Sylvia Harmon, LVDA member, is spending quality time in Wellington, FL this winter, and she's kindly offered to share some of her knowledge, experiences and photos with the LVDA community. Below are some photos and some tips for the Winter Wellington traveller. Preface (for the non-Floridian) The Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge 1, NAJYRC, YC, BC Q, Jan 6, 2013 By Sylvia Harmon Greetings from sunny Wellington Florida and the first recognized dressage show at The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on Forest Hill Blvd.! The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center is a 111-acre world class equestrian showplace, featuring 1 covered arena with bleachers, 2 outdoor show rings, 3 training rings, 2 permanent stabling barns with a total of 128 stalls, parking for cars, horse trailers, and vans, and 8 miles of scenic trails. It will also be the location for Jan.23-27 Wellington Classic Dressage Sunshine Challenge CDI 3 and World Masters of Dressage CDI 5; immediately followed by the Global Dressage Forum North America Jan 28-29. This was a relatively small show compared to what is to come this season, but here are some of my favorites: George Williams riding Cleopatra in FEI Intemediare 1 Open. A gorgeous horse ridden by a most capable and accomplished rider! ‘Not to mention George is president of USDF and a genuinely nice person! The duo scored 69.211% and placed 2nd. The first place in the same class went to Caroline Roffman on Her Highness O, with an impressive score of 72.368%. Caroline’s body position is the epitome of correctness and a perfect example of what we should all aspire to! My favorite horse of the day was the drop-dead-gorgeous and super mover, Rosevelt, ridden by Allison Brock ! WOW ! The pair earned a well-deserved 70.541% in FEI test-of-choice I-2. ‘Hope to catch more pix of them as the season progresses. Unfortunately, I missed the lovely Paula Matute’s (yes! She’s the daughter of Juan!) Jr.T ride on Quelidona De Ymas because I was socializing with old friends at the stabling barns. But, she was kind enough to pause and flash a bright smile for my camera ! BTW..........if anyone is interested in warming their horsey souls this winter down here in Wellington, the action is hoppin' from this coming weekend until mid-April featuring many of the world's best in dressage, jumping and polo. So check out the schedules on these websites to help plan you trip:
Also, I'd like to add the following info to the list for those who are considering a visit to this area and would like to add variety to their vacation and/or are bringing family members who might appreciate a breather from the horse stuff. :
My husband, Claude, said not to forget to mention The Blue Heron drift boats for anyone visiting who might enjoy fishing off shore. Claude actually grew up down here and worked as a mate on these boats when he was growing up. The fleet has 2 locations: one off Blue Heron Blvd. in West Palm beach and one up in Jupiter. www.blueheronfishing.com
There's lots more but those are some of the best things that came to my mind. So are you ready to plan a trip?
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