On Wednesday, at the exclusive Wanderer’s Club, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual “Kick-Off to the Equestrian and Polo Season” luncheon. This year’s luncheon was hosted by Phelps Media Group and PhelpsSports.com. This was the fourth year that the Chamber highlighted the equestrian community with this “kick-off” luncheon. 

Phelps Media Group’s Mason Phelps was the first of four featured speakers, a group that also included Mr. John Wash of the International Polo Club, Mark Bellissimo from Equestrian Sport Productions and Noreen O’ Sullivan from Wellington Classic Dressage.

As the host of this year’s event, Phelps detailed the history of his two companies, Phelps Media Group and PhelpsSports.com, and then spoke of the upcoming season and of the need to get the community more involved in all equestrian sports. Phelps also made a plea for the Chamber of Commerce members to help get the local media to take a more aggressive approach in their coverage of all of the events in Wellington. 

“We, in our company, do all that we can to draw attention to what’s happening in this wonderful sport of ours, and at the same time, help promote the Village of Wellington,” Phelps said to the large crowd. “But, I’ve got to tell you, we cannot do this alone. I’m sure Mark Bellissimo, Noreen O’Sullivan and John Wash, who will be speaking shortly, will agree with me when I tell you that the coverage of all that’s happening in the Village of Wellington does not come close to what to it should be.” 

Phelps went on to say, “I ask you, the residents of the area, and especially the businessmen and women of this community, and members of the Chamber of Commerce to reach out to anyone you know in the media, whether it be in television, radio, newspapers or magazines. Reach out to them and tell them to come to Wellington,” he said and added, “To come to International Polo, to come to the Winter Equestrian Festival and to come to the dressage events that this community hosts. “Tell them that what we’re doing here in this Village deserves far more coverage than you’re giving it,” Phelps concluded. 

John Wash, the President of the famed International Polo Club Palm Beach took the podium next and detailed all that’s been done at IPC and what’s ahead for the upcoming 2011 season. 

“Following our record breaking 2010 polo season, where we welcomed our largest crowds since our inception in 2004, IPC is proud and excited to be a major part of this growing winter equestrian capital of the world,” he said, “and we look forward to a fabulous season in 2011.”

IPC is home to the Palm Beach Polo season. IPC hosts the highest goal tournaments played in the United States, including such prestigious competitions as the USPA Piaget Gold Cup, and the U.S. Open Polo Championship TM. IPC is considered one of the most prominent and well equipped polo facility’s in the world, attracting the world’s top players, including Aldolfo Cambiaso and Nacho Figueras, and America’s top rated players led by Julio Arellano, Mike Azzaro, and Nic Roldan. The 2011 Palm Beach Polo Season runs from January 2nd through April 17th.

Mark Bellissimo, founding partner of the Wellington Equestrian Partners, the organizers of the long running Winter Equestrian Festival spoke next following a new video presentation highlighting many of the activities at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. PBIEC plays host to more than 8,000 horses during the season, which runs from December through 

“Our venue was created to bring together the best riders and trainers from around the world, and with our team we are producing spectacular equestrian events and providing the highest levels of facilities and services to fulfill our goal of building on what we’ve done over the past two years,” Bellissimo stated. “We now want to expand on what we’ve done and get the community more involved.”

Bellissimo agreed with Phelps regarding the lack of coverage, but said that works needs to be done more on the local level to accomplish that goal. He spoke of instituting a riding program that would involved the Wellington School system, making riding more accessible to those without the finances, and talked of creating a bridge to possible college scholarships through a riding program with the local school system. “There are thousands of dollars out there in scholarship money, to some of the nation’s best universities, and we can access those funds through a riding program,” he explained.  

Next up was Noreen O’Sullivan, the manager of the Wellington Classic Dressage at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center and International Horse Sport Palm Beach at the Equestrian Estates in White Fences. She detailed her events, saying that “they have become Florida’s biggest and most popular dressage series.”

O’Sullivan and her team, including husband and managing partner John Flanagan, oversee and manage 5 CDI’s including those for Gold Coast Dressage, Wellington Classic Dressage, the Palm Beach Dressage Derby and International Horse Sport Palm Beach, a new venture for the 2011 winter season. 

Attendees enjoyed a wonderful lunch that included a variety of salads, exotic wraps and a delicious carving station of prime rib and roast turkey. The meal also included a decorative and delicious dessert table as well.  

Visit the Phelps Media Group website at: http://www.phelpsmediagroup.com/

PhelpsSports.com, the nation’s fastest growing and most talked about news website can be found at: http://phelpssports.com/