What the Equestrian Preserve Area Is

Wellington created the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District (EOZD) in 2001 to protect the equestrian character of approximately 9,000 acres. The EOZD covers show grounds (Wellington International, Equestrian Village), polo fields (International Polo Club), bridle trails, horse farms, veterinary clinics, and low-density residential properties. Land uses within the EPA are restricted to those compatible with the equestrian lifestyle.

The core purpose: no high-density development, no commercial uses incompatible with equestrian activity, no loss of open space or bridle trail connectivity. The preserve has been under development pressure for decades — Wellington International’s owner Mark Bellissimo made multiple attempts to rezone portions of it before the 2024 approval.

The February 2024 Council Vote

After four days of testimony, public comment, and legal wrangling, Wellington Village Council voted in February 2024 to approve two rezoning requests from Wellington Lifestyle Partners (WLP), the entity controlled by Bellissimo that owns Wellington International:

Wellington North: 96 acres removed from the Equestrian Preserve and rezoned for the Wellington North luxury home development — rising on the current site of Equestrian Village and the Whitebirch Polo Club along South Shore Boulevard.

Wellington South: 107 luxury villas and five 4-acre farms on 290 undeveloped acres at South Shore and Lake Worth Road. Separately, 114 acres rezoned to equestrian commercial for new showgrounds south of the existing Wellington International facility (potentially a stadium of up to 65 feet tall seating 11,000).

Key condition: WLP must revert the 96 acres back to the EPA if it fails to build the new showgrounds by 2028. They must also continue operating Equestrian Village until the new showgrounds replace it.

What It Means for Equestrian Preserve Properties

The 2024 vote does not change the EPA’s existence or its 9,000-acre core. What changed is that 96 acres of it will become luxury residential rather than equestrian-zoned, and a new showground is being developed south of the current Wellington International facility.

For buyers of equestrian properties within the EPA: the core protections remain. Bridle trails, low-density character, and restricted commercial use are still the rules throughout the remaining 8,900+ acres. The value of equestrian-zoned land in Wellington remains driven by its scarcity and the global demand for WEF access.

The Equestrian Preserve and Wellington Property Values

The EPA is the single strongest structural support for Wellington property values. The 9,000-acre protected zone creates permanent scarcity. You cannot build a competing cluster of equestrian homes next door — the zoning won’t allow it. That scarcity, combined with the $536M annual WEF economic engine, makes Wellington equestrian properties genuinely irreplaceable in the global equestrian real estate market.

The flip side: equestrian properties within the EPA require buyers who understand agricultural and equestrian zoning, barn permits, trailer regulations, and water management rules. First-time equestrian buyers need to do their homework before making an offer on a horse property.