Wellington, FL – January 26, 2004 – The first week of the 32nd annual Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Florida, is titled the Nutrena/Western Hay Wellington Classic CSI***, which runs from January 28 through February 1. The five-day show is co-sponsored by two well-known suppliers of quality equine feed products – Nutrena and Western Hay – and culminates on Sunday, February 1 with the $35,000 Farr XTN Grand Prix of Palm Beach, presented by Western Hay, CSI**. This is the fourth consecutive year for the Nutrena and Western Hay partnership as title sponsors.

“We sponsor the Winter Equestrian Festival because it has some of the best riders and the best quality horses in the world,” stated John Wallace, Nutrena Business Development Manager for Florida. “It has high visibility, and this particular market segment are key influencers among a lot of horse people.” He invites spectators and riders to stop by the Nutrena tent where he and Nutrena representatives host a barbecue and other amenities during the week. “It’s really been a fun event to sponsor. We’ve met a lot of people, created a lot of goodwill and a lot of business from it over the years. These horses move all over the country, and we have distribution wherever they go, so we can get them on a good quality feed that they can continue wherever they travel.”

The Grand Prix this week highlights a brand new product called Farr XTN™, which Nutrena introduced in June 2003. It is a low starch/high fat feed product. “It’s the most nutritionally advanced formulation for the performance horse,” states Wallace. “It allows us to feed that horse for the best performance that horse is capable of while minimizing the nutritional and digestive problems that come with that task. Not only is it a performance feed that is at the cutting edge, it is a feed that actually solves problems in the horse, such as colic, tying up, gastric ulcers, and temperament. In six months this product has met with phenomenal growth. We’ve received tremendous word-of-mouth from satisfied customers – they’ve been our best advertising on this new product.” For more information about Nutrena products, visit www.nutrenaworld.com or call 800-282-4787.

Co-sponsor of the week, Western Hay Company, Inc., is a premier supplier of quality hay and cubes with more than 25 years serving the equine industry in the US as well as worldwide. Western Hay is known for its topnotch alfalfa, timothy, and timothy/alfalfa mix hay from the western and eastern United States. Western Hay Company, Inc. also supplies premium alfalfa cubes and alfalfa/timothy mix cubes.

“We are the number one brand in hay for the Thoroughbred industry from coast-to-coast. The Winter Equestrian Festival is a great opportunity for us to diversify into the equine athletic market,” said Rich Williams, Jr., National Sales and Marketing for Western Hay based in West Palm Beach, FL. “It’s been a great opportunity for us to introduce premium hay into this market. We have the top hay in the United States and worldwide, so when Jim Petteys, the owner of Western Hay, and I decided to become involved with WEF, we knew we’d receive national exposure. It has worked out very well. We’ve seen tremendous growth for our company since we started sponsoring at WEF.” For more information, contact Western Hay Company, Inc. in West Palm Beach, FL, at 561-514-9140; or in Ogden UT, at 800-452-5724; or at corporate headquarters in Valdosta, GA, at 800-772-2046.

2004 Winter Equestrian Festival Ticket Information
Show days for the 2004 Winter Equestrian Festival are Wednesday through Sunday. Gates open at 8:00 am. Ticket Prices: Wednesdays are free to everyone; Children 12 and under are admitted free every day; Young Adults 13 to 18 and Seniors are $5 on Thursday through Sunday; Adults are $5 on Thursday and Friday, $10 on Saturday, and $15 on Sunday. The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club is located on Pierson Road off South Shore Boulevard. For additional information, visit www.stadiumjumping.com or call 561-793-5867.