This relatively unknown town in Florida has become a horse 'Disneyland' for the richest of the rich - including Bill Gates and Steve Jobs' offspring

Kate Taylor

Mar 13, 2018, 18:16 IST

This relatively unknown town in Florida has become a horse 'Disneyland' for the richest of the rich - including Bill Gates and Steve Jobs' offspring

Kate Taylor

Hermès is a major sponsor of the Winter Equestrian Festival, and the logo can be seen everywhere, like at this lounge for competitors.

Wellington, Florida, is a small town that has become the horse capital of America.
Olympians and children of billionaires - including daughters of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates - show up every winter to compete for millions of dollars in prize money.
With Hermès fly bonnets, luxury stables, and diamond necklaces in the shape of horseshoes, Wellington is a fantasy land for the horse-obsessed.

To most of the country, the name "Wellington, Florida," doesn't mean anything.

However, to a certain elite group that ranges from Olympians to the children of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Bruce Springsteen, the small town has become a magnet that draws thousands of people every winter.

The Wellington attraction is simple: It's the horse capital of the United States.

Every winter, the town hosts the Winter Equestrian Festival, which takes place from January to April. Over the course of almost four months, the best horseback riders in the country compete for more than $6 million in prize money.

However, horses' domination of Wellington continues outside of the show ring. From "horse crossing" signs to $8,000 Hermès saddles, horses reign supreme in the small town.

While I personally know very little about horses, I have visited Wellington in the past with a friend who competes at the WEF. This year, while visiting what one rider called "Disneyland for horse lovers," I decided to document the over-the-top experience.

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Wellington is located in southern Florida, roughly half an hour's drive away from West Palm Beach.

While some equestrians have houses or apartments in the neighboring towns, Wellington is a village of its own. In fact, you could easily live a life of luxury without leaving the 100-acre equestrian show complex.

Thousands of people flock to Wellington every winter for the Winter Equestrian Festival, or WEF. According to organizers, more than 3,000 horses compete every year, with the equines' combined net worth adding up to more than $500 million.

Riders of all ages and abilities, from beginners to Olympians, compete in the 12 show rings.

Kids as young as six compete on smaller horses in the two rings dubbed "Pony Island."

Older riders face off in show jumping, dressage, and hunt seat competitions at all levels.

The main event is the Grand Prix. Horses leap over jumps of up to six feet in height, competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.

The spotlight on the Grand Prix has gotten even hotter as children of celebrities and billionaires have flooded WEF and climbed to the top of the ranks.

Eve Jobs, the 19-year-old daughter of late Apple founder Steve Jobs, competes in Wellington on weekends while continuing to attend classes at Stanford University.

Jennifer Gates, Jobs' classmate at Stanford and the daughter of Bill Gates, is another top show jumper.

Michael Bloomberg's daughter Georgina, Bruce Springsteen's daughter Jessica, Tom Selleck's daughter Hannah, and Steven Spielberg's daughter Destry are all notable competitors as well.

While much of the coverage of Wellington focuses on the children of the rich and famous, many of the top competitors are only well-known to other equestrians.

Still, it's clear that many of the vendors peddling goods at Wellington are targeting an elite set of riders who have thousands of dollars to spend on things such as horses' fly bonnets.

Hermès is a major sponsor, giving away free branded waters and hosting a lounge for competitors.

The luxury goods manufacturer is one of the roughly 90 vendors at Wellington and sells items such as $1,975 show jackets.

You can buy pretty much anything you need without leaving the equestrian center — as well as a bunch of things you definitely don't need.

There are multiple jewelers hoping to catch equestrians' eyes with a wide array of horse-themed designs.

You can even buy pieces of art as you wander around the horse show.

Lacking the funds to drop on fine art, I was more intrigued by "Just Fur Fun," a dog-themed stand.

My personal favorite vendor was Snaks 5th Avenchew, which sells creative horse treats.

Even outside the show rings, horses reign supreme.

In Wellington, horses literally rule the road.

The Gates and Jobs families aren't the only ones making major investments in luxurious stables for their horses.

Many riders have barns in Grand Prix Village, where horses live all winter.

As I eyed one barn with a giant statue of a horse's head in front, I came to the conclusion that these horses' homes are undoubtedly nicer than my apartment in Brooklyn, New York.

Wellington is basically a fantasy world for horse lovers.

As one equestrian in her twenties asked me — please don't make us all look like a--holes.

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