FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival 2014: Salamander Hotels & Resorts Presents Special Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3* As the Title Sponsor of Week Six at the FTI WEF

FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival 2014
Salamander Hotels & Resorts Presents Special Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3* As the Title Sponsor of Week Six at the FTI WEF

Wellington, FL – February 11, 2014 – Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) is proud to welcome Salamander Hotels & Resorts, which was founded by Sheila C. Johnson, as the title sponsor of week six at the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The week runs February 12-16 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, featuring a full schedule of „AA“ hunter and CSI 3* jumper action.

Week six features the coveted World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) competition, with hunters taking to the International Arena at PBIEC for their daily classes, weekly championships, and a chance to compete in Saturday night’s $100,000 Peter Wetherill USHJA/WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.

As the hunters are featured on the main showgrounds at PBIEC, the highlight jumper competition will be held on the adjacent showgrounds at The Stadium at PBIEC. Exciting jumper classes will be held on the beautiful grass derby field at The Stadium, including the $34,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and the $50,000 Equestrian Sotheby’s Jumper Derby at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 6 will be at 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon in the International Arena at The Stadium.

In addition to the competition on the grass field, a special $84,000 Salamander Hotels & Resorts Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3* will be held in the International Arena at The Stadium at PBIEC at 7 p.m. on Friday night as part of the „Friday Night Stars“ series. The beautiful arena provides an intimate setting under the lights with VIP ringside seating. Be sure to check out all of the exciting action throughout the week thanks to the generous sponsorship of Salamander Hotels & Resorts.  

Sheila C. Johnson is the owner of Salamander Resort & Spa, and the founder and CEO of Salamander
Hotels & Resorts © WEF

In 2003, Sheila Johnson walked onto 340 picturesque acres in Middleburg, the heart of Virginia’s horse and wine country, and promptly fell in love. She immediately envisioned creating an iconic retreat – one where guests would enjoy life-changing experiences complemented with exceptional service.

On August 29, 2013, after a decade of unfailing persistence, that vision was realized with the opening of the equestrian-inspired Salamander Resort & Spa. Located in foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and only one hour from Washington, D.C., it has already been acclaimed as one of the finest new resorts in the world and lauded by numerous media outlets.

Designed to blend into the surrounding rolling countryside and respect the traditions of Johnson’s own nearby Virginia farm, which served as the architectural inspiration, the resort features 168 luxurious, spacious rooms and suites, an exquisite 23,000-square-foot spa with one-of-a-kind features like outdoor treatment terraces and a spa courtyard, Virginia Piedmont-inspired cuisine, a media-ready Cooking Studio and a two-acre Culinary Garden.

But, it’s the 25-acre, full-service equestrian center which truly sets the resort apart from its competition. It features a 22-stall stable, riding arena, nine paddocks and a vast array of programming that utilizes the miles of on-property trails.  

The grand lawn of Salamander Resort & Spa © WEF

The resort is the latest addition to Johnson’s hospitality portfolio, which is managed by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, one of the fastest-growing luxury hotel companies in America. The company also operates three large golf and family resorts in Florida.

Located on 900 rolling acres in Tampa Bay, Innisbrook Resort hosts the annual PGA TOUR Valspar Championship on its famed Copperhead Course. The resort also features three other championship layouts, over 550 suite accommodations, a tennis center, a luxury spa, six swimming pool complexes, four restaurants, a nature preserve, and three conference halls with 65,000 square feet of meeting space.

Reunion Resort in Orlando offers over 300 premier multi-bedroom villas and luxury private homes. It is the only location in the United States with golf courses designed by the golf greats Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, and also features the exclusive ANNIKA Academy by Annika Sörenstam. It also features elegantly appointed meeting space, a full-service boutique spa, multiple restaurants and waterpark with 1,000-foot lazy river.

Situated along Florida’s Palm Coast, the beachfront Hammock Beach Resort features over 300 accommodations, including a 12-story tower of luxury suites. It is famed for its two spectacular golf courses: the Ocean Course by Jack Nicklaus and the Conservatory Course by Tom Watson. The resort also features a multi-level water pavilion, indoor atrium pool, beautiful spa, numerous restaurants, and oceanfront meeting and function space.    

For more information, visit www.SalamanderHotels.com or call 540-687-3710.

Quelle: Pressemitteilung