Dressage-News

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Oct. 15, 2018–Mark Bellissimo, who heads up the partnership that owns the Global Dressage and Winter Equestrian Festivals, on Monday dismissed a report the world’s largest horse show of dressage, jumping and hunters had been sold or would be sold.

“WEF and Global Dressage are not for sale, have never been offered for sale and won’t be offered for sale,” Mark emphatically stressed to dressage-news.com.

“We’re expecting a record year for dressage and jumping as well as polo.

“We’re incredibly excited about next year and we’re looking forward to a record year as we had this year.”

The report of the sale was by a web site that attributed information to unidentified sources with no evidence to support the claim. The same site is known for vitriolic videos directed at participants in Global.

Mark Bellissimo heads up Wellington Equestrian Partners that bought the Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds 13 years ago. WEF was expanded to 12 weeks from six weeks and developed as a major winter destination that has attracted equestrians from around the world.

The group created the Global Dressage Festival in 2012 on a part of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and has revolutionized the sport in the United States. Global is 12 weeks of dressage shows in winter, including six CDIs. The Stadium complex where Global is operated includes a grass derby field and hosts hunter-jumper events in addition to dressage.

Mark is also the managing partner of International Polo Club that was aquired almost three years ago, as well as the Wanderers Club resort in Wellington.

He also heads up a partnershp group that owns the Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina that staged the World Equestrian Games last month. The Colorado Horse Park is also owned by another Mark Bellissimo-formed group and he created the Central Park Horse Show that will return in 2019 after it was put on hold this year as it conflicted with WEG.