Wellington International, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival, recently announced that it has inked a 2023 sponsorship agreement with Mars Equestrian, adding the brand to an elite group of major partners at WEF.
As part of an ongoing initiative to link Mars Incorporated’s family of brands to the equestrian community, Mars Equestrian was named the title sponsor of WEF Week 4, which ran Feb. 1-5 and featured CSI4* and CSI2* competition, highlighted by the CHF216,000 CIS4* Grand Prix, presented by Mars Equestrian. Ethel M Chocolates will be recognized as the presenting sponsor of the CSI2* division during WEF Week 7.
“We are proud to become a partner with Wellington International in our collective passion for the equestrian industry,” said Bridgett McIntosh, director at Mars Equestrian. “Through sharing Mars Incorporated’s diverse portfolio of confectionery, petcare, horsecare and veterinary products and services, this purposeful partnership affirms our commitment to making enduring positive impacts in the horse community and beyond.”
Spreading their support to the hunter divisions, Mars Equestrian will present the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby during WEF 7and the $5,000 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby during WEF 9. Both of the popular hunter offerings will take place on the grass derby field at Equestrian Village.
“Wellington International is dedicated to bringing mainstream brands and the equestrian community together through longstanding partnerships. We are thrilled to be among the events that has joined the Mars Equestrian family, and we appreciate their support of top horse sport venues, as well as all levels and disciplines of the sport,” said Lenore Brown, director of sponsorships at Wellington International.
Committed to an enduring equestrian legacy, Mars Equestrian sponsorships will include the Small Pony Hunter division throughout the season and an inaugural Children’s Sportsmanship Award. Additionally, Ethel M Chocolates has been coined the Official Chocolate of the International Club and Sunday Brunch Series in the Blue Ribbon Club at Wellington International.
The Mars Equestrian sponsorship at WEF is only the latest illustration of Mars’ multi-generational impact on equestrian sports and the equine industry as a whole. Going back to the 1930s, the founders of Mars Incorporated, Frank and Ethel V. Mars, established a renowned Thoroughbred breeding and racing stable in Pulaski, Tennessee. They named the property Milky Way Farm, in honor of their best-selling candy bar, and followed up by naming their new Snickers Bar after one of the family’s beloved horses. A decade later, their long-shot Gallahadion carried the Mars silks into the winner’s circle at the 1940 Kentucky Derby. Today, the Mars family and business alike share a passion for horses and equestrian sports. For more information, visit www.marsequestrian.com.
The Winter Equestrian Festival has been the pinnacle of equine competition in South Florida for more than four decades, welcoming enthusiasts and athletes annually to contest one of the most competitive shows in the world. This year’s circuit will offer more than $13 million in prize money.
Learn more about WEF at www.wellingtoninternational.com.
