Children's Riding Academy Shut Down

10/22 5:00 pm Update: Wellington Riding Academy 
Now Relocated to and Operating at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center

The Wellington Village government continues to impede the equestrian industry and spend taxpayer money on lawyers and litigation to restrict equestrian activities and prohibit its growth.  A council majority of Mayor Bob Margolis and council members John Greene and Matt Willhite are continuing a course to dismantle the industry to please their elitist supporters who want equestrian sport as an exclusive club. They are not interested in jobs and tax revenue and family friendly entertainment. 

The Forum’s Board of Directors had positive expectations after meeting with Mayor Bob Margolis early this month. We hoped a good faith effort would be pursued to allow the new Horse Park at Equestrian Village (composed of the derby field and Van Kampen dressage facility) to be used year-round. It’s inconceivable that a $30 million facility, for which most communities would offer incentives, is not allowed to be used year round for events. We hoped that a quick end would be sought to the litigation that prevents this facility from being used to expand the equestrian industry and create jobs and income for local households and businesses.

The international equestrian community still views Wellington's equestrian industry with uncertainty.  Unfortunately that uncertainty translates into loss of money flowing into the local economy and to residents and businesses. That was demonstrated when Europeans began canceling plans to come to Wellington for the Global Dressage Festival because the council made it uncertain if the GDF would be allowed to occur this year. That money, in the millions of dollars, is forever lost to us.

The Wellington equestrian industry brings the captains of industries and their borad meeting an other economiuc benefits to the county. It is tourism on steroids. The families of Bill Gates, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Dobbs and other attractive names bring money and jobs. 

This week the Wellington Village Council will be discussing a settlement agreement to the lawsuit (with Wellington Equestrian Partners) that is preventing use of the Horse Park as originally approved by the previous council. We hope that the council members put aside personal and political agendas and place residents’ and taxpayers’ interests ahead of all else during these deliberations.

It is very disappointing to learn of recent action that was taken by the village to not allow the Palm Beach Riding Academy to operate at the Horse Park outside of the November to April timeframe.

The Palm Beach Riding Academy provides training for riding skills and horsemanship. The Academy has a special focus on young riders. This is a component of the industry’s effort to encourage local children to pursue riding (such as participation by local students with horse shows).

An application was made to the Village for a temporary Certificate of Occupancy to use the facilities at the Equestrian Village Horse Park for the Palm Beach Riding Academy.

The Village Council has closed the venue to public events except during the November 1 to April 30 period through a temporary Settlement Agreement to the aforementioned litigation. It was expected that the C.O. would be issued because equestrian instruction and barns are permitted " Uses by Right” in the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District.

And indeed a C.O. was issued on October 3 by Village Staff and horses began arriving at the site shortly thereafter. However, after a complaint by a representative of the Jacobs family that spent $ 600,000 to get the Councilk majority elected) calls came to village staff from the council majority and subsequently the Academy was advised to remove the horses from the site.

The elitists and their council pawns have no use for educational activities that benefit the local community.

The Village then issued an order that no horses are allowed at the Horse Park except during the November through April period.

This action demonstrates the Village’s obsession with preventing the new facility from being used year-round and to prevent growth of the equestrian industry.

These are items to which the Wellington Village Council should be accountable:

1. What is harmful in allowing the Academy and other equine activities outside the November-April period? Is not a year round industry desirable?

 2.    Are you concerned about the impacts your actions are having on the economic well-being of the regional economy?

The forum will continue to be a vehicle that is available to Wellington residents and businesses to express their desire that the Village government support the growth of the equestrian industry so that its economic benefits to people and businesses are far-reaching.

We welcome any public discussion and debate with the members of the council majority.

October 22, 2012 5:00 pm Update  

The Wellington Riding Academy has temporarily relocated to and Operating at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center