New Owners of Palm Beach Equestrian Center “Working Hard” to Buy Global Dressage Festival
3 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on New Owners of Palm Beach Equestrian Center “Working Hard” to Buy Global Dressage Festival
WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 4, 2022–Andreas Helgstrand, who heads up the European group that owns Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and its world leading winter jumper circuit, disclosed Tuesday he is “working hard” to take over the Global Dressage Festival and the dressage show grounds.
The hope is to add the Global grounds that includes a grass jumping course considered one of the best in the world, he said at a news briefing ahead of the 2022 winter circuits, so as to “go full power” to include development of dressage in addition to the sprawling jumper grounds. The Global Equestrian Group took over PBIEC in July and this year will be their first as owners of the world’s largest winter equestrian circuit.
Michael Stone, who as president of Equestrian Sport Productions is managing both the Winter Equestrian Festival of jumpers and hunters and the Global Dressage Festival, described the effort to provide the best facilities for so many horses as “like a Rubik’s Cube trying to fit everything in, but we’re working on it.”
The two circuits attract thousands of riders and horses from around the world for 12 weeks of premier outdoor competitions over 12 weeks. With some indoor equestrian events canceled in Europe because of a resurgence of coronavirus, substantial numbers of European riders and their horses are scheduled to compete in Florida as they did in 2020. Spectators will be permitted at both PBIEC and Global.
The Global Equestrian Group of Andreas Helgstrand, operator of a successful horse sales business based out of Denmark, and Ludger Beerbaum, one of Germany’s top jumper competitors now focused on show management and other equestrian businesses, were backed by Waterland, a Dutch investment company in acquiring PBIEC. The Global grounds were not included in the initial deal.
The dressage show grounds were created a decade ago on almost 60 acres and is now called Equestrian Village with a centerpiece dressage arena bordered by a VIP center and spectator stands, as well as three full size arenas with warmup for national competitions and a grass derby field. It is separated by a few hundred yards/meters from PBIEC that has long hosted WEF and has 18 competition arenas and extensive VIP and entertainment pavilions on about 450 acres.
In beginning a five-year development plan for PBIEC, the new owners expanded the show grounds to enlarge some arenas and extended upgrading of footing and other infrastructure.
Andreas ruled out moving dressage to a sales and training Helgstrand set up near PBIEC.
However, he wants to stage some dressage events at PBIEC, possibly even this year, in a similar way to jumpers and hunters competing at the Global grounds.
“Our goal is to do some dressage events over there (PBIEC), because I think the atmosphere for Saturday Night Lights for jumping is amazing,” he said. “We could put some dressage competitions in there; that’s something we’ve talked about already.
“For the (dressage) riders, why move far if you can just go 200 meters down the road and show in another venue. I think people and their horses would love it.”
