Wellington, Florida (February 15, 2016)– With continuous severe weather warnings and heavy rain, the equestrian haven of Wellington, Florida, has been turned upside down amidst the elite winter competition season. Competitions have seen delays and cancellations, and horses and riders have had to stay indoors throughout severe weather such as the area has not seen during winter months for the past 30 years. Equestrians from all disciplines have found themselves surrounded by the ever-rising water, and limited from their competition plans in the meantime. However, some wise equestrians have outfitted their farms with an elite arena system that allows them to continue riding and training as normal, even through disastrous weather.
Olympic dressage riders Debbie McDonald and Adrienne Lyle, who are currently based out of TYL Farm owned by Kylee Lourie in Wellington, Florida, are amongst a select few whose horses have the luxury of staying high and dry—turned out and continuing with their normal daily schedules. This is because their paddocks are outfitted with the elite OTTO Sport Paddock Mat System. Premier Equestrian, a leading industry innovator in arena footing and supporter of prominent equestrians such as McDonald and Lyle, is the exclusive North American distributor of the German based OTTO Sport-und Reiplatz GmbH. With a little strategic planning and the OTTO Sport Paddock Mat system from Premier Equestrian, McDonald and Lyle’s training facility continues to function smoothly with riders and horses out and about on the Premier Equestrian and OTTO Sport Paddock Mat system.
The OTTO Sport system is based on its Perforated Mats that can be outfitted beneath riding arenas and paddocks, such as the paddocks at TYL Farm. The OTTO Sport Perforated Mat System provides maximum drainage, concussion mitigation, stability for horse and rider, and a proper and durable separation of footing and substructure. Drainage holes in the mat remove excess water quickly, making the arena useable immediately after persistent rain. Built-in reservoirs hold enough water to rehydrate the footing later. These features make the OTTO Sport Perforated Mat System universally suited for any arena or farm in the world, and crucial in times of extreme weather.
“OTTO Sport offers a system of drainage, concussion relief, biomechanics benefits, and longevity,” said Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian. “The OTTO Sport system is a proven product that has been around for over 30 years. Many riding and equestrian surfaces are still standing and performing as well as they did the first day the system was installed 30 years ago.” This is why several “Premier Equestrians,” riders like McDonald and Lyle who are dedicated to the development and preservation of horse sport, have chosen to put the OTTO Sport Paddock Mat system under their winning horses’ hooves.
Fellow dressage icon and Olympian Steffen Peters is also keenly aware of the importance of selecting a proper arena system for his training facility Arroyo Del Mar in California. Recently, one of the strongest El Niño weather systems on record pummeled California, leaving devastating conditions for equestrians with the excess of flooding in paddocks and riding rings. Paying close attention to warnings of this year’s El Niño series of harsh storms and heavy rain, Peters sought out the Premier Equestrian and OTTO Sport arena system for himself and his wife (USDF Gold Medalist Shannon Peters)’s facility.
Peters believes that the advanced OTTO Sport arena system is essential, and his arena proved its worth throughout the series of intense El Niño storms. Peters’ team continued to train while the majority of California’s equestrian population without the arena system saw themselves virtually stall bound.
Today, the Wellington equestrian community is seeing those very same effects— and like Peters, McDonald and Lyle are glad to have taken the precaution of installing the Premier Equestrian and OTTO Sport Perforated Mats and arena systems prior to the winter competition season.
For more information on Premier Equestrian and the OTTO Sport Perforated Mats and arena system, visit www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 800-611-6109.
