American Equestrians Got Talent (AEGT) this year will be a one-night-only, all-star gala event. Nine finalists from the three former years and one wildcard will compete against each other in a Battle of the Stars, on Sunday, March 18 at 6 p.m. at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival showgrounds, located at 13500 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington.
There is one slot left for a talented singer, dancer and stage artist to beat the former finalists. To apply, visit www.aegtusa.com and submit a video.
The masterminds behind AEGT, Robert Dover and Kimberly Van Kampen, founder of Discover Dressage, have revamped the competition for this year.
The contestants will include: David Willis (Season 2), Brian Lookabill (Season 1), Taylor Hughes (Season 1), Teaghan James (Seasons 1 and 2), Kylie Peitz (Season 3), Cassie Ortiz (Season 3), Kayden Muller (Season 2), Ki-Juan Minors (Season 1) and Michael Boone (Season 3).
“We decided this year to bring back our beloved finalists in a one-night-only, all-star gala review. It will be a wonderful gala with dancing, a silent auction and a very short live auction,” Van Kampen said. “We are really excited to host the event and encourage a talented person to submit a video for that tenth spot available to compete for the prize.”
She invited the entire Wellington community to come out for the event.
“If you love music and you love to dance, and you love to watch the talent we have here in Wellington, please come and see them,” Van Kampen said. “Our show has launched some amazing careers for a number of these talented performers, and we have them all coming back. It’s really going to be a fun evening.”
Every dollar raised goes to the United States Equestrian Federation to support programs for the top athletes to prepare for upcoming championships, such as the 2020 Olympics and this year’s World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C.
“It’s exciting that starting this year, the U.S. Equestrian Federation is starting a new youth program called the Emerging Dressage Athletes Program to help the youth make it to the high-performance championship level,” Van Kampen noted. “This includes all the Junior/Young Rider and Under 25 Grand Prix division riders across the country. We are working to raise $1 million for a four-year program.”
Dover was also excited about the upcoming event.
“We are going to have a big battle of the stars from the talent from the last three years. They are going to be battling it out for more prize money than we have ever had, and we have one wildcard,” he said. “That wildcard will come from anyone in this community, from South Florida or anywhere if they send in a video audition at www.aegtusa.com before March 7. Our producers will be looking at all the applications for the spot and will select the final contestant on March 9.”
That contestant will have an equal opportunity to win the grand prize.
“March 18 is going to be a big event,” Dover said. “We are looking forward to having one spectacular judge from the talent industry to be here. It’s going to be an amazing night.”
Mark your calendar and make your plans now to attend this highlight of the winter social calendar in Wellington. For ticket information, contact Patty Scott at (917) 318-0425 or pjscott@mac.com. For more information about American Equestrians Got Talent, visit www.aegtusa.com.
