The Big Horse Business

| 3/1/2005

In dollars, participants and horses, polo rates as only a subset of the much larger equestrian scene in Wellington. Each year, 4,000 horses from around the world, with riders from kids to Olympic champions, descend on the area for Gene Mische's eight-week Winter Equestrian Festival. Mische, a Tampa businessman, started the show for riders in the equestrian disciplines of hunters, show jumping and dressage in 1972 with 200 horses. Today, it's the event in the winter in the U.S. and offers $3 million in prize money.

In 2002, Mische made Wellington even more of an equestrian center by bringing in from Madison Square Garden the 119th edition of The National horse show. He's brought it, and its 50,000 spectators and riders over six days, back every year since.

Mische's Stadium Jumping Inc. draws revenue from ticket sales, entry fees, sponsorships and concession fees from jewelers to blacksmiths. He dreams of still more to come. "I would like to see the sport get involved in more television."

Spectators have plenty to gawk at: Riders of fame, royalty and society from Olympians to Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Phillips, to Paige Johnson of the Black Entertainment Network Johnsons and Jessica Springsteen of the "Born To Run" Springsteens. Owners dote on their horses, flying to Europe to hand-pick them at up to $1 million each.

It's big business with from 10,000 to 12,000 resident horses and "736,500 non-resident horse days." Wellington has special zoning to preserve unpaved roads and bridle paths.

The crush of horses raises two issues. One is familiar to Floridians: Crowds of visitors. The other? The environmental impact of so much horse manure -- seriously. "It's a real issue," says Anita Bain, director of environmental resource compliance for the South Florida Water Management District.

Tags: Southeast