Area Olympians to compete in World Equestrian Games
Part-time Wellington resi- dent McLain Ward and Laura Kraut of Royal Palm Beach head the NetJets U.S. show jumping team for the FEI World Equestrian Games that begin today at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C.
Held every four years in the middle of the Summer Olympic cycle, world champions in eight disciplines including show jumping, the marquis event, will be crowned during day 13 of competition.
The World Equestrian Games are one of the sport’s biggest events, attracting more than 500,000 fans and more than 60 hours of television coverage on NBC and its affiliates. The other disciplines are dressage and para-equestrian dressage, eventing, driving, endur- ance, vaulting and reining.
The opening ceremonies are today. The competition gets under way Wednesday with the dressage team and individual grand prix at 2 p.m. Show jumping begins Sept. 19 with the first round at the Palm Beach Internaof the team competition. tional Equestrian Center.
Ward, also of Brewster Colombian-born two-time N.Y., will team with mounts Olympian Daniel Bluman, Clinta, an 11-year-old Old- a Florida Atlantic Univerenburg mare he owns with sity alum, will compete for Sagamore Farms, and HH Team Israel.
Azur, a 12-year-old Belgian Wellington’s Mark BellisWarmblood mare he owns simo, managing partner of with Double H Farm. Tryon Equestrian Partners,
Fellow Olympic gold med- was the guiding force behind alist Kraut will team with getting the FEI World EquesZeremonie, an 11-year-old trian Games to his Tryon Holsteiner mare owned by International Equestrian Old Willow Farms LLC. Center after Bromont, Can
Ward and Kraut will be ada, withdrew its bid. Beljoined on the NetJets U.S. lissimo is also the CEO of jumping team by Devin Ryan Equestrian Sports Producof Long Valley, N.J., and Adri- tions and managing partenne Sternlicht of Greenner of Wellington Equeswich, Conn. Beezie Mad- trian Partners that heads den of Cazenovia, N.Y., is WEF and International Polo the traveling reserve. Club Palm Beach.
Riders and horses were Tim Dutta, also of Welselected after competing lington, owner of Dutta in designated observation Corp, an international horse events throughout the sumtransport business, played mer. a major role in transport
In addition to Ward and ing horses from around the Kraut, Palm Beach County world to Tryon. will have a huge presence Dutta Corp is also sponsorduring WEG. ing the dressage team that
Most of the show jump- features Kasey Perry-Glass ers and dressage athletes of Wellington, Laura Graves and horses compete during of Geneva, Fla., Adrienne the Winter Equestrian FesLyle of Ketchum, Idaho, and tival, January through April Steffen Peters of San Diego.