Jeannie & Hunter Harrison, Retiring CN Chief, Become Partner in Palm Beach Shows
15 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Jeannie & Hunter Harrison, Retiring CN Chief, Become Partner in Palm Beach Shows
WELLINGTON, Florida, Nov. 16–Double H Farms LLC, owned by Hunter and Jeannie Harrison, has joined Wellington Equestrian Partners, LLC (WEP), operators of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
The Harrisons join WEP’s Operating Committee–reserved for its largest investors–that oversees the partnerships’s $230 million (€154 million) investment in Wellington real estate, including the horse show grounds where the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) is staged. Others on the operating committee include Mark and Katherine Bellissimo, Roger and Jennifer Smith, Dennis and Marsha Dammerman, Craig and Frances Lindner, Robert and Lisa Lourie, Stuart and Susan Goldstein, Bruce Duchossois, John Goodman, and Howard and Gwen Dvorkin.
Hunter Harrison is the retiring chief executive of Canadian National Railways (CN) which has sponsored show jumping, including Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Canada, the Global Champions Tour and WEF.
Double H Farm, managed by the Harrison’s daughter, Cayce, fields Grand Prix horses such as Rufus and Night Train, ridden by Rodrigo Pessoa and Darragh Kerins.
Mark Bellissimo, the largest shareholder and managing partner of WEP, said: “Hunter’s experience within the highest levels of international show jumping will enhance our strategy to further elevate the sport and to establish Wellington as one of the premier equestrian destinations in the world. I look forward to working with the Harrison family.”
Hunter Harrison said, “Jeannie and I are excited about Wellington’s future and are looking forward to working with the WEP partnership to take the sport to a new level.”
Other WEP partners are Andy and Carlene Zeigler, Jean and Toni Goutal, Bill and Kelly Farish, Caroline Moran, Lee Kellogg Sandrian, Tim and Nancy Hooker, Chas and Candace Phillips, Dave Burton Sr., Ginny Burton, David and Julie Burton, and Kimberly Van Kampen Boyer.
WEF is the centerpiece event staged by the Wellington partnership and draws thousands of exhibitors and more than 5,000 horses, from 46 states, and 23 countries for 12 weeks of competition, including the only Nations Cup in the United States and the Exquis World Dressage Masters, offering a total of almost $6 million (€4 million) in prize money.
