Message From The Publisher
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Widely recognized for its world-class equestrian sport, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is the premier winter equestrian destination and home to the world-renowned Winter Equestrian Festival. WEF features more than 70 divisions of hunter-jumper competitions featuring everything from short-stirrup to Olympic-level show jumping. In this issue, we offer an overview of WEF, including a look at the festival’s sponsors, a comprehensive visitor’s guide for what to do during your WEF visit and a preview of this year’s Great Charity Challenge.
Featured on our cover this month is rising equestrian star Alex Granato, who had a stellar 2019 with his most prominent mount, Carlchen W. The two were consistently contending for top honors, and Granato has big plans ahead with an eye on the 2020 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. Also featured this issue is the Minikus family. Veteran show jumper Todd Minikus and his wife Amanda have a unique partnership focused on family and horses. Of course, the highlight of this issue is our annual Faces of WEF section, featuring just a handful of the great riders competing in Wellington this winter.
We also check in with top Irish show jumper Darragh Kenny, who is back in Wellington after a show-stopping European tour. We meet Jen Sherry and Kristina Bostwick, the dynamic duo of Wellington moms helping in the South Florida launch of the Casey Cares Foundation, a nonprofit that supports families with chronically ill children. Next, we visit with Mike Graves of Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers regarding the future of healthcare. His goal is to refocus the physical therapy industry on prevention efforts.
Wellington Professional this month profiles Geoff Fear of Provident Jewelry, while our Wellington Program series chats with Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Michelle Garvey about special events that bring the community together. Haute for Season, our fashion feature, looks at the timeless styles with rich history offered by U.S. Polo Assn. Wellington Real Estate visits with equestrian expert Martha Jolicoeur of Douglas Elliman, and Wellington Health profiles “Mr. Universe” Matthew Otero of Results Personal Training. Finally, Wellington Table samples the creative Italian cuisine offered at the new Piatto Bravo restaurant.
As we go to press with our annual Faces of WEF issue, we reflect on the team that it takes to make it all come together. Thank you to all of our advertisers for their continued support, our community partners, industry professionals and a big shout out to all of the amazing equestrian photographers whose work we are showcasing throughout this month’s edition. We hope you enjoy this issue and that you find your way to take in all that the Winter Equestrian Festival has to offer!
Wellington Welcomes Back Top-Level
Show Jumping Competition At PBIEC
executive editor
Joshua I. Manning
publisher
Dawn Rivera
senior graphic designer
Stephanie Rodriguez
graphic designers
Nancy Pobiak
Yolanda Cernicky
account managers
Betty Buglio
Evie Edwards
Lynda Linforth
Joetta Palumbo
bookkeeping
Jill Kaskel
Carol Lieberman
photography
Abner Pedraza
contributors
Matthew Auerbach
Lindsay Brock
Meredith Burow
Barre Dukes
Denise Fleischman
Melanie Kopacz
Mike May
Callie Sharkey
M. Dennis Taylor
Y.A. Teitelbaum
Deborah Welky
Dawn Rivera
Dawn Rivera,Publisher