Wellington FL – November 20, 2006 – Tony Coppola, owner of the Tackeria since 1975, will be the announcer of the Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon. He started the Tackeria 26 years ago in Lake Worth out of a small trailer. The store has since grown into the largest tack shop in Wellington. Copolla began in the horse business as an avid polo player. “I started the Tackeria so that I would have something to do when I was old, and here I am, two decades later, old and gray and still playing polo,” he laughed.
This year’s Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon event will be held on January 6, 2007, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. The event raises money for the Equestrian Aid Foundation. The unique event teams a polo player, dressage rider and jumper rider together, and the three riders switch disciplines for a fun-filled competition.
The Tackeria started as a store that specialized in polo equipment, but in the early 80s, branched out to serve dressage, hunter, jumper and pleasure horse needs. The current location is on Wellington Trace and is 7,000 square feet. A second store is opening at the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road in mid January, 2007.
The new facility will be 10,000 square feet and extremely convenient for exhibitors of the Winter Equestrian Festival. “We do a little bit of everything,” Copolla said. “In most tack shops, you can tell the discipline of riding that the owners prefer. I like to keep the inventory more diverse and well rounded. We cannot be everything to all people,” he explained. “But, we have enough to keep them going for the most part.” The Tackeria staff is composed of about 30 people. “We look to hire people with riding and horse experience,” he added.
Copolla has been the announcer for the Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon since its inception. The whole thing started with Bent Jensen and Memo Gracida in a “trading places” game. “The event is a great example of good athletes excelling at different disciplines. It is good for everyone to try new things,” Coppola said. “It is interesting when people find other disciplines they enjoy. Jensen competes every year and continually improves; Todd Minikus got really crazed about polo, and in turn, the polo community got to know Todd better.”
“We are all here with a common bond of the horse, and this event brings that all together on one platform. It is a great event for a good cause, and it gives the athletes a stage to showcase their talent and learn something new,” Coppola explained.
Copolla has watched the Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon evolve into a large, legitimate event. “It started on the polo fields with a small, energetic group, and it has grown into a large event on the grand prix field at Palm Beach Polo. We were grass roots before, and now we are going to the big time.”
To contact the Tackeria – Complete Equestrian Shop
13889 Wellington Trace
Wellington, FL 33414
(561) 795-0691 phone (561) 795-0691 fax
E-mail: thetackeria@att.net
Website: www.tackeria.com
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2007 SIDELINES EQUESTRIAN TRIATHLON™ FAST FACTS
Event: Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon™ – January 6, 2007
Where: Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida, at the Internationale Arena.
What: The Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon™ raises money for the Equestrian Aid Foundation, which is dedicated to helping all equestrians in their time of need. Last year’s event raised over $100,000. With the continued support of established sponsors and the addition of some new faces, we hope to raise this number significantly each season.
Highlights: There will be four teams with three top equestrian athletes, each comprised of one polo player, one dressage rider, and one jumper rider. The competition is run in three phases, and the expert of each sport does not compete in his specialty. The Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon™ has been a positive influence in our community and has forged some very solid friendships and created appreciation for horses and riders across the borders of the jumper, dressage and polo worlds.
General Information: The Seventh Annual Sidelines Equestrian Triathlon™ has become the premier equestrian and social event during the early months of the Winter Equestrian Festival. It hosts some of the most successful equestrians in the world, including past Olympians and is appropriate for spectators of all ages. The social scene is always in high gear at this unique venue. This year the featured VIP tent will be sponsored by LaPeche Café and Catering with over two hundred attendees expected.
Hours:
1:00 p.m. Gate opens
2:00 Palm Beach Sheriff’s Posse Parade with all riders and horses
2:15 Dressage tests to music
(8 riders at 3 minutes)
2:45 Jumpers (60 second rounds)
(8 riders at 2-3 minutes)
3:15 Polo (4 chukkers at 5 minutes)
5:00 Awards presentation in VIP tent
5:30 Live Rider Auction
(Silent Auction throughout the day)
6:00 LaPeche Café and Catering dinner served in the VIP tent
General Admission: $10.00 Grandstand seating
Tickets may only be purchased by calling the EAF offices 1-800-792-6068 or purchased at the event.
VIP Seating: Dinner and cocktails are served on Saturday during and after the competition. Individual seats can be purchased for $175.00 in the VIP tent, which includes the live auction and dinner.
VIP Tables: VIP Tables (seats 8) in the front row are $1,200.00. Second row tables are $1,000.00, and third row are $900.00. Tickets are available by calling the EAF offices at 1-800-792-6068.
Parking: Free
Directions: >From the Florida Turnpike: Take Exit 93 – Lake Worth Road. Make a right onto Lake Worth Road and proceed west until the road ends (about 5 miles). Make a right onto South Shore Boulevard. Make a left at the first light onto Pierson Road. Make a left onto Equestrian Club Road, which is the first road on the left. The WEF Main Entrance is on the right-hand side.
From I-95: Take Exit 66 – Forest Hill Boulevard. Proceed West on Forest Hill Blvd. for about 11 miles. Make a left onto South Shore Boulevard. Make a right onto Pierson Road. Make a left onto Equestrian Club Road, which is the first road on the left. The WEF Main Entrance is on the right-hand side.
From Palm Beach: Go over the Southern Boulevard Bridge and proceed west on Southern Boulevard for about 14 miles. Make a left on to Route 441/SR 7. Make a right onto Forest Hill Boulevard. Make a left onto South Shore Boulevard. Make a right onto Pierson Road. Make a left onto Equestrian Club Road, which is the first road on the left. The WEF Main Entrance is on the right-hand side.
THE PALM BEACH POLO EQUESTRIAN CLUB 14440 PIERSON ROAD, WELLINGTON, FL 33414
Website: www.sidelinesnews.com, www.equestrianaidfoundation.org
Accommodations Hotels and Inns:
Hampton Inn and Suites Wellington
2155 Wellington Green Drive
561-472-9696
Hampton Inn at Emerald Dunes
2025 Vista Parkway
561-682-9990
Hampton Inn Lake Worth
8205 Lake Worth Road
561-472-5980
The Royal Inn
675 Royal Palm Blvd.
Royal Palm Beach, FL
(561) 793-3000
The Holiday Inn-Turnpike
7859 Lake Worth Blvd.
(561) 968-5000
(800) HOLIDAY
Hampton Inn – Airport
1505 Belvedere Road
West Palm Beach, FL
(561) 471-8700
The Gulf Stream Hotel
1 Lake Avenue
Lake Worth, Florida 33460
(888) 540-0669
RV Park RV Sales Of Broward
Gigi Stetler
(954) 583-3382
Airports:
West Palm Beach Airport, recommended 25 minutes to competition grounds
Ft. Lauderdale Airport 1.5 hours to competition grounds
Miami International Airport 2 hours to competition grounds
General Transportation Services:
Wellington Cab – Convenient transportation from your hotels, the railroad station or the airport. (561) 333-018Global Limousine – South Florida’s only guaranteed limousine/airport transfer service covering West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando. Go to www.globallimousine.net for information, prices, vehicles, discounts and bookings.
Tri Rail – Convenient rail shuttle service from West Palm Beach to airports in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale – Call 1-800-TRI-RAIL
Great Event – Great Cause – Great Time!
Put us on your calendar and call for reservations 1-800-792-6068