Olympic Gold Speaks Out

BRITAIN’S OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST NICK SKELTON JOINS IN WARNING AGAINST ATTACKS ON WELLINGTON HORSE SHOW

Courtesy Dressage-News.Com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Nick Skelton, Great Britain’s Olympic team gold medalist and one of the icons of jumping, on Friday joined American hunter, jumper and dressage riders in speaking out against attacks on equestrian events at Wellington, Florida, where he has been one of the most successful riders in recent years.

“I think people, especially those who are in the sport, want to be careful how much they try and stop the horse shows in Wellington,” he told dressage-news.com from the CSI5* Paris Masters. “Investment in recent years has made it a great facility, probably the best in the world.

“The horse show in Wellington has become an industry, big business. If the people who have invested so much decide to pull the plug, what is going to be left? An empty building site.”

The comments by Nick came after the Jacobs family which opposes equestrian events at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s Stadium complex, filed a new lawsuit to prevent several 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival hunter and jumper competitions and wiping out the entire Global Dressage Festival.

The lawsuit targeting the state of the art dressage grounds and the grass derby field that has been used for jumper and hunter events since 2010 came with the filing in Circuit Court in Palm Beach of the new lawsuit by Charles and Kimberly Jacobs and their family’s Solar Sportsystems, Inc.

The lawsuit wants the entire complex torn down and asks the court to undo an agreement between the horse show organizers and the Village of Wellington allowing events to be held there from Nov. 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013.

The latest legal action and subsequent news reports have sparked a surge of anger on both sides of the Atlantic and created a sense of uncertainty among equestrians in all disciplines, charities, families and businesses in and around Wellington.

The dispute that centered on the dressage facility initially but has been expanded to include hunter and jumper competitions is seen by many as the greatest threat to the world’s largest and longest running horse show since the unsuccessful campaign in 2006 by Stadium Jumping, Inc. and the Jacobs family to move the Wellington show grounds.

Since the current ownership of the show grounds by Wellington Equestrian Partners and the organizing group, Equestrian Sport Productions, the Palm Beach center has been rebuilt, the winter circuit extended to 12 weeks from six weeks and attracts riders from more than 30 nations to the sub tropical locale. A global spotlight has also been turned on the show grounds as the growth of international competitors has brought with it media attention from around the world.

Laura Kraut in the German Masters at Stuttgart this November aboard Cedric on whom she won Olympic team gold for the United States in 2008. Although some riders and owners were unwilling to speak out on the record for several months of the current dispute, the latest legal move has unleashed a torrent of criticism around the world, directed overwhelmingly against the Jacobs family and the majority of the Village of Wellington council that this year has pursued policies to cripple events at the Stadium complex.

Laura Kraut, a United States Olympic team gold medal winner in 2008 who is based in Europe in summer and Wellington in winter, said:

“Not only myself but many top international riders will be very disappointed to lose the classes on the grass field. We all felt that over the past couple of years those classes added so much to the circuit as well as provided a fresh new venue for our horses to jump on. I was lookng forward to more opportunities to be out there this year and I sincerely hope that things can be worked out.”

Michelle Gibson, 1996 Atlanta Olympic dressage team bronze medalist, said:

“I think it’s sad that someone wants to take away a world class facility that brings happiness to so many, not only dressage enthusiasts but hunter and jumper enthusiasts as well.

“This facility is top notch with the best stabling and footing for the horses available. It could also be a huge source of income to many of the local businesses in Wellington as well as the city itself.”

Heather Blitz, based in Wellington and who has competed extensively in Europe as well as the United States and was reserve with her home-bred Paragon for the U.S. dressage team at this year’s London Olympics, said that if the lawsuit is successful in closing the Stadium grounds:

“I would pack up and leave, basically.”

Catherine Haddad, who has moved to Florida for the winter circuit after 20 years competing and training in Europe, said she had been told by colleagues the dispute was a long standing personal feud between two horse people.

“Since tearing down such a beautiful and important competition site is both illogical and bad business, I suspect this explanation might be true and if it is, that makes me sad for this community,” she said. “I hope that these two parties can find an amiable solution for the greater good of our sport.

“It would be a shame to take two steps backward after one giant leap forward. Even though I was an ex-pat in Germany, I participated in a community that very much worked together to make the horse industry strong, competitive and durable in that nation. The same kind of cooperation in Wellington would behoove the whole industry.”

Louise Serio, one of America’s leading hunter trainers and riders who was among the creators of the World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Hunter Classic Spectacular 15 years ago, said that if the lawsuit prevents use of the Stadium it will be “really disappointing.”

“It is such a lovely facility,” said Louise whose Derbydown is based in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and in winter in Wellington.

“We were looking forward to getting down there and competing in new rings at the derby field. This is really disappointing.”

The Stadium is one of two complexes that make up the international equestrian center. The main show grounds host the Winter Equestrian Festival of hunter and jumper competitions with $6 million in prize money. The Stadium complex had scheduled a fourth winter of grass derby field events and a world class dressage facility was built that held its inaugural season last winter.

Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP), organizer of both WEF and GDF has scheduled events around the 2013 dressage circuit at the 63-acre (25.5 Ha) Stadium complex to include:

* A newly created hunter week on Mar. 6-10 in addition to the World Championship Hunter Rider Hunter Classic Spectacular that has been a major feature of WEF since 1997.

* The Hunter Derby as WEF’s finale event on Mar. 31, the last day of the 12-week circuit;

* Jumpers for the week of Feb. 20-24, jumper young horses Feb. 28-Mar. 2, and the $100,000 jumper CSI4* Mar. 24, and

* The second year of the innovative Spy Coast Farms’ Young Horse series for all disciplines Mar. 5.

The 2013 Adequan Global Dressage Festival includes a $125,000 CDI5*, two $50,000 World Cup events and the only non-championship dressage Nations Cup held outside Europe. The total prize money of $275,000 makes it the richest dressage circuit for a single dressage venue anywhere in the world, surpassed only by the total purse of €330,000 (US$414,400) offered for dressage at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany in 2012.

Also jeopardized if the lawsuit is successful is more than a year of efforts by the International Equestrian Federation and ESP to create a CDIO3* Nations Cup with a unique format for future dressage events at the Pan American Games, the world’s largest multisport event after the Olympic Games and held once every four years.

The event scheduled for April provides for teams throughout the Americas to include both small tour and big tour horses to maintain the Pan Ams as the Olympic qualifier for all of the Americas.

Earlier this year, opponents of the the dressage facility and a retail plaza and condominium hotel on the same site won election to take control of the Village of Wellington council that governs the community of 55,000 people. The new council revoked approvals for the dressage facility and the retail and hotel elements. ESP then withdrew plans for the hotel and retail plaza in an effort to save the Global Dressage Festival.

The Village of Wellington and ESP signed an agreement two months ago approving the 2012/2013 six-month equestrian circuit at the Stadium and agreed to negotiate future use of the facility, including a covered arena free of charge to non-profit and charity groups for a month each year and to enable year round horse shows, especially during hot and humid tropical summers.

The Palm Beach Riding Academy, an initiave by ESP to provide horses and training for residents who otherwise could not afford horse sports, has also been impacted, including being evicted from the permanent dressage stables this month in what the local government later admitted was a mistake caused by a “misunderstanding.”

The latest lawsuit was filed a week ago after the court had rejected similar efforts.

The new suit asks “the court to order the lands returned to their status prior to the commencement of the development activities.” The complete legal filing: Mtn for Leave to Amend Entire

The property had been the original home of the Palm Beach Polo Club. A succession of hurricanes seriously damaged permanent grand stands and the polo fields were no longer used for competition.

Mark Bellissimo, chief executive of Wellington Equestrian Partners that owns PBIEC and the organizing group, ESP, said he is confident the suit will fail as did two similar lawsuits.

“The lawsuit is, however, a dark cloud over our equestrian industry and was no doubt filed to create uncertainty. Simply stated it’s another attack by the Jacobs to prevent a successful, thriving equestrian industry that is attractive and available to all Wellington residents and visitors.”

The Equestrian Forum of Wellington, a group set up to provide a voice for equestrians, said: “It is the responsibility of the council to end this litigation positively and as quickly as possible in a manner that is best for the economic and fiscal welfare of the Village.  To do otherwise is malfeasance.

“The Equestrian Forum will be announcing a plan of action to try to reverse the dangerous course this council has set.”

Letter from England

Letter to the Wellington Council

November 30th 2012

Dear Sirs

I have been coming to Wellington every year since 1982. I work for equestrian magazines in 20 different countries and illustrate most of the coffee books that you see on the book shelves.

When I first came, the jumping was in the polo stadium, a small affair.  Wellington has moved forward dramatically now, being one of the top two or three places in the world for equestrian sports.  The income for tourism and all local traders when Wellington is descended upon from riders all over the world must be massive and for people to take out law suits to try and stop the international events going ahead in my opinion is small minded and disgusting.  Would this happen if this was american football or basketball?  This is sport we are talking about, which needs all the help it can get.

If there is anything I can do to help please let me know.

Kind regards

Bob Langrish MBE

Equestrian Photographer

The Court House

High Street

Bisley

Gloucestershire GL6 7AA

England

bob@boblangrish.co.uk

www.boblangrish.com

Billionaire Lawsuit Exposed

Suit Claims Wellington Broke Rules in Allowing 2013 Dressage Festival

Mitra Malek - Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

WELLINGTON — The billionaire family suing developers of an equestrian venue aimed at drawing worldwide talent claim in a new lawsuit that Wellington violated its rules when it allowed the Global Dressage Festival to move forward this season.

The suit, filed last week, seeks to amend a lawsuit the Jacobs family filed earlier this year, which also challenges the village.

It is a departure from support the Jacobses gave this summer to Mark Bellissimo so that his team could carry out dressage events through April.

“You can’t tell the village on one hand you’re in favor of dressage, and then at the same time challenge it,” said Dan Rosenbaum, a lawyer for Equestrian Sport Productions, the developers. “It just doesn’t make sense. When all is said and done it’s one of these wide-sweeping efforts to continue the legal fight because they were not satisfied with the court’s rulings to date.”

The courts in October ruled against two lawsuits that the Jacobses filed in March challenging the Equestrian Village project, but the family has appealed them.

“We believe the village has every right to do exactly what they did,” Rosenbaum said. “They have every right to permit the festival.”

In practical terms, there’s little chance the amendment would actually shutter the festival, Rosenbaum said.

And that is fine with the Jacobs, said their lawyer, John Shubin.

“The fact that our clients are seeking to amend the lawsuit does not, and I underscore the word not, mean they are seeking to kill the equestrian season,” said their lawyer, John Shubin. “Anyone who is saying that this seeks to shut down the Global Dressage Festival is just dead wrong.”

That’s indeed what Bellissimo supporters have said. “Become active in fighting this on-going assault,” the Equestrian Forum wrote Friday on its blog, equestrianforum.blogspot.com.

“This is one more example of the Chicken-Little, sky-is-falling public relations campaign that is being put out there by supporters of the project,” Shubin said. “It’s not borne out by the reality of facts.”

Rather, the Jacobses filed the request to bring their lawsuits up to date based on council actions since they were first filed.

“We are just conforming our allegations to new events,” Shubin said. “If we didn’t challenge them, I’m sure someone down the road would say we waived our rights.”

The amendment seeks to void a stipulation agreement the council approved in August to ensure that the festival go on for the 2013 equestrian season. The suit claims the village violated its own rules and gave permits for the Equestrian Village without public process.

Bellissimo in a prepared statement said the court filing was meant to “create continued uncertainty” around the equestrian industry in Wellington.

For a full copy of the Billionaire lawsuit click below:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/m84xahz8dgpxon8/Amend_Billionaire_Lawsuit.pdf

ESP Denounces Jacobs Legal Action Against Wellington

DESPITE COURT REJECTION OF APPEALS, JACOBS FAMILY RENEW ATTACKS ON WELLINGTON EQUESTRIAN DOMAIN THREATENING BOTH DRESSAGE AND SHOW JUMPING EVENTS AT THE NEW STADIUM VENUE ESP Press Release Wellington, FL - November 28, 2012 - Despite two recent appellate court rulings where three judge panels summarily rejected Charles and Kimberly Jacobs' appeals, which challenged the compatibility and development approvals for the Equestrian Village and new Stadium, the Jacobs family is further appealing the approvals. They also amended another lawsuit against the Village, the horse show, and the property owners of the new Stadium. The amendment seeks injunctive relief to void the Stipulation Agreement recently voted on by the Village Council 4-0 that ensured that the Global Dressage Festival and all the grass show jumping events for the upcoming 2013 equestrian season would occur. The Jacobs' amended lawsuit seeks "the Court [to] order the lands returned to their status prior to the commencement of the development activities." It also asks the court to declare that "the Stipulation be void as a matter of law, and of no legal force and effect." Charles and Kimberly Jacobs latest attack jeopardizes the following: the Global Dressage Festival; many show jumping/hunter classes scheduled on the grass/derby field during the 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival; the Palm Beach Riding Academy which serves local community children; and local charities who are planning to use the covered arena for 28 days free of charge during the 2013 season. The Jacobs efforts will ultimately impact every Wellington taxpayer due to an ever increasing Village legal bill that continues to balloon. Finally, it could have a significant negative impact on the local economy and jobs. Despite repeated claims that they support Dressage, including a letter to the Town Crier where Lou Jacobs stated, "With regard to dressage events for the upcoming season, please know that I want to see dressage go forward and be successful. In fact, I have reviewed your current request, and I am prepared to fully support it before the Village Council," the Jacobs' work behind the scenes seeks to destroy the venue and the development of Dressage in the community. Mark Bellissimo, Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners commented, "While I am disappointed, I am surely not surprised by their actions. Given their PR campaign touting their preservation activity, this clearly speaks volumes about their true interests and agenda. In this light, Lou Jacobs' recent letter to the community in the Wellington Town Crier is at best disingenuous. We are confident the Jacobs' new challenges to the Stadium will fail as their two similar lawsuits did." The new amendment is, however, a dark cloud over our Wellington community and was no doubt filed to create continued uncertainty. Simply stated, it's another attack by the Jacobs to prevent a successful, thriving equestrian industry that is attractive and available to all Wellington residents and visitors - all to protect the entrance to their 200 acre compound on Pierson Road.

Wellington Faces Major Legal Challenges Without Attorney On Board

 By Mitra Malek - Palm Beach Post - Sun Nov. 25, 2012

Lawsuits have piled up against Wellington since early this year, and the person qualified to handle them won’t be doing that soon.

The village council fired its attorney for the past decade, Jeff Kurtz, an ax that appeared ready to fall for months.

An interim attorney will take over in two weeks — but the council has no plan beyond that.

“I would like to say that this is borderline reckless,” Vice Mayor Howard Coates said. “But I can’t say it because I happen to believe that it’s just outright reckless.”

The council on Sept. 11 had voted to hire a consultant to look at whether it makes more sense to continue contracting legal services or bring an attorney in-house.

That study hasn’t been completed though, nor had it even started when the council on Nov. 13 voted to execute a 30-day termination clause in the contract Kurtz’s law firm has with Wellington.

That didn’t matter to Councilman Matt Willhite, who for months has been pushing for the village to get an in-house attorney.

“This doesn’t come up as a surprise to Mr. Kurtz; I’ve spoken to him privately in his office,” Willhite said before the recent vote. “I think we’re to the point where things just aren’t meshing and molding together. There have been some requirements made that have been requested and they haven’t been obligated.”

Willhite, Mayor Bob Margolis and Councilman John Greene voted to end a contract with the Law Offices of Glen J. Torcivia & Associates, where Kurtz is a partner. Torcivia has agreed to take over as interim attorney.

Margolis, who also served on the council earlier in Kurtz’s tenure said the “issues” he’s had pertain to “public records requests and timely updates, and there are a number of them.”

Coates, a lawyer himself, said other council members hadn’t shared clear reasons to fire Kurtz — especially without solid plans on where to go from there.

“Just the fact that one council member or two council members may be unhappy with him is just not enough for me,” Coates said. “It will put us in an incredibly vulnerable position on these pending litigation matters. And Kurtz has advised us well on them.”

The village spent about $460,000 last fiscal year on legal services, and another $670,000 on major litigation.

It will take months for a new attorney up to speed on Wellington’s history and legal issues. A University of Notre Dame graduate who earned his law degree at Widener University, Kurtz has been the attorney for Wellington and its Acme Improvement District since 2003.

“There is no clean break,” Village Manager Paul Schofield said. “It’s not: Today we have one attorney, tomorrow we have another.”

Kurtz didn’t return a call for comment. Before the recent vote he told the council he would share his knowledge to ensure nothing is misplaced.

“It seemed to be they just didn’t want Jeff Kurtz,” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said. “You’re going to have to transfer knowledge to whomever we pick next. To me it was just adding another layer of money for taxpayers.”

The Thanksgiving Eve Assault on Wellington Equestrians

It became known on Wednesday, November 21st 2012 that the Jacobs family has taken yet more legal action against our Village to try and kill this year’s (2013) Global Dressage Festival. This is of concern to all residents and businesses of Wellington.  

 And it appears settlement discussions to resolve the litigation between the Village and Wellington Equestrian Partners have come to a dead end. The Forum had hoped the Village would allow use of the new Horse Park at Equestrian Village year-round.  

The Jacobs assault against this year’s GDF is in the form of a motion to amend their existing lawsuit ⁽¹⁾ that seeks the tearing down of the entire Equestrian Village Horse Park: The Van Kampen Arena, barns, dressage arena and the derby field.  The amendment asks the court to void the temporary settlement agreement reached by WEP and the Village last August that allows the facility to be used for the 2013 GDF.

 Furthermore beginning May 1, 2013 the facility will once again become legally unusable. In addition to local, year-round equestrians being denied use of the facility, it will also deny charitable organizations from holding their events at the facility.

The Equestrian Forum has asked the Mayor and Village Manager if the settlement discussions would be on this Tuesday’s Village council agenda and if the public would be allowed to speak when the council is considering the issue ( unlike at the last meeting). We have not received a response.

We ask that you and other members of the Forum become active in fighting this on-going assault. Without your involvement it will continue. Without the equestrian community speaking out, the Village council majority will become comfortable in implementing the Jacobs agenda.       

We ask that you email us (equestrian.forum@live.com) and:

•  State whether or not you support our efforts to make the Horse Park a year-round venue and equestrian sport a year-round industry.
• If in the coming weeks you would be willing to participate in a rally in support of the Forum and to support year-round use of the Horse Park. We want to plan a fun, family-friendly rally that has the very serious purpose of expressing our support for a vibrant, year round equestrian industry and that we want the Horse Park available now and the litigation (using our money) TO STOP! NOW!
• Please include in your email if you are a full or seasonal resident of Wellington

And finally, we have been hopeful that a settlement agreement would be reached. We thought at least one of the council majority ( Bob Margolis, Matt Willhite and John Greene ) would realize the economic and financial damage their previous actions could have and would reverse course. Our hope has proved to be naive. We realize that it will take an aggressive approach to stop this council and the Jacobs from destroying the benefits of our equestrian industry.      

⁽¹⁾  Charlie & Kimberly Jacobs and Solar SportSystems (Deeridge Farm) v Village of Wellington.

Wellington Council Meeting Outcome November 13th 2012

It is now a time for great concern by all Wellington residents and taxpayers. Last night's Village Council meeting was a display of ineptitude, political maneuvering and bizarre ideas. 

Unfortunately the litigation continues and there is no resolution to the inability of the equestrian community and charities to use the Horse Park year round as it was originally approved. 

It needs to be pointed out that council members Anne Gerwig and Howard Coates are champions of the equestrian community. Unfortunately they form a minority against the three-member voting block of Mayor Bob Margolis and council members Matt Willhite and John Greene. 

The members of the majority voting block continually insist that they really didn't mean any harm by shutting down the brand new $ 30 million Horse Park at Equestrian Village. 

They keep saying that they didn't really mean to deny use of the venue by charities this past summer and that they want to have a year-round equestrian industry.

They boldly claim they want to stop spending money on lawyers and litigation.

But then they take actions contrary to their professed desires. They talk in circles to give the impression they are well-intended.  

The many in attendance who were there to support ending the litigation and allow year-round use of Horse Park were not allowed to speak. 

There was also an army of lawyers and lobbyists there on behalf of the special interests that oppose the Horse Park. Their presence was intended to ensure the litigation continued. They won ! 

The council decided by the usual 3-2 vote to continue the litigation with an abstract promise of finding a solution. 

But the solution is simple. Revoke the revocation. If there is a bona fide problem with a barn as alleged, then resolve that. 

Instead the Council discussed their desire to redesign the Horse Park which led to the most bizarre recommendation of the night. Councilman Matt Willhite, whose interests in this matter don’t extend beyond those of the special interests that oppose progress, suggested a land-swap be considered to move the Horse Park to State Road 7. When the spontaneous outburst of laughter subsided, everyone was stunned that Willhite was in fact dead serious.

The many in attendance who were there to support ending the litigation and allow year-round use of Horse Park were not allowed to speak prior to a decision being made (Their comment cards were read at the end of the meeting).

To cap off the evening, Presented by Matt Willhite and seconded by John Greene, the Council majority of three fired long-time Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz effective in thirty days. There will be an interim attorney while a permanent attorney is sought. So there will be two transitions during a period of unprecedented litigation. Councilman Howard Coates, himself a lawyer, called the action “ Reckless “. The meeting attendants applauded Coates.

Nevertheless, the unseemly firing of Kurtz was approved by the usual 3-2 vote on such matters. ( The vote was to terminate the contract with Kurtz's firm, which in effect was a firing of Kurtz ). 

Equestrian Forum Joins the Wellington Chamber of Commerce

Working to promote and support the equestrian industry, the Equestrian Forum joined the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in early November. As new members, the Equestrian Forum of Wellington founding Board of Directors attended the annual Equestrian season Kick-off luncheon on Wednesday, November 14th 2012 at the Wanderers Club. Equestrian speakers included Noreen O'Sullivan, Mark Bellissimo and the President of the International Polo Club, John Walsh.