Vendor Row is a popular area for both riders and spectators during the show season at WEF, providing lots of entertaining shopping and eating places. One of the favourite places for riders to fuel up during the 12-week circuit is the Oasis Cafe, which offers several healthy food options as well as the usual heavy fried horse show items. Salads are made to order with choices of meat, different kinds of greens, nuts, fruit and vegetables added. Another busy noshing spot over the years has been a French-owned crepe place, which serves hot homemade stuffed crepes, made fresh while you wait. Coffee fixes can be addressed at a booth near the horse show office, which is included in this report because it seems to be the only place selling decaf coffee. However, if you have kids who have a burning desire for a lemonade slushy, bring lots of cash – it costs $6.00! Specialty coffees are slightly less.
Shopping enthusiasts will not be disappointed at the showgrounds. Several well-known tack shops and some smaller one-of-a-kind businesses from all over the U.S. have trailers or tents here, as well as Running Fox from Canada, which has been here for many years. Clothes can be found for all ages – from toddler polos with “Giddy Up ” and “Whoa” on the back, size 2 riding jackets, to sophisticated and colourful European clothing like Gersemi, Pikeur, many types of non-riding clothing and several jewellers offering beautiful items, many of them horse inspired. If one is in the market for boots, this is a riding boot paradise. Many brands are available here, both custom made and new less costly styles that can fit much like custom made. Several shops are selling boots off the shelf with such a variety of heights and calf sizes that they are close to a custom fit. A zipper up the back seems to be preferred by a majority now. Saratoga Saddlery is selling this type of boot at a very good price. Der Dau is here from New York as usual – with more than 100 different tall boots on display! All are leather with a couple of pairs in pink, argyle cow hide, leopard spotted, etc. The paddock boots are varied as well – 50 different styles, and 15 different western styles – all custom made. For formal hunter attire, some great prices for shadbellies can be found at Stablemates. La Martina, an Argentinian company specializing in polo mallets, but offering much more, has a booth at the show and a store off Pierson Road, five minutes from the showgrounds. They have a large assortment of unique and beautifully designed polo shirts, belts, strikingly colourful saddle and duffle bags and more. The WEF boutique has two locations on the showgrounds and sells polos, shirts, vests, jackets – many with the WEF logo.
Don’t have the funds or time to bring your horse to Wellington? You can still show here! Several barns are now leasing show-ready horses and ponies by the month, week, weekend or day. Day leases can sometimes be arranged for riders wishing to qualify for equitation or to show in pony walk-trot, cross rails and short stirrup Sunday classes. Gary Duffy is a trainer based locally during the winter season who is leasing out several horses. One has a past record of placing eighth in the Medal Finals. A rider from the north U.S., who is only visiting for a couple of weeks, is leasing him for the Equitation division. The Palm Beach Riding Academy is a fun place providing lessons, leasing and sales. Rosemary Bertin, the manager and head instructor gives excellent lessons and provides coaching expertise at the show for her clients. We have leased two adorable, absolutely bombproof leadline class ponies from Rosemary twice for my three- and five-year-old granddaughters.This year my daughter also leased a hunter there for a weekend of showing. No trailering involved as the Academy is walking distance from the showgrounds.
Canadian riders have had a presence at the Global Dressage Festival, which is really getting established by week nine – a national competition was held there at the beginning of the week, while at the WEF grounds in hunter land two reserve championships were awarded to riders based in Canada – to Erynn Ballard for the Green Conformation Division on “Well Adjusted” owned by Melissa Ziegler and to jumper rider Roberto Teran in the Pre Green Three- and Four-Year-Old hunters on Mark Hayes’ “Candy Man.” Variety is the spice of life. You never know where you might find jumper riders.
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