PrintWellington, FL - January 6, 2014 - The Wellington Turf Tour has found a home for its first event of the series at the immaculate Wolfstone Stables in Wellington, FL. Pristine new fences will sit atop the open grass field as riders, owners and onlookers enjoy a relaxed atmosphere reminiscent of what can only be described as show scene tradition. This Wednesday and Friday, Schuyler Riley will welcome attendees to the first of an 11-week series filled with top-tier competitors, horses and nearly $200,000 in prize money. Get your entries in now by clicking here.
Last winter Nona Garson and George D'Ambrosio responded to a call that long needed answering, introducing the Wellington community to a new way of competition-one that involved rolling grass fields, top tier hospitality and unparalleled competition. The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour has returned to the Wellington show scene with resurgence, beginning the first week of the Winter Equestrian Festival and running for 11 consecutive weeks.
"Last year I didn't have a chance to compete in the series, but it definitely wasn't because I didn't want to," Riley explained. "The only thing stopping me was not having the right horses for it, but this year I do. I'm really looking forward to competing at my place, as well as at some of the other Ridge at Wellington competitions."
The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour was designed to develop young riders, as well as young horses, and the inaugural event became the talk of the 2013 Wellington circuit with an unprecedented amount of earnings at stake for Level II Jumpers. The event was hailed as the highlight of the season with top riders, amateurs and juniors alike choosing to ride in the invitational series, challenging their young horses to a new experience during the Winter Equestrian Festival. This year the series is back, bigger and better than could have been anticipated, kicking off at Schuyler Riley's Wolfstone Stables in Southfields.
"I think a series like this is really helpful and is something special that will help us create our young horses and allow some of the young riders to get exposed to different venues, different courses and different jumps," Riley stated. "WEF has its own attributes, but The Ridge really brings something new to the industry that we've been missing."
Riley continued, "I think it's a fabulous opportunity for horses and riders to go to different venues, and also to not have all of the costs that are associated with bringing a stable full of horses and staying at WEF for the three months."
This Wednesday, January 8, 2014, competitors can take their turn at the 1.30m-1.35m courses, designed by Pierre Jolicoeur. The 1.30m-1.35m jumper classes will take place side-by-side on their stunning grass field, offering the popular open in gate format. The long anticipated 1.40m Ridge at Wellington Invitational Grand Prix will also find its first home of the series at Wolfstone Stables Friday, January 10, 2014. Both events will run all day beginning at 8 a.m. and concluding at 4:30 p.m. To avoid post entry fees, please send in your entries by tomorrow, January 7, for the 1.30m-1.35m Jumpers, and by Thursday, January 9, for the $15,000 1.40m Invitational Grand Prix.
Riders will have the opportunity to ride over straight from the show grounds, or trailer their horses over while enjoying unparalleled hospitality and quality competition. The Ridge series is the perfect training opportunity to help riders and horses prepare for the classes held at the Winter Equestrian Festival, helping to end the daily grind and prevent complacency throughout the circuit.
Meadowbrook Horse Transport will provide transportation to and from the horse show and other locations throughout Wellington for both the Wednesday and Friday events. The transportation is a nominal fee of $50 per horse, and will be calculated into the final show fees. To make a reservation for one of the three pickup times: 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. please call Peter Tufano of Meadowbrook Horse Transport at (954) 415-7217, or call Nona Garson at (908) 500-0996.
"You can trail ride over; you can trailer over and compete on great footing at great venues, and I think it's something that's been missing in our country," Riley concluded. "We tend to gravitate toward more of these series like WEF or Saugerties where you get sort of in the same sandbox showing again and again, and that definitely does have benefits in making some green horses that need repetition, but then when you want to try and develop horses for the next level it's really important to get them to different places. I think it's really special that George and Nona have gone out and sought out private properties that have fantastic fields to be able to put on these events at."
The Wellington Turf Tour's Grand Prix Finale will once again find its home at the illustrious Deeridge Farms on March 22, 2014. With just under $25,000 in prize money at stake, the competition will be fierce as qualifying invitees return to the outstanding grass field. For those riders who compete in nine Grand Prix events leading up to the finale, the entry fee will be waived. The Leading Rider Award will once again be offered at the culmination of the series to the rider who racks up the most points throughout at least six of the Grand Prix classes.
The Ridge has available sponsorships for their Wellington Turf Tour. For more information, call (908) 500-0996 or download information at http://www.theridgefarm.com.
Sponsorships are available for the $25,000 Finale, $15,000 Weekly Grand Prix, $2,000 Weekly Hospitality Text, $3,500 Show Jump Sponsor for series, $750 Ring Banner for the series and $500 Weekly Class Presenter.
All checks should be made payable to the Ridge Farm LLC.
The Ridge at Wellington Grand Prix Series
C/O Eda Tordiff
110 Edwards Rd.
Parsippany, NJ, 07054
This premiere state-of-the-art facility offers the best of the equestrian sports with varying competition levels. Their shows offer a wide array of classes, as well as generous prize money and sponsorship opportunities. Located only two miles from the prestigious Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, the Ridge at Wellington offers one of the most centrally located horse shows in Wellington.
For more information about the Ridge at Wellington please go to www.theridgefarm.com. For up-to-date information please follow the Ridge at Wellington on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ridge-at-Wellington/219358376264.
