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Despite Court Rejection Of Appeals, Jacobs Family Renew Attacks On Wellington Equestrian Domain Threatening Both Dressage And Show Jumping Events At The New Stadium Venue

WELLINGTON, FL — NOV. 28, 2012 — Despite two recent appellate court rulings where three judge panels summarily rejected Charles and Kimberly Jacobs' appeals, which challenged the compatibility and development approvals for the Equestrian Village...

WELLINGTON, FL — NOV. 28, 2012 — Despite two recent appellate court rulings where three judge panels summarily rejected Charles and Kimberly Jacobs’ appeals, which challenged the compatibility and development approvals for the Equestrian Village and new Stadium, the Jacobs family is further appealing the approvals. They also amended another lawsuit against the Village, the horse show, and the property owners of the new Stadium. The amendment seeks injunctive relief to void the Stipulation Agreement recently voted on by the Village Council 4-0 that ensured that the Global Dressage Festival and all the grass show jumping events for the upcoming 2013 equestrian season would occur.

The Jacobs’ amended lawsuit seeks “the Court [to] order the lands returned to their status prior to the commencement of the development activities.” It also asks the court to declare that “the Stipulation be void as a matter of law, and of no legal force and effect.” Charles and Kimberly Jacobs latest attack jeopardizes the following: the Global Dressage Festival; many show jumping/hunter classes scheduled on the grass/derby field during the 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival; the Palm Beach Riding Academy which serves local community children; and local charities who are planning to use the covered arena for 28 days free of charge during the 2013 season. The Jacobs efforts will ultimately impact every Wellington taxpayer due to an ever increasing Village legal bill that continues to balloon. Finally, it could have a significant negative impact on the local economy and jobs.

Despite repeated claims that they support Dressage, including a letter to the Town Crier where Lou Jacobs stated, “With regard to dressage events for the upcoming season, please know that I want to see dressage go forward and be successful. In fact, I have reviewed your current request, and I am prepared to fully support it before the Village Council,” the Jacobs’ work behind the scenes seeks to destroy the venue and the development of Dressage in the community.

Mark Bellissimo, Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners commented, “While I am disappointed, I am surely not surprised by their actions. Given their PR campaign touting their preservation activity, this clearly speaks volumes about their true interests and agenda. In this light, Lou Jacobs’ recent letter to the community in the Wellington Town Crier is at best disingenuous. We are confident the Jacobs’ new challenges to the Stadium will fail as their two similar lawsuits did.”

The new amendment is, however, a dark cloud over our Wellington community and was no doubt filed to create continued uncertainty. Simply stated, it’s another attack by the Jacobs to prevent a successful, thriving equestrian industry that is attractive and available to all Wellington residents and visitors – all to protect the entrance to their 200 acre compound on Pierson Road.

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