The winter horse season in Wellington

WellingtonOctober 29, 2026

Wellington in the winter season

From January into April, the village of Wellington, about forty-five minutes inland from the residence, fills with some of the best show jumpers, dressage horses and polo ponies in the world. The horses arrive from Europe, South America and the rest of the United States, the riders follow, and for three months a quiet suburb west of West Palm Beach becomes the place where the season's big classes are won. For a guest on Singer Island, that means a day of top-level sport is an easy drive away, and the beach is waiting when you get back.

Three venues carry the season, and each has its own day of the week to know:

• Wellington International, the showgrounds for the Winter Equestrian Festival, with show jumping and hunters from early January to early April and Saturday Night Lights grand prix evenings.
• Wellington International South, home to the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, with Friday Night Stars freestyles set to music.
• The National Polo Center, where polo is played on Sundays from late December into early May, with the Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Polo Championship at the top of the calendar.

Much of it is open to the public without a ticket. General admission to the horse shows is free, the Saturday and Friday evening classes are free to walk into, and many of the polo games outside the main Sunday matches are free as well. Parking is paid on the Friday and Saturday evenings, and the polo's feature matches and brunch are ticketed.

This post covers the 2027 season: the dates announced so far and the ones still expected, how a first visit goes, what to wear, where to eat, and how to fit Wellington days into a week that still has room for the beach and the spa. If December is your month, the Christmas on Singer Island post covers the holidays at the residence, and the events calendar lays out the whole year month by month.

The drive from Singer Island

Wellington is a straight run west from the coast. From the residence it is about forty-five minutes to the showgrounds, a few minutes more to the polo fields on a Sunday afternoon, and the drive is all highway and wide boulevards once you leave the island.

The usual route

• West on Blue Heron Boulevard over the bridge and on to I-95.
• South on I-95 for a few exits.
• West on Southern Boulevard or Forest Hill Boulevard into Wellington, then south on the local roads to the venue. Your map app will pick between them on the day.

Wellington International's main entrance is at 3400 Equestrian Club Drive. The dressage arena at Wellington International South is at 14001 Gracida Street, a few minutes away. The National Polo Center is at 3667 120th Avenue South. Put the exact address in the phone before you leave, since the three sit close together and each one has its own gate and parking.

Cars, valet and rideshare

A car makes the day simple. The building's valet brings it round when you are ready to leave, and it is waiting at the door when you come home. Valet is paid and run by the building. If you are renting, the rental car guide covers picking one up at the airport; the residence has EV charging if you choose an electric car.

Rideshare works too, especially for an evening when you would like a glass of wine at the show. It also means nobody in your party has to drive the forty-five minutes home after the jump-off, and the tips for Saturday Night Lights below include the best moment to order the car. For a day trip from the island in a different direction, the day trips guide lists the other easy drives.

Timing tips

• For a daytime visit, leave the residence mid-morning for an easy, open drive west with the sun behind you.
• For Saturday Night Lights or Friday Night Stars, leave around 5 PM to park and eat before the 7 PM start.
• For Sunday polo, aim to arrive an hour before the match you have tickets for, so you can park, find your seats and see the ponies warming up.

The showgrounds at Wellington International

Wellington International is the showgrounds at the center of the season, a campus of arenas, schooling rings, stables, shops and restaurants that hosts horse shows for most of the year and the Winter Equestrian Festival from January. Walking it is part of the fun: you see horses being schooled in the warm-up rings, grooms leading them between the barns and the arenas, and riders you may have watched on television walking a course on foot.

The two properties

• Wellington International North, 3400 Equestrian Club Drive, the main grounds. The International Arena here has more than 1,500 blue seats facing the main ring, where the big show jumping classes and the Saturday night grand prix run.
• Wellington International South, 14001 Gracida Street, the dressage venue. Its International Arena has grandstands with more than 1,500 seats, and on Friday Night Stars evenings the spectator seats are under an awning.

Visiting days and hours

Visitor days are Friday through Sunday, from 8 AM until the last class of the day. Each Winter Equestrian Festival week runs from Wednesday to Sunday, and the feature classes come together over the weekend, when the whole venue is set up for spectators.

Things to know at the gate

• General admission is free.
• The venue is cashless. Bring a credit card or a phone that pays.
• There is plenty to eat on the grounds, from coffee to dinner, and outside food and drinks are not allowed.
• Accessible parking is at the main entrances of both properties, and during the festivals there is complimentary valet for guests with mobility needs, along with a golf cart shuttle.
• Bring comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen and a refillable water bottle.

If you cannot make a particular class, Wellington International streams its competition live and keeps replays on demand, which is a nice way to watch the end of a grand prix from the balcony after a day on the beach.

The Winter Equestrian Festival in 2027

The Winter Equestrian Festival, known to riders as WEF, began in 1974 and now runs for thirteen weeks, a premiere week plus twelve numbered weeks, from early January into early April.

The 2027 festival opens with WEF Premiere Week on Wednesday, January 6, 2027. The weeks published so far run Wednesday to Sunday:

• Premiere Week, January 6 to 10: national hunter and jumper classes.
• Week 1, January 13 to 17: CSI5*, the top level of international show jumping, with CSI2* classes alongside.
• Week 2, January 20 to 24: CSI3* and the Under 25 classes.
• Week 3, January 27 to 31: CSI4* and CSI2*.
• Week 4, February 3 to 7: CSI4*, CSI2* and Under 25.
• Week 5, February 10 to 14: CSI5* and CSI2*, the Valentine's week.

The rest of the calendar follows the same weekly pattern through March. The final week is expected to run from Wednesday, March 31 to Sunday, April 4, 2027, ending with the festival's richest grand prix on the Saturday night. Check the Winter Equestrian Festival event schedule on Wellington International's site for the later weeks as they are published.

Reading the star ratings

• CSI5* weeks bring the strongest international fields and the biggest Saturday night grand prix classes.
• CSI4* and CSI3* weeks still draw international riders and make for excellent viewing with your pick of the good seats in the stands.
• U25 classes are for riders under twenty-five, the names you will hear about in the coming years.
• USEF Premier "AA" is the national rating for the hunter and equitation rings that run all week across the grounds.

For a first visit, a CSI5* weekend is the one to aim for. Week 1 in mid-January and Week 5 in mid-February both qualify, and both fall in the months when the residence's winter guests are already here for the beach and the spa.

Saturday Night Lights

Saturday Night Lights is the easiest way into the season and the one most visitors remember. Each Saturday of the Winter Equestrian Festival, the week's feature grand prix runs under the lights in the International Arena, with food, music and a crowd that ranges from horse people in boots to couples who have never seen a show jump in person.

How the evening runs

• Gates open at 6 PM. Use the first hour to eat, walk the shops and find a seat.
• Competition starts at 7 PM. The grand prix is the main event, with the jump-off for the clear rounds coming later in the evening.
• General admission is free. Parking is paid, with general parking and a valet option.

Around the arena there is live music, stilt walkers, magic acts, games and pony rides on the grounds, and the food vendors and restaurants are open through the evening. The 1,500-plus blue seats face the main ring, and on a big night it pays to claim yours before 6:45.

Booking a table

If you would like a table and dinner with the view, Wellington International sells premium hospitality for Saturday nights: The Gallery, the Wellington Club, the Blue Ribbon Club, the top deck of the Tiki Hut and the NetJets Landing. Several include general parking with a table reservation, and they are sold on the venue's site. Tiki Hut tickets go on sale each week of the festival on Tuesday at 10 AM Eastern, so set a reminder if that is the seat you want.

Making a night of it

• Leave the residence around 5 PM and you will be parked before the gates open.
• Bring a light sweater or a jacket for the evening, the way you would for any winter night out.
• Rideshare is a good choice if you plan to enjoy the bars. Order your ride home as the last riders go in, and you can step out soon after the jump-off ends.
• Back at the residence around 10:30, the balcony is quiet and the ocean is right there, a good end to a night out.

The grand prix nights to plan around

Every Saturday has a grand prix, and a few of them are the nights the whole sport watches. If your dates are flexible, build the trip around one of these.

The CSI5* weekends

In 2027 the published CSI5* weeks are Week 1, January 13 to 17, and Week 5, February 10 to 14. On these weeks the Saturday night grand prix carries the strongest fields of the early season. More CSI5* weeks are expected later in February and March as the schedule is filled in.

The Rolex finale

The festival closes with the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix, a Saturday night class that also opens the season for the Rolex Series, the group of grand prix events that includes the big shows in Europe. In 2026 the finale week ran from March 24 to 29, the riders qualified through two CSI5* classes on the Thursday and Friday, forty starters went into the Saturday grand prix under the floodlights, and Kent Farrington won with Greya.

In 2027 the CSI5* Wellington grand prix of the Rolex Series is set for Saturday, April 3, 2027 at 8 PM, and it is expected to be the finale. Confirm the date on Wellington International's schedule before you book flights around it.

How to make the most of a big night

• Come for the Thursday or Friday qualifiers too. They are daytime classes with free general admission, and you will know the horses by Saturday.
• For the finale, book premium hospitality early, or arrive as the gates open for a general admission seat.
• Plan a quiet Sunday afterward. A late breakfast on the balcony and a slow morning on the beach are about right.

The finale falls in early spring, and the weeks just before it overlap with baseball's spring training and the height of the golf season. If you are planning a week around it, the spring training in Jupiter post and the Palm Beach Gardens golf season post cover the other two.

How to watch a show jumping class

Show jumping is easy to follow once you know what the scoreboard is counting. Each horse and rider jump a course of about a dozen and a half fences in a set order, against the clock, and the aim is to go clear: no fences down and inside the time allowed.

The scoring in a sentence each

• A rail down costs four faults.
• A refusal, when the horse stops in front of a fence, also costs four faults; a second refusal ends the round.
• Time faults come from finishing over the time allowed.
• The jump-off brings back every rider who went clear in the first round, over a shorter course. The fastest clear round wins.

What to watch for

The first round is about the course designer's questions: a tight turn, a combination of two or three fences in a row, a wide oxer after a long gallop. Watch how riders shorten and lengthen the horse's stride before each one. In the jump-off it becomes a race, and you will see riders cut inside turns and take fences at an angle to save a second.

The crowd goes quiet as each rider approaches a fence and lets out a breath when a rail rattles and stays up. A clear round in the first round of a five-star class gets real applause, and a fast clear in the jump-off gets more.

Where to sit

• A seat level with the middle of the ring shows the whole course.
• A seat near the in-gate lets you see horses and riders up close as they come in and leave.
• During the day, walk to the schooling area near the main ring and watch the riders warm up over practice fences before their round.

Between rounds, the grounds are full of other rings. The hunter classes are judged on style and smoothness and are lovely to watch with a coffee in hand, and the equitation classes judge the rider's position and control.

Dressage at the Global Dressage Festival

Dressage is the quieter, more precise side of the season, and Wellington is one of its great winter stages. The Adequan Global Dressage Festival runs for ten weeks alongside the show jumping, at Wellington International South, with international classes that count toward the World Cup and the nations' team rankings.

The 2027 weeks published so far run Thursday to Sunday:

• Week 1, January 14 to 17: CDI-W, a World Cup qualifier, with national classes and the Lloyd Landkamer Memorial.
• Week 3, January 28 to 31: CDI5*, the top international level, with para dressage at CPEDI3*.
• Week 5, February 11 to 14: CDI-W.
• Week 6, February 18 to 21: national classes.
• Week 7, February 25 to 28: CDI-W.
• Week 8, March 4 to 7: CDIO3*, the nations cup format, with the Palm Beach Derby, the Mary Anne McPhail Memorial.

The remaining weeks, including the final ones, are expected later in March, following the pattern of recent seasons; the 2025 festival ran from January 8 to March 30. Check the Global Dressage Festival event schedule on Wellington International's site as the later weeks are filled in.

How to watch dressage

A dressage test is a set pattern of movements ridden from memory and marked by a panel of judges, each movement scored out of ten. The higher the level, the harder the movements: pirouettes, where the horse canters a small circle around its hind legs; piaffe, a trot on the spot; passage, a slow, floating trot; and flying changes of lead every stride. The best rides look calm and light, which is the whole point.

• Sit high in the grandstand to see the pattern on the ground.
• Watch the rider's hands and legs. At the top level you should barely see them move.
• Keep your phone quiet during a test and save your applause for the final salute.

Friday Night Stars freestyle evenings

Friday Night Stars is dressage set to music, under the lights, and it is the evening to bring someone who thinks they do not like dressage. On these Fridays the Grand Prix Freestyle runs at Wellington International South: each rider designs a test of the top-level movements and sets it to music of their choice, from classical to current pop, and the judges score both the riding and the artistry.

How the evening runs

• Doors open at 6 PM, and the competition begins at 7 PM.
• General admission is free. Parking is paid, with a valet option.
• The spectator seats are under an awning, facing the International Arena at the South property, 14001 Gracida Street.
• Dress is casual. A light layer for after dark is plenty.

Food, drinks and shopping are open around the venue through the evening. The music carries the whole arena, and when a horse moves in time with a swell in the soundtrack, you will hear the crowd react.

Which Fridays

Friday Night Stars falls on selected Fridays of the dressage festival, and the dates are posted on the Global Dressage Festival schedule as the season fills in. Check it before you plan the evening, and pair it with one of the international weeks for the strongest fields.

A Friday and Saturday pair

Because Friday Night Stars and Saturday Night Lights fall on back-to-back evenings, a weekend in Wellington can include both: the freestyle on Friday at the South property and the grand prix on Saturday at the North. Spend the Saturday daytime at the residence between them. A morning on the beach, the residents' heated pool after lunch, and an early shower before you drive back out keep the weekend relaxed.

If you are staying with friends, the residence's two suites and the living room sofa bed sleep six, and the friends' stays page has more on sharing the home for a weekend like this.

The 2027 polo season at the National Polo Center

Polo is the Sunday of the Wellington week. The National Polo Center, at 3667 120th Avenue South, is one of the major homes of the sport in the United States, with six playing fields plus a stadium, a clubhouse and restaurants. Until a few years ago it was called the International Polo Club Palm Beach, and many locals still use the old name.

The shape of the season

The 2026 season ran on Sundays from December 28, 2025 to May 3, 2026, opening with the George Miller Memorial and moving through the Heritage Cup in early January to the big tournaments in late winter and spring. The 2027 season is expected to follow the same shape, opening on Sunday, December 27, 2026 and running to early May. Look for the official schedule on the National Polo Center's site as the opener approaches.

What is free and what is ticketed

• The Sunday 3 PM and 4 PM matches on Field One, the main stadium field, are ticketed.
• The Pavilion brunch is sold for those same Sunday matches.
• Other games through the season are open to the public free of charge, which makes a weekday or Saturday visit to watch a practice game or a lower-goal tournament an easy, relaxed outing.

Tickets are sold on the National Polo Center's website. Options run from general admission on the sidelines to grandstand seats, stadium boxes and tailgate spaces, and the Pavilion, where the Sunday polo brunch is served with champagne beside the field.

Polo in December

The polo season starts before the horse shows, so a December stay can include a Sunday match. If your holiday week includes Sunday, December 27, the expected opener is a fine way to spend the afternoon between Christmas and New Year's. For the rest of a December week, the December in West Palm Beach post and the Palm Beach holiday season post cover the closer outings.

The Gold Cup and the U.S. Open

The high point of the season is the Gauntlet of Polo, three high-goal tournaments in a row that bring the best teams and players in the sport to Wellington: the C.V. Whitney Cup, the USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Polo Championship.

The 2026 pattern

• U.S. Open Women's Polo Championship, January 25 to February 15, with the semifinals and final at the National Polo Center.
• C.V. Whitney Cup, February 11 to March 1.
• USPA Gold Cup, March 4 to 29.
• U.S. Open Polo Championship, April 1 to 26, the culmination of the season, with its final on the last Sunday of April.
• NPC 16-Goal Championship, April 9 to 12, and the National President's Cup, April 20 to 26.

What to expect in 2027

The 2027 dates are expected to follow the same order: the Whitney Cup in February, the Gold Cup through March and the U.S. Open in April, with the U.S. Open final expected on a Sunday in late April. Each tournament's dates move by a week or two from year to year, so plan a trip around a final once the National Polo Center announces it.

Which Sunday to choose

• January Sundays are relaxed, with good seats easy to find and the women's championship under way late in the month.
• February and March Sundays carry the Whitney Cup and the Gold Cup, high-goal polo with a full stadium.
• April is the U.S. Open. The final is the biggest Sunday of the year, and the brunch and boxes are the first seats to book.

A team's goal rating is the sum of its four players' handicaps, each from minus two up to ten. The Gauntlet tournaments are played at 18 to 22 goals, the top level of the sport in the United States, and in Wellington that polo is on show Sunday after Sunday.

A polo Sunday from the gates to the divot stomp

A Sunday at the polo is an afternoon of sport, food and people-watching, and the rhythm is easy to fall into. Here is how it tends to go.

Before the throw-in

Leave the residence about two hours before your match time. That gets you to Wellington with time to park, find your seats and walk the edge of the field while the grooms bring the ponies out. Each player rides several ponies in a match, so the string of horses lined up behind the field is part of the picture.

The game itself

• Each team has four players on horseback.
• A match is divided into periods called chukkas, each seven and a half minutes of play.
• The teams change direction after every goal, so keep an eye on which way the play is going.
• A match takes about two hours from the throw-in to the trophy.

The game moves fast and covers a field much bigger than a football pitch. Watch the ride-offs, when two players lean their ponies into each other to push the opponent off the line of the ball, and the long, sweeping backhand shots that turn the play around.

The divot stomp

At halftime, spectators are invited onto the field to stomp the divots, pressing the clumps of turf the ponies' hooves have torn up back into place. Everyone takes part, and champagne is served on the field. It is the moment the afternoon becomes a party.

After the final chukka

• Stay for the trophy presentation on the field, especially on a tournament final.
• The ride home lands you on the island by early evening, in time for sunset from the balcony.
• If you booked dinner out, the waterfront seafood guide has tables close to the residence where boots and sundresses feel right at home.

What to wear to the shows and the polo

Dressing for Wellington is part of the pleasure. The horse shows lean relaxed and practical, the polo leans dressy, and the evenings call for a layer.

At the horse shows

• Comfortable flat shoes or boots. The grounds are large, and you will walk between rings, barns and shops.
• A hat or a visor and sunscreen for the daytime classes.
• Smart casual for the day: chinos or jeans, a linen shirt, a sundress with a light cardigan.
• For Saturday Night Lights, a step up if you are booked into a hospitality table, and a sweater or a light jacket for after dark.
• A refillable water bottle.

At the polo

Sunday polo is the dressiest afternoon of the season. Spectators dress up, with color, florals, hats and good sunglasses, and the Pavilion brunch is where the most effort shows.

• For women, a sundress or a jumpsuit, a sun hat, and wedges or flats. Skip stilettos and slim heels: they sink into the grass during the divot stomp.
• For men, a collared shirt or a button-down, chinos, loafers, and a sport coat if you are in a box or at the brunch.
• A pashmina or a light jacket for late afternoon.

At Friday Night Stars

Dress is casual. The seats are under an awning, and a layer for the evening is all you need.

Packing for the week

A horse-season week at the residence needs beach clothes, spa clothes and one or two outfits for Wellington. The residence has its own washer and dryer, so a pair of riding-day jeans and a dusty pair of boots can be ready for the next outing by morning. The packing list covers the rest, from reef-safe sunscreen to the sweater for winter evenings.

A first-timer's day at the horse shows

For a first visit, a Saturday at Wellington International is the one to choose: the day classes run from the morning, the grounds are lively and friendly, and you can stay for Saturday Night Lights or drive home for the sunset. Here is a day that works.

1. 9:30 AM, leave the residence. Coffee on the balcony first. The drive west takes about forty-five minutes, with the morning sun behind you.
2. 10:30 AM, park and walk the grounds. Start with the schooling rings near the main arena, where riders warm up over practice fences.
3. 11:00 AM, the hunter rings. Find a seat by one of the hunter rings and watch a few rounds, judged on smoothness, style and the horse's way of going.
4. 12:30 PM, lunch. The Tiki Hut is the classic lunch spot, with the food stands around the grounds for tacos, wraps, salads, burgers, crepes and ice cream.
5. 1:30 PM, the International Arena. The afternoon brings the bigger jumper classes. Take a seat in the blue stands.
6. 3:00 PM, the shops. The shops sell clothing, accessories and gifts, and the Wellington International shop has the festival's own merchandise.
7. 4:00 PM, choose. Drive home for a swim in the heated pool and sunset on the balcony, or stay on and grab a table before the gates open for the evening at 6 PM.

Small tips that help

• Everything is cashless, so a card or phone covers food, drinks and shopping.
• Check the daily schedule and results on Wellington International's site in the morning to see which classes are in which ring.
• Ask before you pet a horse. Show horses are working athletes, and grooms are happy to tell you which ones like visitors.
• Stay behind the rails and give way to horses on the paths between rings.

The same day works on a Friday, which is a little quieter, or a Sunday, when you can finish at the shows and drive across to the polo for a late match.

Eating in Wellington

Eating well is easy on a horse-show day, and most of it happens right at the venues.

At Wellington International

The showgrounds run a full food scene from January through April. Coffee vendors open early, there is a breakfast spot for the morning crowd, and the Tiki Hut is the place for lunch. Around the grounds you will find tacos, wraps, salads, burgers, smoothies, crepes, pizza, shaved ice and ice cream, and dinner service on the evening classes.

• Plan to eat on site, where the stands and restaurants cover every meal of the day.
• Have a card or phone ready at every stand.
• For a sit-down dinner with the show, Saturday Night Lights hospitality includes open bars and buffet dinners at the club tables.

At the National Polo Center

The Sunday polo brunch in the Pavilion is the classic way to eat at the polo: a buffet beside the field, champagne, and seats close to the play. It is sold for the Sunday 3 PM and 4 PM matches. The club also has restaurants on the grounds.

In town

Wellington's restaurants cluster along Forest Hill Boulevard and around the Mall at Wellington Green, a large two-level shopping center, with sit-down rooms, cafes and familiar names. In season, book ahead for Saturday night.

Dinner back on the coast

Many guests eat lunch in Wellington and save dinner for the coast, on the way home or a short ride from the residence.

• The Singer Island restaurants guide covers the tables close to the residence.
• The Palm Beach dining guide is for the dressed-up dinner after a polo afternoon.
• Winter is stone crab season, a good reason to stop at a seafood house on the way home.

Or cook. The Miele kitchen, a dining table for eight and the balcony turn the residence into a dining room with an ocean view, and the first morning groceries post covers where to stock it.

Wellington beyond the arenas

A few easy stops around Wellington fit neatly into a show day.

Peaceful Waters Sanctuary

Inside Village Park at 11676 Pierson Road, a short drive from the showgrounds, Peaceful Waters is a thirty-acre wetland with a 1,500-foot boardwalk and a trail of about a mile. Winter is the season for birds: roseate spoonbills, white pelicans, herons, egrets, ibises and wood storks. There is no admission fee, and Village Park has restrooms and picnic tables. Go in the morning before the shows, when the birds are feeding and the light is soft.

The Wellington Environmental Preserve

Farther west, at 3491 Flying Cow Ranch Road, the preserve is several hundred acres of marsh built to store rainwater as part of Everglades restoration. About three miles of paved trails and boardwalks lead to a six-story observation tower with views over the marsh to the edge of the Everglades. There is no admission fee and there are restrooms. The trails are open to the sky, so a morning walk with a hat is the pleasant way to do it, and the tower is a beautiful place to watch the sun go down.

The Wellington Amphitheater

At the town center on Forest Hill Boulevard, the Wellington Amphitheater hosts the village's Thursday Food Truck and Music Series, weekend tribute concerts and movie nights. In December it is the center of Wellington's holiday events, covered in the December chapter below.

Shopping

The boutiques at Wellington International are the place for riding clothes, boots and gifts for the horse-lover at home. The Mall at Wellington Green, a large two-level shopping center, covers everything else. For the shops closer to the residence, the shopping guide covers the Gardens and Worth Avenue.

The parks and nature guide has the wild places closer to the island, from the state park at the north end of Singer Island to the lagoons and reefs of the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Horses and holidays in December

Wellington is full of horses in late fall and December, ahead of the January festival, and the village has its own holiday calendar. For a December stay at the residence, a Wellington day fits in nicely between the beach and the parties on the coast.

The fall and holiday shows

Wellington International runs horse shows through the fall, including the Holiday and Horses CSI4* over Thanksgiving weekend, November 26 to 29, 2026, and the Year End Awards show from December 4 to 6. The venue's holiday shows carry on through December, just before WEF Premiere Week opens on January 6.

Wellington's holiday calendar

• Thursday, December 3, 2026: the Holiday Cultural Celebration and Tree Lighting at the Wellington Amphitheater.
• Friday, December 4: the annual Grand Menorah Lighting.
• Saturday, December 12: Wellington's Holiday Boat Parade.
• Sunday, December 13: the 42nd Wellington Holiday Parade.

Polo between Christmas and New Year's

The polo season is expected to open on Sunday, December 27, 2026, the Sunday between the two holidays. It is a relaxed first match of the season, and a fine reason to dress up and get out of the house after Christmas.

Putting December together

A December week at the residence might include the holiday boat parade on the Intracoastal, a Worth Avenue morning, a polo Sunday and New Year's Eve on the balcony. The Christmas on Singer Island post covers the holidays at the residence and on the beach, the Palm Beach holiday season post covers the lights and the shopping across the bridge, and the December in West Palm Beach post covers the waterfront downtown.

December days on the coast are warm enough for the beach, with cool, clear mornings and a sweater for the evening. The when to visit guide covers what each winter month feels like.

Coming home to the residence

Seeing the season from Singer Island means every day ends with the drive back to the ocean. You drive east from the arenas toward the ocean, and forty-five minutes later the valet takes the car and the elevator takes you up to the twelfth floor.

What is waiting

• The balcony. It runs the width of the home, faces east over the Atlantic, and has lounge seating and a high table. After a day of arenas and grandstands, it is the quietest seat you will have all day.
• The residents' heated pool and whirlpool. A late-afternoon swim and a soak are the right reset after a day on your feet.
• The private beach. The beach-butler service sets up chairs, towels and an umbrella for you.
• The fitness center, yoga terrace and meditation garden, for a morning stretch before a long day in the stands.
• The kitchen. A full Miele kitchen with a long island, and a dining table for eight with the ocean beyond the glass.
• The laundry. An in-residence washer and dryer, which matters when your clothes come back from the barns.

The two suites

The king suite and the queen suite each have their own bath, and the living room sofa bed sleeps two more, for six guests in all. The queen suite has a workspace, which is useful for a longer stay when you are working a few mornings and going to the shows in the afternoons. The residence suits couples, friends and adults traveling together; the couples' stays page has more on a week for two.

Arrivals and departures

Check-in is from 4 PM to 10 PM by smart lock, and checkout is at 10 AM. From December through April there is no early check-in, so plan an arrival day around a late lunch on the way in. The arrival page covers the building, the valet and the first hour, and the house rules page covers quiet hours and the rest.

Spa days between show days

A horse-season week has a natural rhythm: a day in Wellington, then a day close to home. The spa downstairs is made for the second kind.

The resort's wellness center, about 100,000 square feet with 22 treatment rooms, is an elevator ride below the residence. Treatments are run by the resort and booked and paid for with the resort; they are not part of the stay. In the winter season, book your spa days as soon as your Wellington days are settled, so you have your pick of the times.

What fits after a day in the stands

• The hydrothermal circuit. A loop of hot and cold pools, a salt inhalation chamber, an effusion shower and a sauna, about ninety minutes at an easy pace. The hydrothermal bathing guide explains the order.
• A massage. After a day of walking showgrounds and climbing grandstands, a long massage is a fine way to spend an afternoon. The massage guide helps you choose the style.
• The salt room. A quiet half hour in the glow of the salt bricks, covered in the salt therapy guide.
• The sauna. The sauna guide covers how long to stay and what to drink.

Spa days for two

For a couple, the easiest plan is a shared circuit in the morning, two massages booked back to back so you finish together, and a late lunch on the balcony. The rest of the afternoon belongs to the beach.

Planning the week around it

• Put a spa day after Saturday Night Lights, when a slow Sunday morning is welcome.
• Put another between two Wellington days so each drive out feels fresh.
• If the week is about rest, the wellness retreat stay shows how guests build a whole week around the spa.

The spa and wellness guide covers the full menu, and the wellness page covers the residence's own setup for a quiet week. The week around the spa post shows how one stay was put together.

A horse-season week, day by day

Here is a week in mid-February that mixes Wellington with the beach and the spa. It fits a CSI5* week of the show jumping and an international week of the dressage, so check the schedules for your dates and swap days around as needed.

1. Thursday: arrive. Land at President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), formerly Palm Beach International (PBI), about fifteen minutes from the residence. Check in from 4 PM, stock the kitchen, and take a glass of wine out to the balcony.
2. Friday: beach morning, Friday Night Stars. Sleep in, spend the morning on the private beach, a swim in the heated pool after lunch. Leave around 5 PM for the dressage freestyle at Wellington International South, back on the island by 10.
3. Saturday: the showgrounds and Saturday Night Lights. A late breakfast, then drive out by noon. Walk the rings in the afternoon, eat at the Tiki Hut, and take your seats for the grand prix at 7.
4. Sunday: polo. A slow morning on the balcony, then the polo brunch in the Pavilion and the divot stomp at halftime. Sunset on the balcony afterward.
5. Monday: the spa. The hydrothermal circuit in the morning, a massage after lunch, and dinner in.
6. Tuesday: the island. A morning at MacArthur Beach State Park, an afternoon on the sand, and dinner at a waterfront table nearby.
7. Wednesday: Palm Beach. A morning on Worth Avenue, about twenty minutes south, and lunch in a courtyard. The Worth Avenue post covers the route.
8. Thursday: Wellington by day. The boardwalk at Peaceful Waters first thing, then the daytime classes at the showgrounds. Home for a sunset swim.
9. Friday: leave slowly. Checkout is 10 AM. Coffee on the balcony first.

Eight nights give you two evenings of top-level sport, a polo Sunday, a spa day and three beach days. For a shorter stay, keep the Friday, Saturday and Sunday and drop the rest; for a longer one, add a second polo Sunday later in the season. The itineraries page has more ways to shape a stay.

Staying for the season

Many people who come for the horses stay for weeks, and Wellington's season makes a strong case for a longer stay at the residence. Riders and owners spend the winter in the area, and friends and fans come back for the finale.

Why a longer stay works here

• The season is long. Thirteen weeks of show jumping, ten of dressage and polo every Sunday from late December to early May give you something new each week.
• The residence is set up for living. A full kitchen, in-residence laundry, two suites with their own baths and a workspace in the queen suite.
• The drive is easy. About forty-five minutes to the showgrounds, so you can go out two or three days a week and spend the rest on the coast.
• The coast has its own season. Winter brings the art fairs, manatee season at the warm-water outflow in Riviera Beach, the boat show in late March and, in early spring, baseball's spring training in Jupiter.

Working from the residence

For guests who work some mornings, the queen suite's workspace and the balcony make an office with a view. Shows run from the morning, but the feature classes are in the afternoon and evening, so a morning of work and an afternoon at the arena is a realistic routine. The remote work page covers the setup.

What to know for a longer stay

• The residence takes up to six guests, guests must be 25 or older to book, and older children are welcome with their parents.
• No pets and no smoking, and the home is not set up for parties or events.
• Quiet hours are from 11 PM to 7 AM, which suits a schedule of early mornings at the barns.

The longer stays page covers the details of a month or more, and the how to book page explains reserving the dates.

Planning the trip and booking the residence

The 2027 season is close enough to plan now. Here is the order that works.

Step by step

1. Pick the weeks. Choose the show jumping and dressage weeks you want from the schedules, and a polo Sunday or two. The CSI5* weeks in mid-January and mid-February and the expected finale on Saturday, April 3, 2027 are the big ones so far.
2. Book the residence. Winter dates book first. The how to book page explains the steps.
3. Book the polo. Brunch and box seats for the big Sundays go early once the National Polo Center opens sales.
4. Book hospitality if you want it. Saturday Night Lights tables and Tiki Hut tickets are sold on Wellington International's site.
5. Book the spa. Reserve spa days with the resort as soon as you know your Wellington days.
6. Book dinners. Saturday night in season is the night to reserve ahead, in Wellington or on the coast.

Getting here

DJT is about fifteen minutes from the residence, and Wellington is a short drive west of the airport, so you can land and go straight to an afternoon class if your flight is early, then check in from 4 PM. The getting to Singer Island guide covers flights, and the Brightline train guide covers arriving by train from Orlando or South Florida to the West Palm Beach station, about twenty minutes away.

The other season posts

• Christmas and New Year's on Singer Island
• The Palm Beach holiday season
• December in West Palm Beach
• Spring training in Jupiter
• The Palm Beach Gardens golf season

The schedules fill in through the fall, so check the venues' own sites the week before you travel. Everything else, the beach, the balcony and the spa downstairs, is ready when you arrive.

Common questions

When is the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2027?

The 2027 Winter Equestrian Festival opens with Premiere Week on Wednesday, January 6, 2027 at Wellington International. The weeks published so far run through mid-February, and the festival is expected to finish on Sunday, April 4, with its biggest grand prix on Saturday night, April 3. Check the venue's event schedule for the later weeks as they are posted.

Is it free to watch the horse shows in Wellington?

General admission at Wellington International is free, including the Saturday Night Lights grand prix evenings and the Friday Night Stars dressage freestyles. Parking is paid on those evenings, and there is a valet option. Tables with dinner and drinks are sold separately as premium hospitality on the venue's site.

How far is Wellington from the residence?

About forty-five minutes by car. The usual route is west on Blue Heron Boulevard to I-95, south a few exits, then west into Wellington on Southern Boulevard or Forest Hill Boulevard. The building's valet has the car ready when you leave, and rideshare works well for the evening events.

When is Sunday polo at the National Polo Center?

Polo is played on Sundays through the season, which is expected to run from Sunday, December 27, 2026 into early May 2027. The 3 PM and 4 PM matches on Field One are ticketed, along with the Pavilion brunch, and many other games through the season are free to watch. Tickets are sold on the National Polo Center's website.

When are the Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Polo Championship in 2027?

The 2027 dates are expected to follow recent seasons. In 2026 the USPA Gold Cup ran from March 4 to 29 and the U.S. Open Polo Championship from April 1 to 26, with the final on the last Sunday of April. Expect a similar order in 2027 and check the National Polo Center's schedule once it is announced.

What should I wear to the polo?

Sunday polo is dressy. Women wear sundresses, jumpsuits and sun hats, and men wear collared shirts, chinos and loafers, with a sport coat for the boxes or the brunch. Choose wedges or flats over slim heels, since everyone walks onto the grass at halftime for the divot stomp. Bring a light layer for late afternoon.

When is the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in 2027?

The 2027 festival runs at Wellington International South for ten weeks, side by side with the show jumping. Week 1 is January 14 to 17, 2027, with international weeks published through early March, including a CDI5* week in late January and a nations cup week from March 4 to 7. The final weeks are expected later in March.

Can we combine the horse shows with spa days at the residence?

Easily. Many guests alternate a Wellington day with a day at home. The resort's spa, about 100,000 square feet with 22 treatment rooms, is an elevator ride below the residence; treatments are booked and paid for with the resort. Book spa days as soon as your show days are settled, so you have your pick of the winter times.

Sources

• Wellington International: home and venue information
• Winter Equestrian Festival event schedule, Wellington International
• Saturday Night Lights, Wellington International
• Plan your visit, Wellington International
• Frequently asked questions, Wellington International
• Adequan Global Dressage Festival event schedule, Wellington International
• Friday Night Stars, Wellington International
• Rolex Series: Winter Equestrian Festival, Wellington
• The 2026 polo season launches at the USPA National Polo Center, U.S. Polo Association
• Exciting winter polo season on tap for 2026 at NPC in Wellington, Wellington The Magazine
• Southern Living on Sunday polo in Wellington, via the U.S. Polo Association
• Wellington Amphitheater, Village of Wellington
• Wellington's Peaceful Waters and the Environmental Preserve, Florida Rambler

Photographs

• Cover photo: “High Goal Polo 2014 at the International Polo Club (IPC)” by Pantagruel68, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “International Polo Club, Team Valiente 2014” by Pantagruel68, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Amphitheater Wellington, Florida” by Dee.lite, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Photographs of the residence and the resort are the owner’s own.