Spring Break In Wellington

March 12, 2013

By: Taylor Joyce

My final spring break as a College of Charleston student is sadly coming to a close as I enter the home stretch of my senior year, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Originally my friends and I had planned a cruise, island-hopping through the Caribbean for our last vacation of guiltless, 21-year-old freedom before the onset of the “real world” post-graduation. When I abruptly announced my decision to instead drive 10 hours to Wellington, horseless even, their jaws dropped. Although they were familiar with my riding career, which had slackened considerably halfway through college, they couldn’t understand why I would still travel such a distance and “give up” my senior spring break to be merely a spectator at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.

While they and the rest of my peers packed their bikinis and toothbrushes in preparation for trips to the Bahamas, Cancun, Brazil and the like, I explained the FTI WEF to them as one might to a non-equestrian. What they find for fun at Pawleys Island, I find at Pony Island; what they see in Grand Cayman, I see in Grand Hunter. Their bikinis are equivalent to the equestrian’s britches, their massage sessions our dressage lessons, their poolside beach chairs our ringside box seats.

Now as I weave through the bustling 12 rings of FTI WEF, observing all that drew me here, I am not regretful of my decision to leave behind the stereotypical senior spring break, and sing to the Beach Boys in my head:

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go to Mogavero,
we’ll ride there fast and then we’ll watch the show,
Thaaat’s where we wanna go, down to Mogavero…

I have my own Oasis, complete with my own Tiki Hut and palm trees. Sure, I’m driving a golf cart and not a jet ski, but my spring break has had all the benefits of that of my peers and more. I am even able to trump theirs in regard to the international aspect, as it’s impossible to traverse the show grounds without hearing Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Swedish as well as an array of accents chatting passionately about the day’s events or strategically discussing their game plans to compete. The passion of Wellington’s athletes, trainers, spectators and employees is mind-blowing, and I’d like to share with you what they have to say about FTI WEF to illustrate why so many, like myself, are drawn to this horse-lover’s paradise.

I though it fitting to begin with one of my greatest role models here: Kevin Babington. Having participated in one of his clinics in my hometown in New Hampshire years ago, I was now finally getting the chance to not only watch him compete in his element, but interview him on the subject. I caught him exiting the International Arena after his round in the Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Grand Prix on Friday. This is Kevin’s 9th year competing at FTI WEF, where he’s also currently training 10 of his students. “The level of competition here raises the standard of riding and no other show puts so much pressure on riders” he says of FTI WEF’s challenges. Kevin plans his January to April season far in advance while his plans for the off-season seem more uncertain (probably Old Salem followed by Kentucky), demonstrating the vast attention which FTI WEF commands. He patterns his horses’ schedules to 2 weeks of showing followed by 1 week of rest, stressing the importance of their calm stabling environment off the show grounds with ample and spacious turn-out. I often hear Kevin applauded for being not only an excellent trainer, but a constant learner. The riders he seeks out to watch are Beezie Madden, Nick Skelton, and Kent Farrington, although he likes to keep an eye out for all who are winning that week.

My luck continued as I was able to speak with Clementine Goutal in the International Club during some of her free time, rather than chase her down on horseback. And I felt even luckier as this young, up-and-coming rider certainly does not have much free time! Although she is taking this year after graduation off to compete, her four years at Brown University were action-packed. She was eager to “throw herself into the workforce” upon arriving at college; juggling internships with interior designers and investment banks, maintaining her riding career, and upholding her commitment to Next Generation, a subgroup of UNICEF, are just a few of her many accomplishments as she strongly believes you can have both a riding career and an involved external life. “I admire people who are well-rounded, have many interests and stay updated on current events.” From Beezie to Mclain to Laura, she looks up to a variety of FTI WEF’s top riders, her sister Brianne being one of her biggest role models because “she always keeps a level head through all of her success.” When asked about what sets 2013 FTI WEF apart from her past competitions, Clementine touched upon two major points: “Here at WEF the level of competition is higher, and each week you have to be faster and better than the last. It’s a good place to grow as a horseman and rider.” Now that she has some time off, it’s been nice to be more self-reliant as she’s able to prep her own horses whereas while she was in college “it almost became easier to show up and compete than to practice and fix the little things yourself.” Last summer Clementine competed in Europe and Morocco, and even after was constantly on the road to a different venue every week; “there wasn’t enough time to go back to the basics. Here, with the opportunity to compete in the same place and ring every week, you have the chance to tweak little things.” Secondly and on the other hand, however, “this show season has gotten so long and competition is so high that there are a lot of let-downs, stress and negativity that come with success.” A vital support group of family and friends contributes greatly to Clementine’s success, apparent by her many top finishes thus far.

Next I made my way to the Grand Hunter Arena, because who is more suitable to speak of FTI WEF than its most practiced veterans, whose continued success in the circuit have earned them superior status on the show grounds? I caught Holly Orlando coming out of the Grand Hunter Ring, taking 4th place in the Sanctuary Regular Conformation Hunters. Beginning her career here before I was born, she admits that her favorite part of FTI WEF is the warm weather, as her husband, an employee of Equestrian Sport Productions, agrees. “Since there are so many consecutive weeks of showing, you can’t let yourself be too casual about it. You have to keep building throughout the season,” she says of the challenges of WEF in comparison to her off-season circuit. Louise Serio, with whom I spoke next, elaborated: “a major challenge is keeping your horse sharp throughout the entire season and going well over the same jumps and in the same ring week after week.” As for her favorite part of WEF, she remarks that the degree of competition is unbeatable. “Everyone is here, striving for similar goals and learning from one another.” Based in Kennett Square, PA, Louise has also been competing at WEF for a couple of decades now. The success of both Holly and Louise in the hunter arena, along with their light-hearted and warm personalities, cannot go without notice.

From here I turned to Pony Island, to FTI WEF’s youngest competitors and their small mounts taking to the ring and making a name for themselves among all the best. Brass plaques adorn the pavilions overlooking the two pony rings, one of which reads “courage is grace under pressure.” As I read this I looked beyond it into ring 12 at its epitome: Emma Kurtz riding by on All My Love, taking second in the $500 Voltaire Design Large Pony Hunters followed by numerous other top finishes last Saturday. I decided not to push my questions as she was clearly on a tight schedule, competing pony after pony across multiple arenas. These girls are BUSY! However I was able to sit down with Coco Fath of Heritage Farms who spoke of her first year of competition at FTI WEF. Coco, now 12 years old, began riding when she was 6 and now shows 4 ponies intermittently throughout the season, of which Blueberry Hill is her favorite. Of the challenges of FTI WEF she humbly says “I usually make the same mistakes over and over, and am working on lead changes.” Coco’s role model here is undoubtedly Mclain Ward and in response to her favorite part of FTI WEF, she laughed and said “the crepes” although she also loves the warm weather and excitement of being able to show every weekend for 12 weeks. For such devoted young athletes, it’s difficult to manage school on top of the horse show. “Sometimes I get home at 11 p.m., but every Friday I have a tutor,” she says of difficulties balancing her busy 6th grade schedule and developing as a rider. It is certainly admirable to see how careers are begun here at FTI WEF, and hear from those who could very well become its future Mclain Wards.

As is evident, FTI WEF breeds riders of high caliber by its very nature. While I would have enjoyed spending the rest of my time interviewing other praise-worthy exhibitors, I felt that I must not overlook the people who make the show’s wheels turn; I was eager to gain a variety of perspectives. Debi Coleman has worked at the entrance of the International Club for the past 3 seasons, warmly greeting FTI WEF’s hundreds of regulars, table-holders and visitors. And not one name is unknown to her. She can be seen coming into work in the morning waving amiably to everyone from the janitorial staff to Olympic riders, although her position hasn’t always been so. Debi began her FTI WEF career walking 9 miles a day to and from a 12 hour security shift on the show grounds, then served drinks at the Tiki Hut for awhile, and eventually worked her way up to become its warmest hostess as you walk through the doors today. “I love every minute of my job; I’ve come to recognize people by their hands, voices and feet. Consistency and repetition, following protocol, and keeping conformity with the rules of entry to the International Club are what allows everyone to have a great time.” She doesn’t treat anyone differently, and has a unique relationship with each person, as I was able to see as she conversed light-heartedly with arriving guests. “I have 1 child but 50 kids” she says humorously of her job, which at times has entailed sewing riding jackets, assisting with contact lenses, and cheering up crying children. She doesn’t even have a favorite rider, nor ride horses herself, yet still wholeheartedly loves what she does at Wellington.

One of her most embarrassing moments was years ago when she didn’t recognize Cian O’Connor and tried to kick him out of the International Club when he hopped the fence from the arena without a wristband. “I feel like I have my own t.v. show shaped by my own perceptions” she says of her immense job satisfaction and zeal to be able to interact with so many people (after this incident). When asked of one thing she would change about FTI WEF Debi responded “it would be bringing the outside world in, and this is something already happening and something I strive to do myself. You can’t even tell all this is back here! If the people were to come in, the satisfaction of seeing the buzz and the beautiful horses would be more than enough entertainment without knowing anything about horses.” As I walked away from this interview, I felt inspired by somebody who truly loves her job at FTI WEF without being an equestrian herself.

After my futile attempts to interview a Mexican groom in Spanish to really embrace the “international aspect” of FTI WEF (apparently I speak Spanish “como un bebe”), I began to gather my things and finally call it a week. And what a week it had been! On top of witnessing my favorite riders compete and even meeting some of them, I was able to meet and gain insight from those at Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC who had masterminded the plans for the 2013 FTI WEF, and were now carrying them out spectacularly. From FTI WEF’s most long-standing names to its newest, exhibitors to employees, I felt appreciative to acquaint myself with the passion that lives here at the equestrian capital of the country. Although my spring break has ended, I fully intend to live vicariously through Jennifer Wood’s press releases until April.

Written by winterequestrianfestival Posted in WEF