The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) is pleased to announce that Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. will be serving as the equestrian public relations and media company this year and will be in charge of media credentials. Heather Buchanan will serve as the non-equestrian (social and local) media relations associate. Running from January 13 to April 4, 2010, the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is the largest and longest running horse show circuit in the world and features the best hunter/jumper competition in the country, along with two weeks of incredible dressage competition.
WEF welcomes Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. and its President, Jennifer Wood, to handle the equestrian coverage of this year’s horse show. Originally from Chicago, Jennifer Wood is a lifelong horseperson who began competing in the hunter/jumper discipline at the age of seven. She went on to represent the intercollegiate team at the University of South Carolina. Jennifer graduated from USC magna cum laude with a marketing degree in 2001. Jennifer worked for Olympic show jumpers Anne Kursinski and Margie Engle before entering into the public relations field. Since 2004, Jennifer has worked in equestrian public relations and promoted such companies as EquiFit, inc., Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS), and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation, where she served as editor of their newsletter. She has also promoted such prominent horse shows as the Washington International Horse Show, Kentucky Horse Shows, and Capital Challenge Horse Show.
Through her work as a freelance writer and photographer, she has covered may of the major international equestrian events, including the 2005-2009 FEI World Cup Finals (in such cities as Las Vegas, Kuala Lumpur, and Goteborg), the Samsung Super League event in La Baule, France, the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. Jennifer is a member of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists, and she won the United States Equestrian Federation Pegasus Award for Media, Best Single News Article, in 2006.
“I am looking forward to promoting this year’s FTI Winter Equestrian Festival,” Wood said. “There are so many exciting events on the calendar, and we will make sure that the industry is informed of WEF’s improvements and results.”
Heather Buchanan earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communication Studies from Northwestern University. After working as an independent film producer in Los Angeles, she returned to her east coast roots and ran Hospitality and VIP Relations for the Hamptons International Film Festival and founded the Hamptons Screenwriters Conference. As a freelance writer, Heather has covered celebrities, design, real estate, and luxury lifestyle for numerous publications including Hamptons Magazine, Best Life, Haute Living, the Huffington Post, Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, and New York Magazine as well as penning an award winning column in the East Hampton Independent. On air she has appeared as a host for Plum TV on the Morning Noon & Night show. Through HHB Media, Heather also consults with high end luxury brands and new media as well as founding HipHamptons.com, an insiders guide. As a junior she competed in equitation and pony and junior hunters at Topping Horse Farm in Sagaponack, Long Island and Ox Ridge Hunt Club in Darien, Connecticut. She is thrilled to be back in the saddle working with the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.
For more information on media credentials or equestrian competition, please contact Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. by e-mail at info@jenniferwoodmedia.com or call 803-240-7488. For more information on social events during the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, please contact Heather Buchanan by e-mail at heather@heatherbuchanan1.com or call 516-729-0196 (New York area code).
The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 13 through April 4. WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $5.5 million in prize will be awarded.
WEF will offer many exciting events this year, including: the $500,000 FTI Finale Grand Prix, the USEF WEG Show Jumping Trials, the $150,000 World Dressage Masters, CDI-5*, the AHJF/WCHR Hunter Spectacular, the $150,000 Spy Coast Grand Prix, the $100,000 FTI Rider Challenge, the $75,000 CN Nations Cup, the $50,000 CN Palm Beach Derby, the $50,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby, the $25,000 G&C Farm Young Rider Grand Prix, the Nespresso Battle of the Sexes, the Third Annual George Morris Excellence in Equitation Exhibition, and the Palm Beach Charity Pro/Am Exhibition.
The competition areas include the 360′ x 280′ all-weather International Arena, the Bertalan DeNemethy Arena, Mogavero Ring, and E.R. Mische Grand Hunter Field each with their own schooling ring, in addition to several other competition rings. The competition and warm-up rings have all-weather footing. Amenities include VIP seating in the International Club, refreshment and food vendors, and shopping areas.
During the 12 weeks of WEF, “Saturday Night Lights” headlines the entertainment each Saturday night where spectators not only enjoy the Grand Prix class, but a street carnival, live music, and numerous dining options with box seats, sports bars, and the famed Tiki Hut for front row fun.
Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.