be beautiful who don’t have one or more of these traits.

For a deeper understanding, you want to take a step back and look at beauty from a wider perspective. These factors have a more profound and universal impact on whether or not someone is seen as beautiful:

Healthy Skin A smooth, clear complexion with a healthy tone and texture is an essential element of beauty. Our skin changes as we age: in adolescence and young adulthood, acne and blemishes are top concerns, while sun damage, volume loss and fine lines and wrinkles become more pressing concerns later on.

Maintaining a healthy complexion means addressing issues as they arise and taking precautions to keep damage from occurring. Microdermabrasion, peels and facials are a great way to put a fresh glow on good skin; laser skin treatments and skin rejuvenation treatments for the face, neck and hands help you reclaim your natural beauty.

Symmetry When we talk about symmetry, we’re really talking about whether the face is well-balanced. The cheekbones are key here. Volume loss in the cheekbone area results in an appearance of sagging, hollow cheeks, which creates the impression of advanced age and tiredness. To combat this, our physicians and Cosmetic Nurses use a combination of popular fillers, including Sculptra, Voluma, or Radiesse. These treatments work with the body’s natural mechanisms to restore volume and symmetry to the face, making you look younger and more energetic.

Movement Beautiful people laugh, cry, smile, frown, and express a whole range of emotions through their facial gestures. From the subtly raised eyebrow to the ear-to-ear grin, the way we move our faces connects us with the world and conveys our thoughts. Our goal with treatments such as Botox and Dysport or fillers like Restylane and Juvederm is to remove the wrinkles while providing a natural look. You’ll be able to express yourself and you’ll look more youthful and refreshed.

Youthfulness Youthfulness is all about looking great for your age. Clients who are in their mid-forties, for example, don’t come to us hoping to leave looking like a teenager. Instead, they want to be a great looking forty-year old. The factors that are involved here really focus on the condition and texture of the skin: do you have a smooth complexion with a firm, taut texture? If the answer to that question isn’t yes, our team will work with you to find the right combination of skin care services to freshen your appearance and restore your youthful look.

A Note About Cultural Differences Beautiful people come from every region of the planet. There’s no one-size-fits-all universal standard of beauty; we’re not all meant to look the same.

At SkinCenter, we’ve found that the men and women who come to us with their beauty concerns have absolutely no interest in erasing the features of their appearance that identify their membership in a cultural community. Instead, they want to enhance their own natural beauty, highlighting and emphasizing the unique features that make them who they are.

From Vienna to Vietnam, Bar Harbor to Baja, everyone wants to look their best. The SkinCenter mission is to make that happen. Call us now at 914-949-6200 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

87

PET OF THE MONTH

Jonesing for Jonesie MOVE OVER, SNOOPY, UNO AND MISS P. And make room for Jonesie, a super-sweet senior Beagle, who is 13 years old and was returned to the SPCA after 10 years of living in a home when his owner became very ill. He’s never lived with kids, so the SPCA thinks an adult-only home would be where he’s happiest. Jonesie is an incredibly nice dog who gets along with other dogs. He leans into you for snuggling, melts your heart with those big brown eyes and is most content when spending quality time with people.

He’ll make a loving, low-maintenance companion.

To meet Jonesie, visit the SPCA of Westchester at 590 N. State Road in Briarcliff Manor.

Founded in 1883, the SPCA is a no-kill shelter and is not affiliated with the ASPCA. The SPCA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. To learn more, call 914-941-2896 or visit spca914.org.

88

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

Dana Ann Miele, manager of community development for the Arthritis Foundation-New York chapter, writes WAG: “Here are Gracie and Melo. They are the ‘twins’ and are 10 months old. Their breed is called a Blue Pocket Beagle, blue cause their coat has a grayish tint and pocket because they are supposed to be smaller than the normal Beagle. They are so, so sweet and have two different personalities. Gracie is a snuggler and just loves attention, and Melo is a little boy and likes to be curious. They live with my boyfriend and me in New Rochelle and we have raised them since they were 2 months old. We absolutely adore them and these guys changed our lives.”

Must Love Dogs We Dig Your Dog

Exquisite Dog Grooming & Products 45 Katonah Avenue Katonah, NY 10536 (914) 232-5500 GroomInKatonah@optimum.net

Judy Eisele’s son Tyler and their dog Kashmir enjoying the snowstorm on March 5th.

Courtesy Judy Eisele.

www.MustLoveDogsKatonah.com

COME CELEBRATE OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY!

Walk & Run Sunday, June 7, 2015 Columbus Park, Stamford hopeinmotion.org

Hope in Motion is an ongoing fundraising campaign to support the programs and services of the Bennett Cancer Center.

100% of Donations Raised Support the Bennett Cancer Center SHF028 2015 W&R Ad_6x9_WAG.indd 1

WAGMAG.COM

3/10/15 2:22 PM89 APRIL 2015

THERE’S STILL TIME TO SIGN UP FOR 2015 TOURS

MAYANMAR: Oct. 7-16, 2015

ETHOPIA: Nov. 18-29, 2015

LAOS & CAMBODIA: Jan. 6-15, 2016

Travel with us in small group photo tours and Workshops to: ETHIOPIA, MYANMAR, LAOS/CAMBODIA AND TANZANIA TANZANIA: Dec. 8-17, 2015

Working in the field, learn photojournalism, portrait photography, location lighting, editing and workflow with new topics daily and personal attention.

Updated 2015 dates, itineraries, testimonials and tour fees are posted online at www.johnrizzophoto.com

“As the Director of the Foreign Press Association, I have worked with many photojournalist, but none have measured up to the outstanding work done by John Rizzo. I first met John after Sept. 11th and his photos of that disaster attest to his remarkable skill and sensitivity to the subject. He is an artist in his field.”

— Suzanne Adams, Director Foreign Press Association, New York

“Being a student of John Rizzo has been one of the greatest learning experiences in my life. I am glad I got to learn from John as the quality of my work has grown leaps and bounds because of his guidance.”

— Allen French, New England School of Photography

John Rizzo Photography | 10 Cedar St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 | (914) 231-9513 studio | (646) 221-6186 worldwide mobile | www.johnrizzophoto.com

THROUGH JUNE 28 “A Home for Art: Edward Larrabee Barnes and the KMA” — The Katonah Museum of Art celebrates the silver anniversary of its landmark building by Edward Larrabee Barnes with an ex-

WHEN & WHERE

hibition that explores the architect’s work in Westchester. 134 Jay St., Katonah; 914-232-9555, katonahmuseum.org.

APRIL 2 A pre-show reception and benefit film screening of “The Good Lie” to help support the Humanity Helping Sudan Project. Following the film, Ger Duany will be available for a Q&A with the audience about his personal experience as a “Lost Boy of Sudan” and the filming of this touching story. 6 p.m., The Bijou Theatre, 275 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport; 203332-3228, humanityhelpingsudanproject.org.

APRIL 3 THROUGH APRIL 26 “Shadow” — Working in different media, Kaya Deckelbaum and Carla Goldberg use light and shadow as components of their art. Noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, Gallery 66, 66 Main St., Cold Spring; 845-809-5838, Gallery66ny.com.

APRIL 4 “The Bolshoi Ballet in HD: ‘Romeo and Juliet’” — William Shakespeare’s timeless story is brought to the stage through breathtaking choreography and Sergei Prokofiev’s muchloved score. 4 p.m., Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Road, 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

APRIL 7 The Fairfield Theatre Company presents pianist George Winston for one evening. Introspective and tranquil, his style of playing creates an atmosphere in which an audience may lose itself. 7 p.m., Stage One, Fairfield Theatre, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield; 203-259-1036, fairfieldtheatre.org.

APRIL 8 The YMCA of White Plains presents “The Westchester Culinary Experience” — a culinary tour of styles, cuisines and signature

“A SENSE OF PLACE” EXHIBIT - APRIL 25 THROUGH MAY 17

dishes from some of the top restaurants in Westchester. A silent auction features food and culinary items and luxury packages.

6 p.m., Crowne Plaza Hotel, 66 Hale Ave., White Plains; 914-287-

versary while honoring His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan

monumental proportions. 2 p.m., 735 Anderson Hill Road,

2021 ext. 202, whiteplains.ymca-cnw.org.

and James P. Hynes at this black tie event. 6 p.m., Waldorf

Purchase; 914-251-6100, neuberger.org.

ttt The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum reopens with two

Astoria New York, 301 Park Ave., New York; 914-637-7781, ionascholarshipgala.org.

new exhibits that celebrate the beauty and relevance of bo-

ttt

APRIL 14

tanical imagery and art — “Tropical Luxuriance: The Man-

Boscobel House and Gardens presents “Living With Antiques,

The Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) is hosting its

sion’s Conservatory, 1868 to 1880” and “Full Bloom: The

A Quarter Century of Interior Design,” a lecture by Thomas

annual Innovative Leadership Award Gala. This year the al-

Artist’s View on Gilded Age Botanicals.” Noon to 4 p.m.,

Jayne, principal, Thomas Jayne Design Studio.

liance honors Dr. Savio LC Woo. 6:30 p.m., Harvard Club, 35

295 West Ave., Norwalk; 203-838-9799, lockwoodmathews-

1601 Route D, Garrison; 845.265.3638, Boscobel.org.

West 44th St., Manhattan. For more information and reserva-

mansion.com.

ttt

tions, call Joshua Corday 203-358-5055, acgtfoundation.org.

Master Class with Martin Charnin — The director and Tony award-winning lyricist (“Annie”) will share stories from his life in the theater. 7 p.m., White Plains Performing Arts Cen-

APRIL 16

The Women’s Council of Realtors, Empire Westchester Chapter,

ter, 11 City Place, 3rd Floor, White Plains; 914-328-1600, wp-

ArtsWestchester “50 for 50” Awards Luncheon — Cel-

presents “The Midtown Men in Concert” to benefit the Wound-

pac.com.

ebrate 50 outstanding individuals and artists whose vision,

APRIL 9

commitment and leadership enrich Westchester and its

ed Warrior Project, which serves military service members, veterans and their families. 7:30 p.m., Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St., Tarrytown; 877-840-0457, wcrthemidtownmen.com.

APRIL 10

APRIL 11

communities. 11:30 a.m., Doubletree Hotel, 455 South Broadway, White Plains; 914-428-4220, artsw.org.

The Neuberger Museum of Art presents “Congo: White

ttt

King, Red Rubber, Black Death” — a documentary film us-

The Grace Church Community Center presents its 36th an-

ing actual files, reenactments and interviews with historians

nual “Oasis of Hope” Gala. The fundraising dinner and silent

The 2015 Iona College Scholarship Award Gala & Diamond

to chronicle the brutal colonial reign of King Leopold II of

auction starts at 6 p.m., Leewood Golf Club, 1 Leewood Drive,

Jubilee Celebration — Iona College celebrates its 75th anni-

Belgium over the people of Congo, and reveal a cover-up of

Eastchester; 914-949-3098, gracecommunitycenter.org.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

91

Yorktown Community Cultural Center, 1974 Commerce St., Yorktown Heights; 914-962-0606, yorktownstage.com

WHEN & WHERE

APRIL 24 THROUGH MAY 10 Half Moon Theatre opens its inaugural spring season at The

APRIL 19

Culinary Institute of America with the beloved classic, “The Fantasticks.” Enjoy dinner beforehand at several of the insti-

The Greenwich Historical Society’s Landmark Recognition

tute’s restaurants where special block of dinner reservations

Program will bestow commemorative plaques and honor five

will be held for patrons. Shows begin at 8 p.m. on Fridays and

distinctive properties that reflect Greenwich’s unique architec-

Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays for the limited run. Marri-

tural heritage in a ceremony and Champagne benefit reception

ott Pavilion, 1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park; 800-838-3006,

at the Greenwich Country Club. The keynote speaker for the

halfmoontheatre.org

THE MIDTOWN MEN IN CONCERT - APRIL 9

event is Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 5 p.m. Greenwich Country Club, 19 Doubling Road, Greenwich; 203-869-6899, greenwichhis-

APRIL 25 THROUGH MAY 17 The Canfin Gallery presents artist Tjasa Owen in “A Sense

tory.org. ttt

of Place,” an exhibit of the artist’s acrylics and oil pastels on

The newly appointed principal conductor of the Westches-

canvas. Owen is known for her sunlit pastoral landscapes of

ter Philharmonic, violinist Jaime Laredo, leads the orchestra

sand and sea, farmlands and country. Canfin Gallery, 39 Main

in a program that spans the Baroque, Classical, and Roman-

St., Tarrytown; 914-332-4554, CanfinGallery.com.

tic periods. 3 p.m., The Concert Hall at The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase; 914-682-3707, westchesterphil.org.

APRIL 26 The Ossining Children’s Center 120th Anniversary Gala, hon-

APRIL 23

oring Betsy Block and David Swope, will be the kickoff event to the center’s yearlong celebration. 6 p.m., Abigail Kirsch at

Sole Sisters Annual Spring Luncheon — Proceeds from this

Tappan Hill Masion, 81 Highland Ave., Tarrytown; 914-941-0230,

year’s fundraiser will help the Greenwich United Way sup-

ossiningchildrenscenter.org.

port programs and services that assist hard-working local

ttt

families struggling to achieve economic security. Greenwich

New Westchester Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert —

Country Club, 19 Doubling Road, Greenwich; 203-869-2221,

The orchestra presents Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common

unitedsolesisters.org.

Man,” Faure’s “Pavane” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, 3 p.m., White Plains High School, 550 North St., White Plains;

APRIL 24 New Rochelle Opera 30th Anniversary Spring Gala, honor-

914-623-8075, newsymphony.org.

“SHADOW” - APRIL 3 THROUGH APRIL 26

ttt

The Breast Cancer Alliance 10th Annual “Walk for

ing Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto. The program includes a

Hope” — Dedicated to those whose lives have been af-

cocktail hour with open bar, a concert and a full dinner as well

fected by breast cancer, the one-mile walk draws together

APRIL 30

as silent auction, 6:30 p.m., The Fountainhead, 55 Quaker Ridge

friends, families and neighbors of all ages in a show of

The Manhattanville College School of Business Women’s

Road, New Rochelle; 914-576-1617, nropera.org.

remembrance and support. 10:30 a.m. check-in, Richards

Leadership Institute presents “Balanced Leadership for

of Greenwich, 359 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich; 203-861-

Women: Live Life Inspired!” It’s an interactive day-long

0014, bca.donorpages.com/Walkforhope2015/

workshop on enhanced methods of leading, working, bein,

ttt The New York Times Op-ed columnist Frank Bruni offers a

and contributing more holistically in the workplace. 9 a.m.,

talk titled “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania,” giving students and their

The 5th annual “April’s Child” Walk-a-thon will raise aware-

East Library, Reid Castle, Manhattanville College, 2900 Pur-

parents a new perspective on the brutal, deeply flawed col-

ness about how we can help prevent child abuse and neglect.

chase St., Purchase; 914-323-7235, community.mville.edu/

lege competition and a path out of the anxiety that it pro-

Funds raised will go towards community education and assist-

msb.

vokes. Free on-line tickets, 7 p.m., Chappaqua Public Library,

ing vulnerable families. The 5k and 1/2 mile stroll takes place at

ttt

195 South Greeley Ave.; 914-238-4779, chappaqualibrary.org.

8:30 a.m., Rye Playland, Playland Parkway, Rye; 914-997-2642,

Volunteer New York! presents the Volunteer Spirit Awards

aprilschildwalk.dojiggy.com.

35th Annual Breakfast Benefit, honoring extraordinary

APRIL 24 THROUGH APRIL 26

ttt

volunteers benefiting our communities. 8 a.m., Westchester

The March of Dimes’ annual fundraiser, “March for Babies”

Marriott, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown; 914-948-4452,

Yorktown Stage presents “Gypsy,” a revival of the 1959 mu-

— Join the walk to give every baby a healthy start. 9 a.m.,

volunteernewyork.org.

sical loosely based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee. 7:30

Saxon Woods Pool, 1800 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains;

p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday,

914-407-5000, marchforbabies.org.

ttt “Superhero Gala 2015” — To benefit St. Christopher’s Inc., celebrating 134 years of making a difference in the lives of youngsters. The event includes a sit-down dinner, asilent/live auction and a raffle with fun and excitement for everyone.

6:30 p.m. Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill, 81 Highland Ave., Tarrytown; For more, call Katie Johnson at 914- 693-3030, ext.

2313 or email kjohnson@sc1881.org.

MAY 2 THROUGH MAY 3

The 12th Annual YOHO Artists Open Studio features the

work and working environments of 60 artists. The event fea-

“FULL BLOOM: THE ARTIST VIEW ON GILDED AGE BOTANICALS” APRIL 8 92

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

tures refreshments, musical acts, exhibits and family workshops. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Free admission, 578 Nepperhan Ave., Yonkers; 917-545-2469, yohoartists.org.

for movies and the performing arts A Comedic Journey Through Showbiz with

CHARLES GRODIN A Return Engagement!

Tues, April 21 @ 7:30PM With classic TV appearances with Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno and more!

Robby Krieger of the Doors Wed, April 8 @ 8PM

With Special Guest Vocalist Waylon Krieger

Don’t miss legendary rock guitarist for The Doors and co-writer of songs "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," and "Touch Me."

The Broadway Dolls

Sat, April 11 @ 8:30PM

From Lady Gaga to Frank Sinatra – this “GLEE” like concert takes you to Broadway and beyond!

Gregory Alan Isakov

Sun, April 12 @ 8PM

South-African born singer-songwriter with his new album “The Weatherman.”

Lee Ann Womack

Sat, April 18 @ 8PM

Best known for hits "I Hope You Dance”, “Last Call”, “Think of a Reason Later” and “Mendocino County Line”.

80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT (203) 438-5795

ridgefieldplayhouse.org

JUDY COLLINS Thurs, April 23 @ 8PM Award-winning Folk Icon with hits “Both Sides Now,” “Send In the Clowns” and more!

The Waterboys

Mon, April 27 @ 8pm

The only CT show! A mix a Celtic Folk and Contemporary Rock and Blues!

Daughtry “Stripped” Tues, April 28 @ 8pm

Daughtry is coming to Ridgefield – the American rock band formed and fronted by Chris Daughtry, a finalist on season five of American Idol.

Wanda Sykes

Fri, May 1 @ 8PM

With Special Guest Keith Robinson

Ranked among Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest People in America!

Former Lead Singer of Boston

Fran Cosmo

Sat, May 2 @ 8PM With Special Guest Kashmir

Singing Boston’s hit songs, “More Than A Feeling,” “Don’t Look Back,” “Rock and Roll Band,” and more.

Luke Wade

Antigone Rising

From NBC’s The Voice Season 7! With his new album “The River.”

The alt-country-all-female-boot-stompin' rockers from New York City!

Sun, April 19 @ 7:30PM

Randy Bachman

of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Fri, April 24 @ 8PM

With hits “These Eyes,” “American Woman,” “Takin’ Care of Business” and more!

Peter Gros Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom

Sat, April 25 @ 5PM & 7:30PM

Join this wildlife expert, Animal Planet TV co-host and conservationist for a live show with his exotic animals!

Thurs, May 7 @ 7:30PM

Gotta Dance

Fri, May 8 @ 8PM

Show-stopping numbers from Broadway’s Hottest Broadway’s dancers.

Whitney Cummings

Fri, May 15 @ 8PM

Comedian, actor, writer and producer – she has appeared regularly on E!’s, Chelsea Lately, as well as Comedy Central’s Roast series!

93 WAGMAG.COM APRIL 2015

Eager Beaver Tree Service INTELLIGENT TREE CARE ARTISTIC DESIGN DETAIL ORIENTED LONG TERM PLANNING-IMMEDIATE RESULTS SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

EXTRAORDINARY Serving Westchester and Fairfield 914-533-2255 | 203-869-3280 |

203-966-6767

www.eagerbeavertreeservice.com Doug Paulding | Dpupatree@aol.com

WATCH

HAPOIENU HAPPENING 3

Sandy Hapoienu, owner of stylingsession.com, offered some 100 fashion lovers a peek at Neiman Marcus Westchester’s spring trends recently. They include Boho Chic (think 1970s meets Jet Set); a spice palette (think saffron, cinnamon, cayenne, paprika); mix and match; and white-on-white.

2 4

All identifications are from left unless otherwise noted.

1

Photographs by Georgette Gouveia.

5

6

7

8

1. Kalyane in Brunello Cucinelli 2. Boho Chic — Ksusha in Etro beaded blouse, Alexander Wang crop top, Etro printed pant, Céline tote and Chloé suede fringe platform slide 3. Spice palette — Kalyane in a Yoana Baraschi printed dress and Jimmy Choo gold shimmery slide sandals 4. Spice palette — Casius in an Alice & Olivia beaded jacket, Cushnie Et Ochs orange and white cutout dress and Prada brown platform sandal 5. Mix and match — Kalyane in an Alice & Olivia lace crop top, a Sachin & Babi midi leopard-print skirt, René Caovilla silver-studded flat sandals and Valentino sunglasses 6. White on white — Casius in a Reed Krakoff cream halter dress, an Edie Parker gold glitter clutch and Prada bootie sandals 7. White on white — Casius in an Armani Collezioni white leather jacket, a Brunello Cucinelli poplin and tulle top, a Derek Lam sleeveless sweater, AG Jeans’ white skinny jeans and Balenciaga open-toe wedge slides 8. White on white — Kalyane in a Rebecca Minkoff sleeveless lace jumpsuit, a YSL suede fringe bag and Jimmy Choo nude stiletto platforms 9. Sandy Hapoienu, center, with some of her Marist College fashion students

9

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

95

WATCH

IT’S ALL RELATIVE Westfair Communications’ FamilyOwned Business Awards honored 20 Westchester and Fairfield county businesses Feb. 26 from more than 60 nominees. They represented industries as diverse as cutting-edge technology in the prevention of concussions in sports to a 120-year-old dairy operation.

Stew Leonard Jr., who is well-versed in family business as the president and CEO of his eponymous grocery store, was the keynote speaker.

Joe McCoy, team leader and senior vice president of People’s United Bank, the event’s platinum sponsor, also addressed the importance of familyowned businesses.

Other event sponsors included gold sponsor Entergy, silver sponsor Frontier Communications and bronze sponsors Buzz Creators, Citrin Cooperman and Sikorsky. Additional sponsors were Dessertists, Val’s Wine & Liquors and Barksdale Home Care Services Corp.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Photographs by John Rizzo.

1. Michael Diamond, Affineco.

2. George Williams and Paul Viggiano, A.G. Williams Painting Company.

3. Jess Weiner, Michael Weiner, Kymberly Weiner and Jonas Weiner, Best Plumbing Tile & Stone.

4. Jeff Eakley, Maria Bilotta, Regina Bilotta and Jim Bilotta, Bilotta Kitchens.

5. Paul Bonomo Jr. and Paul Bonomo Sr., Cannondale Generators Inc. 6. Jeff and Mickey Alexander, Commerce Packaging.

7. Marianne Curto-Giannettino and Jonathan Giannettino, Curto’s Appliances.

8. Stew Leonard Jr. 9. John DeCicco Jr., Joe DeCicco Jr. and Chris DeCicco, DeCicco & Sons.

10. Ryan and Kevin O’Connor, Enhance A Colour Corp.

11. Scott Hobbs and Michael Hobbs, Hobbs Inc. 12. Debi Stein Fishman and Dr. Ross Fishman, Innovative Health Systems.

13. Valerie Levitt, Jason Schiciano and Ondrea Levitt Schiciano, Levitt-Fuirst Associates.

14. Anthony Davidson

12

13

96

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

14

11

15

16

17

18

19

20

15. Frank Cortese Jr. and Gary Lisiewski, New England Total Energy.

16. Laura Rey Iannarelli, Ava Iannarelli and Linda Rey, Rey Insurance.

17. Paul Scalzo, Andrea Scalzo and Peter Scalzo Jr., Scalzo Companies 18. Stewart Strauss, Strauss Paper Company.

19. John Fahey and Tom Fahey, T.F. Andrew Carpet One Floor & Home.

20. Ramona Wade, Ryan Wade, Yasu Huang, Lindsey Warner, Bernie Wade and Douglas Wade, Wade’s Dairy.

21. Joseph Armentano, Paraco Gas Corp.

22. Eon Nichols, Cuddy & Feder, LLP. 23. Joseph McCoy, People’s United Bank.

24. Jerry Nappi, Entergy.

25. Donald Janezic, Bigelow Tea. 26. Peter Gioia, CBIA. 21

22

23

24

BUSINESS AWARDS 25

26

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

97

WATCH

NEXT STOP, A GREAT RESTAURANT The Iron Horse Pleasantville, a 63-seat restaurant in the 110-year-old former Pleasantville train depot, reopened recently with a ribbon-cutting reception that attracted civic and business leaders who, to a person, embraced the refurbished venue as both village anchor and superb eatery.

“We’re gonna make this train roll,” said Pleasantville six-year Mayor Peter Scherer, who helped cut a ceremonial ribbon with restaurant co-owner Andrew Economos and William Flooks Jr, proprietor of Beecher Flooks Funeral Home and president of the 188-member Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce.

Scherer praised co-owners Judith and Andrew Economos’s nearly two-month renovation and now year-long tenure as Iron Horse building and restaurant owners, saying, “Pleasantville put a great building in capable private hands.

Their private investment has unleashed this renovation. It’s sleeker and more modern but every bit as good as always.”

— Bill Fallon

1

3

2

4

Photographs by Bill Fallon.

1. Andrew Economos and a painting of the Pleasantville depot by Judith Economos.

2. Judith and Andrew Economos.

3. Westchester County Legislator Michael Smith speaks with Judith Economos.

4. Painting by Judith Economos.

5. Mayor Peter Scherer, at microphone, and Andrew Economos. The painting is by Judith Economos.

6. William Flooks Jr., Andrew Economos and Peter Scherer cut the ribbon to reopen the Iron Horse after a nearly twomonth renovation.

7. Chef Freddie Rodriguez and head chef Claudio Pillacela.

8. A Judith Economos sculpture on the wall of the former telegraph office.

5

7

98

8

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

6

GRRRR –EIGHT! More than 450 attendees of the second annual “Eight Over Eighty” gala at the Mandarin Oriental New York in Manhattan raised $1.25 million for Jewish Home Lifecare, a nonprofit geriatric health and rehabilitation institution. The event paid tribute to eight New Yorkers (including some Westchesterites) who, in their 80s and 90s, continue to live lives of remarkable achievement, vitality and civic engagement. This year’s honorees were author and photographer Arlene Alda, 82; jazz pianist Barbara Carroll, 90; actor Joel Grey, 82; graphic designer Milton Glaser, 85; volunteer extraordinaire and Jewish Home trustee Pat Jacobs, 91; husband-and-wife art collectors Rita and Fred Richman, 90 and 91, respectively; businessmen Charles M. Diker, 80; and Irwin Hochberg, 87.

1

2

Photographs by Ann Billingsley.

3

5

1. Arlene and Alan Alda 2. “Brady Bunch” style shot of the eight honorees (clockwise from upper right corner: Pat Jacobs, Joel Grey, Arlene Alda, Barbara Carroll, Irving Hochberg, Charles Diker, Milton Glaser and Rita and Fred Richman).

3. Joel Grey steals the show with a surprise curtain-raising performance of “Willkommen” from “Cabaret.”

4. Charles and Valerie Diker, Eugene Grant and Nancy and Morris Offit 5. Jake Davidson, Diane Jacobs, Suzanne Davidson and Pat Jacobs (in light blue) 6. Audrey Weiner, Susie and Jeff Stern and Elizabeth Grayer 7. Barbara Carroll

4

6

8

7

9

LET’S EAT!

HAPPY 102ND B-DAY, BEN!

Recently, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino marked the start of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (HVRW) by rolling up his sleeves and helping Harvest on Hudson executive chef David Amorelli prepare pizza using only locally sourced produce. During the two-week-long HVRW, diners had the opportunity to sample dishes featuring farmto-table, sustainable products at more than 100 restaurants in Westchester.

Imagine a lifetime that has encompassed 17 U.S. presidents, two World Wars, Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight and the first man on the moon: That’s exactly what Benjamin Vinokur, a resident of The Bristal at White Plains, has lived through. Vinokur, who has turned 102 years old, was recently treated to a very special birthday celebration attended by Mayor Thomas Roach and members of his family. Congrats!

8. Natasha Caputo, Janet Crawshaw, Rob Astorino, Angelo Liberatore and Bruce Bernacchia

9. Beverly Cheikin, Faraz Kayani, Benjamin Vinokur, Thomas Roach and Eileen Goodman WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

99

WATCH

RACING TO BEAT CANCER The Lustgarten Foundation’s “Race 4 A Cure” recently took place at Grand Prix NY. More than 400 people from all over Westchester County attended this charity event, raising more than $140,000 to benefit The Lustgarten Foundation, the nation’s largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research.

2

3

1. Lisa LaRocca 2. Pam Bieber and Garrett Wolfe 3. David Waterman and Nat Mundy 4. Hope Wolfe, Eric Gabrynowicz and Stacey Remnitz

1

4

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN 5

6

7

10

5. Rose Shinabery, Stephanie Conners and Sarah Keating 6. Debbie Troy and Ana Caldararo 7. Rose Scozzari and Stacey Drummond 8. Laurie Marinaro and Michelle Lovlie 9. Wendie O’Meara 10. Kerri Waters and Julie Pisano 11. Ellen Pellegrino, Karen Pellegrino and Silina Marchetti 12. Jennifer DeFabbia and Stephanie Morra 13. Denise Ruis and Monika Boecker

11

12

9

8

Recently, Women for Women held a gala at Beckwith Pointe in New Rochelle to benefit The Elinor Martin Residence for Mother and Child. The benefit raised more than $3,000 to support the women and children in need who live at the residence.

13

HERSTORY The members of Professional Women of Westchester celebrated Women’s History Month in March at an event at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains. On hand were Professional Women of Westchester President and Founder Jamie Imperati and Nancy Armstrong, producer and founding member of the team that created the award-winning website and documentary series, “MAKERS – Women Who Make America.”

Armstrong shared the video collection of trailblazing women’s stories with the organization.

14. Jamie Imperati and Nancy Armstrong

15

SANDWICHES FOR THE HUNGRY

14

Equipped with 200 pounds of tuna and egg salad, more than 35 members of the UJA Federation of New York Scarsdale Women’s Philanthropy recently made 750 sandwiches for hungry New Yorkers. The women came to the JCC Mid-Westchester in Scarsdale to assemble and pack the sandwiches, which were distributed to clients of the Bronx Jewish Community Council.

15. Brooke Fina, Leslie Perelman and Jodi Boockvar

100 WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

SALUTING POWERFUL WOMEN The United Way of Westchester and Putnam Women’s Leadership Council served up “Pearls of Wisdom” at its recent annual luncheon at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor as it honored one of our own – WAG publisher and creative director Dee DelBello – and Mary Murray, IBM’s corporate citizenship and corporate affairs manager for Westchester County. The two received the council’s Woman of Distinction Award before an audience of some 200 women (and a few good men). Shoot-fromthe-lip keynote speaker Stephanie Ruhle, co-host of Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers,” told the crowd that if it wanted to change the corporate culture where women are concerned, it would have to change the conversation, often laced with stereotypes. But the most moving address came from out-of-work dental receptionist Nicole Kande, who with tears in her eyes told the audience that the council’s Teach Me to Fish training program gave her the confidence to go on.

– Georgette Gouveia

1

2

3

1. Ruth Mahoney, Angela Brock-Kyle, Kate McDonough, Donna Goldman Hirsch, Bernadette Schopfer, Elizabeth BrackenThompson, Marissa Brett, Stacey Cohen and Leslie Lampert 2. Stephanie Ruhle, Mary Murray, Lisa Salvadorini, Alana Sweeny and Dee DelBello 3. Janet Belardi, Swati Goel-Patel and Amanda Paredes 4. Kevin Plunkett

4

OH SAY CAN YOU ‘ARTSEE’?

5

6

Joined by artists, community leaders and members of Westchester County government, ArtsWestchester held a kickoff event recently for a festival celebrating its 50th anniversary. “ARTSEE,” running through July, is packed with dance, film, theater, art exhibits, concerts, open studios, poetry readings and more. Some 40 organizations are presenting the 70 events.

7

8

9

10

Photographs by Tim Radigan.

5. Osi Audu 6. Lynn Honeysett 7. Janet Langsam and Kevin Plunkett 8. Michael Boriskin, Froma Benerofe, Janet Langsam and Michael Minihan 9. Laura deBuys and Robert Boydstun 10. Lisa Reilly

WINNING GAME Recently, students, faculty and area business leaders gathered at the College of New Rochelle to hear Wall Streeter Carla A. Harris discuss her new book, “Strategize to Win: The New Way to Start Out, Step Up, or Start Over in Your Career.”

Photographs by the College of New Rochelle.

11

12

13

11. Judith Huntington and Carla A. Harris 12 Carla A. Harris interacts with guests.

13. Carla A. Harris addresses the crowd.

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

101

WATCH

OUT OF AFRICA More than 200 people attended the opening reception for “Kuba Textiles: Geometry in Form, Space, and Time” at the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College recently. Marie-Therese Brincard, curator, presented a talk on the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the extraordinary textiles they’ve produced. They’re on view at the museum through June 28.

1

2

1. Gail Martin, Beverly Birks, Andres Moraga, Patrice Giasson and Jim Neuberger 2. Aileen and David Ganz 3. Barry Pearson and Verena Traeger 4. Helen Stambler Neuberger, Rachel Stern and James and Susan Dubin 5. David Lantz, Marvin Cooper, Paul Zukowsky and Marie-Therese Brincard

4

102 WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

5

3

‘LOVIN’’ THE CHAMPAGNE BALL

1

2

3

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center’s 27th annual Champagne Ball was held recently at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor. The event raised more than $400,000 to support the hospital’s services for the community. A surprise guest was John Sebastian, a founder of The Lovin’ Spoonful, who delighted fans by performing songs he and his band made famous in the 1960s.

1. Franklin and Laurie Zimmerman and Pamela Terracciano 2. John Sebastian 3. Lisina Hoch and Bard Bunaes 4. Elyse and Lawrence Faltz 5. Michael Dowling, Richard Sinni and Andrew Merryman 6. Sean and Leanne Dugan 7. John and Elzeria Barnes 8. Tracey and Daniel Blum 9. Kathy and Keith Safian

4

6

5

7

8

9

DINE, WINE AND BE KIND Five top Westchester chefs recently joined forces to create the “Dine, Wine and Be Kind” dinner for patrons at the Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry to benefit the Food Bank for Westchester. The event drew a sold-out crowd of 74 diners and was sponsored by Cedar Street Grill and Constellation Brands.

10. John Leggio, John Ramirez, Matt Kay, Leandro Manuel, and Rui Correia Seated: Joe Kay, Michael Cifone and Lenny Carlucci 10

WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

103

WHAT ANIMAL INSTINCT DO YOU RELY ON?* WIT WONDERS:

Maritza Almonte

Judith Economos

Clare Golden

Rita Gruber

Sandy Hapoienu

Jayne Jones

Nicole Kande

Mary Ann Luna

Mary Ann Mangiere

Jackie Ruby

Audrey Topping

Peter West

“I THINK ABOUT MY DOG. I LOVE MY DOG. WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY DOG, I THINK ABOUT THE ABILITY TO SERVE PEOPLE AND LOYALTY. IT’S ABOUT FAITHFULNESS – AND LOVE.” – Maritza Almonte,

employment case manager, Urban League of Westchester, Bronx resident

“COLOR VISION IS IMPORTANT TO ME. APES, MONKEYS, BIRDS AND FISH – THEY ALL HAVE COLOR VISION. YOU CAN TELL BY THE COLORING OF BIRDS AND FISH. APES AND MONKEYS LOOK FOR COLORFUL FRUIT.” – Judith Economos,

painter and sculptor, Yonkers resident

“INTUITION. I GO WITH MY GUT. YOU’RE NEVER WRONG IF YOU GO WITH YOUR GUT.” – Clare Golden,

Rye Brook resident

104 WAGMAG.COM

APRIL 2015

“I WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION A DIFFERENT WAY. I IDENTIFY WITH LEOPARDS, BECAUSE I LOVE THE PATTERN.” – Rita Gruber,

special education teacher, Harrison resident

“I JUST LISTEN TO MY INTUITION. I GO WITH MY GUT.” – Sandy Hapoienu, owner, stylingsession.com, Waccabuc resident

“LOYALTY, LIKE A DOG. I AM A VERY LOYAL PERSON.” – Jayne Jones, co-owner, Bister accessories, Putnam Valley resident

“I FEEL IT IS MY ABILITY TO ADAPT TO SITUATIONS. I’M ALWAYS ON MY TOES, THINKING A FEW STEPS AHEAD.” – Nicole Kande,

dental receptionist, Ossining resident

“I’M THINKING OF A DOG AND HOW A MOTHER DOG PROTECTS, MAKING SURE HER PUPPIES HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED. IT’S ABOUT BEING A PROVIDER, A LEADER, A TEACHER.” – Mary Ann Luna, vice president for community alliances, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, Larchmont resident

“I WOULD SAY I’M PROTECTIVE OF MY FAMILY AND SELF BUT ESPECIALLY MY KIDS.” – Mary Ann Mangiere,

co-owner, Bister accessories, Valhalla resident

“LIKE SOME ANIMALS, I’M INTO COLOR. AS A LITTLE GIRL, I HATED THE NEWSPAPERS. BUT THE COLOR SECTIONS, I LOVED. I’M VERY VISUAL. I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.” – Jackie Ruby,

Realtor, William Raveis Real Estate, and WAG’s Saucy Realtor, Waccabuc resident

“THE PATIENCE OF A CAT.” – Audrey Topping,

Sino expert, photojournalist, author, Wagger, Scarsdale resident

“LOYALTY. I LIKE TO BE HONEST. I TRUST PEOPLE. WHEN I DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE, I LIKE TO HONOR THAT. I THINK IT COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY.” – Peter West,

resource development associate, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, Brewster resident

*Asked at the United Way of Westchester and Putnam Women’s Leadership Council luncheon and the Sandy Hapoienu fashion event at Neiman Marcus Westchester.