Arena Designer, Arena Builder, Arena Maintenance • Premium Arena Footing • Equestrian Products & Services

Office 772-221-0707

AT ESI, WE ARE AN EQUESTRIAN FAMILY!

Nobody understands the equestrian needs of both rider and horse better than another equestrian!

If you are looking for the best arena footing for your equestrian arena, look no further. Equestrian Services International LLC is the creator and provider of the best equestrian footing in the world. We are a family business, and confident that we provide the best riding surfaces currently on the market and promise that horses and riders alike will love our footing. Equestrian Services International can also build your entire arena from conception to completion - always on time and always on budget.

Equestrian Services International LLC has been in the equestrian business for over 20 years with the highest customer satisfaction in the industry.

• QUALITY PRODUCTS

• TOP-NOTCH SERVICE

• LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS

• PROFESSIONALISM

• PERSONALIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE

We believe that each customer deserves the BEST ARENA & ARENA FOOTING and we are confident that you will find our products and services second-to-none. At Equestrian Services International, our top priority is to be a professional, full service footing company that customizes each job to meet the client needs. We understand the need for a superior equestrian footing product to ensure the safety and performance of your riders and horses.

From consultation, to personalized arena design and construction, and even
arena maintenance, our team of professionals will exceed every expectation.

Customer service is our top priority at all times.

We are confident that we provide the best riding surfaces for arena footing currently on the market, and promise that riders and horses alike will love our footing. Your satisfaction as a customer is always a top priority with ESI. If you are looking for the best Equestrian Footing and Equestrian Products for your property, don't look any further.

With over 25 years in the business, our team of experienced professionals can handle all aspects of your equestrian footing, equestrian arena construction and more. By cultivating long-term personal relationships with our customers, ESI strives to be the best in the business.

It is the goal of ESI to offer the U.S. customer a source for all their Equestrian needs.
Today, Equestrian Services International is the most well-known name in the American equestrian business.

It's been more than 25 years since Bart Poels Footing Company began, and after of the years of experience, research, customer service and hard work, Bart Poels is the creator and manufacturer of what is considered today to be the best equestrian footing in the world.

Bart Poels Footing is being installed in the best competition rings all around the world, including: The Olympics, Asian Games Doha, World Cup Final Leipzig, Children's Final Istanbul, Mechelen World Cup, Helsinki World Cup, Athina Onassis International Horse Show, Jumping International de Monte Carlo and many more prestigious venues.

Ten years ago during a conference in Brussels he met his business partner Brett Raflowitz. Together they decided to create Equestrian Services International LLC, (ESI) with one idea in mind - to bring to the United States all the technology of the finest arenas available in Europe.

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ARENA CONSTRUCTED BY EQUESTRIAN SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

U.S. CUSTOMERS

INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS

McLain Ward

Two -time Olympic Champion

"The arena that ESI just built for us in NY used to be a traditional sand/stone mix. The ESI team came in and totally re-graded and rebuilt the arena, putting all new footing in. Now we are really enjoying the arena, I think it is fabulous and I’m pretty sure it is going to last with very low maintenance for a really long period of time."

Dr. Timothy Ober

Veterinarian
for the U.S. Equestrian Team

“We have no statistics as such, but it seems there are fewer injuries. The horses are holding up better. Compared to past trials, the attrition rate seemed smaller and that primarily is due to the footing. The footing has been a real positive mostly for the good of the horses that always comes first."

Olaf Petersen

World-renowned Course Designer

“Is a pleasure for course designer to work on a perfect footing like this and to play with all the little tricks that we have in our pockets, to produce a good sport and especially in the jump off. As a course designer safety for horses and riders is always first, this arena is not slippery and we can really build exciting turns. The public just loves it. This surface is like a spring, if normal horses jump 1.40 or 1.50 now suddenly are jumping 10 cm higher. This is amazing here, this footing is perfect. I have seen rings around the world all my life and this may be number 1”.

Richard Jeffery

World-Renowned
Course Designer

“The whole secret of this footing is that it is safe for the horses, they don’t slip, it gives them enough spring to jump over and the surface requires a very low maintenance and not much time watering and drying it. It really makes my job as a course designer very easy. I don’t have to worry about footing and I can just build a course to the highest requirements regardless if it is sunny or pouring rain and the horses will just keep jumping.”

Ian Millar

Eight-time Olympian Known as "Captain Canada"

“What I’m seeing done here is fairly amazing. I’ve always believed that the Wellington facility should be to the United States what Aachen is to Germany and Spruce Meadows is to Canada--the calling card of our sport.”

Darren Graziano

Champion Show Jumper

and Trainer

“I travel all around the word, and I have seen different types of footing, and I can say that the footing of Equestrian Services International is far superior than any other footing that we ever jump on.”

ESI Footing partners with Donald Trump, improves field at Trump International

Palm Beach, Fl. - Jan. 5, 2015 - The saying goes that hindsight is 20/20, but sometimes foresight can be that as well. After Kent Farrington won last year’s $100,000 Trump Invitational at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach Florida, riders and organizers discussed the need for improving the footing for the next event at the facility. Donald Trump, owner of the stunning Mar-a-Lago estate, listened, and the picturesque lawn was replaced with top-notch Equestrian Services International turf footing for this year’s $125,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix.

That turned out to be an especially good decision as a torrential downpour began shortly after the first horse entered the ring today. But despite rain falling throughout the entire class—at times in heavy, blowing sheets—the footing puddled but otherwise held up perfectly. Farrington was back, too, and he blazed the fastest clear track around the jump-off with Blue Angel—winning his second consecutive Trump Invitational.

Brett Raflowitz with Donald Trump and daughter Britnni.

“I think all the riders want to applaud Mark [Bellissimo, Equestrian Sport Productions LLC CEO and one of the masterminds behind the event] and Donald for re-doing the footing,” said Farrington. “It’s a huge effort to undertake and make this a high-level event, and now we can bring our best horses here and count on good footing. Today, with the weather, it was more just uncomfortable than anything else. We didn’t have to worry about horses falling down. I think last year was actually more difficult because the footing was so much better this year.”

“Mark told me, ‘Do the turf,’ ” added Trump. “What do you think of last year’s turf in this weather? You think we would have survived?” “Not a chance,” answered Farrington.

ESI Footing keeps
competitors returning
to Florida Gold Coast
Quarter Horse Show

Tampa, Fl. - November 21, 2014 - The quality of a horse show's footing can make or break an exhibitor's experience and determine whether they elect to compete at the venue again. At the Florida Gold Coast Quarter Horse Shows, competitors are returning in droves for the 2014 circuit, to be held December 27-31, thanks in part to the ESI International All Weather Footing installed prior to last year's shows.

The footing was put in place in the Grand Prix Ring at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center just prior to the 2013 Florida Gold Coast Quarter Horse Show, and it was immediately met with rave reviews from the riders competing on it.

Among them was Tyson Furlong of Pople Ridge Farm in New York. The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Professional Horseman and certified judge, brings several horses to the Florida Gold Coast Horse Show each year and had only good things to say about his horse's response to the footing.

"My young horses just got braver and braver as the show went on because the footing held up great," Furlong said. "We had a couple days of rain and a lot of times the horses will shorten up their strides during that type of weather. The horse's strides actually got longer while we were on that footing."

Furlong continued, "We had a great time last year, and we are bringing even more people this year. I have 10 horses coming. It's such a great environment, and it's one of the best footings I have ever been on."

It's not just the state-of-the-art ESI International All Weather Footing that attracts competitors to the Florida Gold Coast Quarter Horse Shows. The five-day circuit of AQHA shows offers the ideal opportunity for exhibitors to accumulate final, year-end points in all divisions including hunters, equitation, AQHA reining, western pleasure, trail riding, driving, showmanship, halter classes, roping and the newest event, ranch pleasure.

The show schedule will also feature special events such as the $2,000 Collection Hunter Classic, the $1,000 Retro Trail Derby, the $1,000 Hunter Pairs Stake, the $2,000 NSBA Western Pleasure Futurity, the $2,000 NSBA Hunter Under Saddle Futurity, and the $1,000 Green Trail Stakes.

For more information on the Florida Gold Coast Quarter Horse Shows, please visit www.flgoldcoastcircuit.com

Horses on way,

hotels make hay

Hospitality industry has spring in its step in normally slow season

BY MICHAEL O'CONNOR

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER Mar 25, 2017

Half-ton horses that can jump fences and make balletic moves are giving some hotels in the downtown Omaha area a good kick in business at a time of year when bookings aren't always at a full gallop.

The horses soon will arrive for an international equestrian championship that starts Wednesday and runs through April 2 at the CenturyLink Center, where workers Thursday prepared the practice area and installed a giant mural on the building's facade.

"It's been a good bump,'' said Mark Batchik, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn downtown. He said earlier this week that his hotel at 10th and Dodge Streets was booked nearly full for the five-day World Cup.

Brian Thomas, director of sales and marketing for the Hilton Omaha across the street from the CenturyLink, said that as of Thursday his hotel was sold out.

A half-dozen downtown-area hotels contacted by The World-Herald said the 2017 World Cup has boosted reservations and that rooms are sold out or nearly so for all or parts of the event.

Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the tourism organization Visit Omaha, said the event is a good boost. "We've proven we're a city that can host these big sporting events,'' she said.

Mike West, CEO of the local group organizing the World Cup, said ticket sales have not yet reached goals, but he's pleased with the pace and he's expecting good crowds for the event, which will feature some of the world's best riders and horses competing in two Olympic categories: jumping and dressage, sometimes referred to as "horse ballet."

West, who's with the Omaha Equestrian Foundation, said the event seems to be drawing more fans from the region than he expected, but not as many as from the coasts. He said that could help explain why hotel bookings might be heavier during weekend nights of the event.

Love of the sport helps family business to thrive

ESI – "Komatsu technology is so much more advanced than any other brand"

October 03, 2016 –

Most people try to make a profession out of something they like doing. Brett Raflowitz is a great example. He combined a job he enjoyed with a sport he has a passion for, and he brought in the people he loves to work with him. The result is Equestrian Services International LLC (ESI) – based in Wellington, Florida – one of the predominant builders for equestrian arenas.

Raflowitz grew up operating machines in his father’s underground-pipe business. When he wasn’t on a machine, he was usually riding a horse. When it came time to choose a career, he decided to become a fireman, but his passion for horses and heavy equipment remained. He continued to ride and also started a landscaping company as a side business with his brother, David. The operation grew, and Raflowitz began taking on jobs tied to equestrian facilities. Eventually, the brothers focused exclusively on those projects and changed the company’s name to Equestrian Services International LLC.

“I’ve been riding horses and tractors all of my life,” said Brett Raflowitz. “The idea to get into this business came from competing in horse shows across the country. A lot of arenas needed work, and we had most of the equipment to do it. Once we started, we grew quickly.”

Family is an important part of the ESI equation as Raflowitz’s wife, Tracy, is the Chief Financial Officer. Their son, Garrett, performs jobs around his school schedule, and daughter, Brittni, manages the company’s social media presence. She also rides horses for ESI in national competitions. Raflowitz’s dad, Ed, is involved in the business, and David is now an Operations Manager.

“Riding is something that our family really enjoys,” he added. “It’s nice to have built a family business around the sport we love. Tracy’s my right hand. She continues to handle the accounts and has home-schooled the kids. She’s the reason we have been able to do this as a family.”

Tryon Equestrian Partners Announce International Equestrian Center And Resort

As part of the TIEC, there is also an RV Park with its own clubhouse, plans for a sports complex that includes a pool, exercise equipment and tennis courts (due to be finished in September) and log cabins available for rental (six are completed with 14 more planned). More rental houses will be built within the former White Oak area.

A Salamander Hotel with 150 rooms, pools, a restaurant and bar and retail shops will be built into the hillside overlooking the equestrian center and is slated for completion in 2016. Nearby farmettes, connected by bridle paths, are also planned for upcoming development, as is the Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, additional houses and a Salamander Resort & Spa. The Tryon Equestrian Partners purchased 30 properties between the former White Oak site and the equestrian center, located immediately off of I-74, to join the two.

Currently TIEC has prize lists posted for a summer series run in conjunction with the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club, which runs competitions out of nearby FENCE, with competitions July 2-6, July 9-13 and July 16-20.

By: Lisa Slade – Jun 25, 2014 - 8:56 AM

Tryon Equestrian Partners announced officially today, June 25, the Tryon International Equestrian Center and Tryon Resort. Located in Mill Spring, N.C., the center is located on 1,400 acres that were formerly part of the planned White Oak Community.

The equestrian center currently features four competition rings—each with footing from Equestrian Services International and its own warm-up area and shade structures by the in-gates and on the sides—and four barns with 500 stalls total. Future plans include a large international arena with adjoining, 9,000-square foot VIP center, five competition grass rings, a sixth competition sand ring, a covered arena, 500 more stalls and additional schooling locations.

The TIEC will host its first competition, a U.S. Equestrian Federation premier event, July 2-6, though the international arena is slated for completion in early August, as is the 400′ by 240′ covered ring.

The Colorado Horse Park Begins Renovations to Upgrade Footing for Start of 2016 Season

“We’ve moved almost 10,000 cubic yards of dirt over the past two months and have created rings to meet the proper angles for major competition arenas,” said Brett Raflowitz, President and CEO of Equestrian Services International. “When we build rings, we never have more than a 1% incline and a lot of the rings that we’ve redone so far were at a 3% or 4% incline, so the hard work on that front is done.”

A major focus throughout the entire footing upgrade process has been the addition of a more technologically advanced draining system based in each arena. Raflowitz explained, “These arenas will each have full drainage and a pre-draining base with five to six inches of riding surface on top, as well as an equivalent amount of drainage rock underneath.”

The improvements come as a welcomed addition to the overall revamp of the facility and the management team at CHP is thrilled with the progress the venue has made in the past few months.

Parker, CO – May 9, 2016 – The Colorado Horse Park (CHP) has begun major renovations to upgrade arena footing throughout the facility in preparation for the start of the 2016 season. Equestrian Services International (ESI) will oversee the improvements and are on pace to complete the footing renovations by the end of spring. The footing upgrades will serve as the first step in the anticipated construction timeline for restoration of the historic facility since its purchase by the Colorado Equestrian Partners in late 2014.

Equestrian Services International (ESI) will use their International All-Weather Footing, the same footing material that furnishes competition rings at both the world-renowned Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) and Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), to complete the rings at CHP. The International Ring alongside Ring 6 and Ring 7 will be the first arenas scheduled for completion, currently under construction.

The FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 Delivered Record Total Reach of 4.7 Million Viewers in the United States

BY WEG ADMIN

October 26, 2018

Tryon, NC, USA – October 26, 2018 – More than 4.7 million U.S. viewers tuned into NBC Sports’ presentation of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) across NBC, NBCSN and The Olympic Channel on September 11-23, 2018. Over the duration of the two-week period, the WEG received 11 airings of equestrian competition totaling 65 hours of coverage with 57 hours of live coverage. Viewership peaked for the last day of Jumping competition, which was broadcast live on NBC on Sunday, September 23, 2018. Viewers watched in awe as Simone Blum of Germany was crowned the victor, going down in history as the first female to ever win an individual gold medal in Jumping at a WEG. The event also included record setting FEI digital viewership of 16.5 million video views, 84.2 million impressions and 1.6 million in engagement. Within the next few weeks, global viewership numbers will be released.

The event also delivered incredible media exposure for equestrian sport, totaling more 4.5 billion global media impressions and was referenced in over 14,000 articles.

Some of the equestrian sports broadcast from the WEG included: Dressage Team & Individual Grand Prix competitions, Endurance Team & Individual rides, Eventing Cross-Country, Eventing Jumping, Vaulting Individual Female & Male competitions, Vaulting Squad, Vaulting Freestyle, Jumping Teams, Jumping Individuals, Driving Marathon, and Driving Cones.

Gladiator Polo™ Returns to TIEC June 8, 2018 for Three-Game 'Battle for the Carolinas' Series

By: GP Admin

May 29, 2018

Mill Spring, NC – May 29, 2018 – After a successful inaugural season at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in 2017, the fast-paced sport of Gladiator Polo™ is back for another month of action-packed competition. Gladiator Polo™ served as a crowd favorite last season and the 2018 calendar will not disappoint. The “Battle for the Carolinas” Series begins with the ‘Battle for South Carolina’ on Friday, June 8, followed by the ‘Battle for North Carolina’ on Saturday, June 16, and concludes with the Gladiator Polo™ Battle for the Carolinas – North Carolina vs. South Carolina Final on Saturday, June 23.

The fun will begin each evening at 6:00 p.m. with TIEC’s signature entertainment including free carousel and pony rides, face painting, live music, Gladiator-inspired activities, and more. There will be an exclusive autograph signing session with players in the front of Legends Plaza before the game, as well as a player Meet-and-Greet after the game at the Silo Bar.

Fans of all ages can enjoy an authentic Argentine Asado buffet from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. in the Legends Club – tickets can be purchased here. The first Gladiator Polo™ match of the season will start at 8:00 p.m. Tryon Resort’s onsite shops, restaurants and bars will be open throughout the night. General admission and parking at Tryon Resort are free.

The first installment of Gladiator Polo™ will welcome Team Greenville and Team Spartanburg on Friday, June 8, in the “Battle for South Carolina.”

ESI at Trump International

Florida Gold Coast Quarter Horse Show

Equestrian World Cup 2017

ESI & Komatsu

Technology

Tryon Equestrian Center Renovations

Colorado Horse Park Renovations

2018 FEI Winter Equestrian Games

Gladiator

Polo

PROJECT GALLERY

The Trump Invitational Grand Prix at Mar-A-Lago – West Palm Beach, FL

A combination of social event and horse jumping competition, the Trump Invitational is sponsored by Rolex.

The Trump Invitational is a unique event that features the $130,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix CSI 2 and a $10,000 Junior/Amateur Jumper class.

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Winter Equestrian Festival – Wellington FL

The Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) is the largest show in the U.S. at the first rate Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, the largest horse show in the U.S.

Features riders from 33 countries and 50 states with 250,000 annual spectators, with over 50 different divisions from lead line to Grand Prix, the show attracts both amateur and professional hunters, jumpers, and equitation riders.

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Global Dressage Festival – Wellington FL

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival circuit offers multiple weeks of National USDF-sanctioned competitions, with scheduled training, young horse, young rider, amateur, and open categories plus a full range of Small and Large Tour and Para events. Sanctioned by FEI, the world equestrian governing body, CDI shows represent the highest level of dressage competition.

Held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

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Tryon International Equestrian Center – Mill Spring, NC

Tryon International Equestrian Center is a year round venue located in Mill Spring, NC and is the world’s premier Equestrian Lifestyle Destination showcasing some of the top riders in the Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, and Eventing disciplines.

The historical birthplace of modern show jumping, Tryon represents a hallmark of the equestrian sport.

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Winter Equestrian Games (WEG)

The FEI World Equestrian Games™, held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining eight equestrian World Championship caliber events in a pre-determined location.

The 2018 edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ will be held in Mill Spring, NC, over thirteen days from September 11-23rd, 2018 at Tryon International Equestrian Center.

ESI is proud to work with Tryon and the FEI Winter Equestrian Games™.

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Colorado Horse Park – Parker, CO

The Colorado Horse Park, located in Parker, Colorado, sits on 180 acres and is home to a number of equestrian events including top hunter/jumper, dressage, and eventing competitions during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. The facility also includes annual boarding for over 100 horses.

The park also operates a 3,500-meter long cross-country equestrian course on adjacent lands. ESI has been a part of over 1 Million spent in recent upgrades to the facility and grounds.

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Central Park Horse Shows – New York City, NY

The Central Park Horse Show is held at the Wollman Rink in beautiful New York City. Sponsored by Rolex, this unique equestrian show is a highlight on the social and equestrian calendar.

The biggest names in the sport take part in this prestigious event, which has quickly become renowned thanks to its unparalleled setting at the heart of one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Held for five days annually.

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International Omaha – Omaha NE

The International Omaha hosts daytime jumping and dressage competitions that are free to the public as well as family-friendly activities including a free educational expo, shopping area, food and music.

The International Omaha is presented by the Omaha Equestrian Foundation (OEF), in an effort to develop Omaha into a hub of the sport horse industry; attracting international championships as both educational and economic development opportunities for the community.

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Gladiator Polo

Gladiator Polo™ is a professional arena polo league that combines the world’s best polo players with modified rules that keep the play fast. The event is played in a ring with all-weather footing installed by ESI.

There are three players on each side and teams, which are designated by iconic regional cities, will battle it out during the season for impressive prize money and bragging rights.