Wellington, FL (January 28, 2010) – Pan Am Gold Medalist Betsy Rebar Sell, and her 22-year-old equine partner Wonderful Walden, gave a world-class performance at the 2010 Top Shelf Dressage Under the Stars Series premiere at the Players Club Bar & Restaurant in Wellington, riding away with top honors and over $800 in prizes. Dressage Under The Stars will run for seven more weeks each Wednesday night, giving dressage enthusiasts a chance to sit tableside at the Players Club while enjoying top competitors and their horses dancing under the stars.
“It was a fabulous evening and a wonderful way to kick off the series,” said Neil Hirsch, owner of the Players Club. “Dressage Under the Stars will run every Wednesday night until our grand finale on March 17th. Admission is free and everyone is invited.”
Dressage rider and country singer Jenna Wyatt hosted the evening, which included a star-studded line-up of riders, celebrity judges and entertainment. The style judges included celebrity hair stylist Mary Brunetti, founder of the horse mane and tail restoration system TailRx. In addition to being a dressage rider, Brunetti is a stylist to stars such as Ricki Lake, Brooke Shields and Maria Carey.
Nacho Figueras, polo player and Ralph Lauren model, joined Brunetti as a celebrity judge. Ken Braddick, of dressage-news.com, acted as the media judge, while the dressage judges included Pan Am Gold Medalist Susan Dutta and Olympic dressage rider Steffan Peters, who was recently named the USEF Equestrian of the Year, while his horse Ravel was named the USEF Horse of the Year.
“It was an exciting, star-studded evening,” said Brunetti. “Every time you turned around there was another celebrity. It was a great evening and the riders earned fabulous prizes, which was really exciting.”
Rebar Sell rode away with $500 cash from The Player’s Club as well as gifts from sponsors, which included a $100 gift certificate to SmartPak Equine, a gift certificate to The Wellington Institute, product from SUCCEED ® and more. Additional sponsors for the evening included Premiere Equestrian, who provided the arena, Choice of Champions, Sho Clothes, Equilite and Draper Equine Therapy.
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“I have to give credit for Walden’s fantastic condition to the Triple Crown Senior Feed he eats,” Rebar Sell said. “Walden is still going strong at 22, and I could tell he was thrilled to be in the spotlight.”
Bruce Ekstrom and Charles McCallister, of Tuigpaarden Farms in Ocala, had the crowd on their feet with a rock ‘n roll driving exhibition of Hackney Horses and American Show Ponies. The high-stepping equines delighted the audience and were a wonderful addition to the evening.
Dressage Under the Stars, sponsored by Patron Tequila, Perrier Jouet Champagne and Absolut Vodka, will continue to feature top dressage competitors, celebrity judges and guests. The Players Club, which overlooks magnificent polo grounds, offers a dining experience unparalleled in the Palm Beaches.
“The Players Club has a long standing relationship with the equestrian community, and Dressage Under the Stars is a great way for the Players Club to connect to the exciting Wellington horse scene,” Hirsch said. “Having dinner and watching horses perform and dance on the field is pretty special.”
For more information about the Players Club, visit their website at www.playersclubrestaurant.com.
