Work Well Under Way on Global Dressage Festival Future Home Adjoining Wellington International
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Dec. 4, 2024–Work is well under way for the future home of the Global Dressage Festival and a grass derby field for hunters and jumpers adjoining the Wellington International show grounds.
Construction of the expanded show grounds on about 70 acres/28Ha has been underway since a group headed by Mark Bellissimo that previously owned the main show grounds recently re-purchased the 111 acres/45Ha of arenas primarily for jumpers and hunters.
The Global grounds that were created by the Bellissimo group as a home for dressage hosts a circuit of seven international events, plus national and para dressage competitions. The schedule through the winter of 2026 has already been announced and is expected to remain at the existing Equestrian Village show grounds until completion of the new facility. The current plan is to create a high end residential and sports community on the site.
The new facility is designed to also help accommodate growth of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) that attracts more than 350,000 spectators, 15,000 horses and 7,500 competitors in 18 competition arenas and 500 permanent horse stalls. The circuit was established in 1974.
A long standing issue has been wetlands beside the new show grounds.
A major effort has been made to clear the site of invasive non-native plant life while insuring survival of native trees.
As part of the new development, an island is being created to preserve native trees and attempt to prevent encroachment of non-native plant life.
Equestrian Village that has hosted Global since its first event in 2012 has led to it becoming the primary dressage center in the Americas and a major center in the world.
