54 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
riders who I believe in and it’s an honor
to own some incredible horses and see
them achieve under these professionals.
I really like being at the big classes and I
get very caught up in the excitement of the
competition. I often find myself hanging out
by the ingate trying very hard not to watch,
that’s how nervous I get!”
But even with all these exceptional
horses at her fingertips, you won’t often
find Abigail in the show ring herself.
Although she has competed at “A” rated
shows in the past, she now enjoys riding
for pleasure while she balances the needs
of four teenagers and a very busy life of
business and community pursuits.
“I’m definitely a goal oriented person, so
competing gave me that added pressure
to really work hard,” she said. “Perhaps
someday I’ll come back to showing but for
now I’m really enjoying pleasure riding and
simply being with the horses.”
Abigail is known to trade in her English tack for Western when
she goes on family vacations out West. She says she loves both
styles of riding for different reasons, but, regardless of which tack
she is in, she always enjoys developing a partnership with her
horses.
While horses are a major passion of Abigail’s and she spends
a lot of time in the saddle and in the stands, she is also very
dedicated to philanthropy. After
being introduced to the issue of
child abuse and family violence
by a friend, Abigail has become
dedicated to preventing abuse,
increasing awareness and
supporting victims of family violence.
To do this, she came up with the idea to support these initiatives
by creating a show jumping event, quite literally, in her own
backyard. In 1998, Abigail hosted the first New Albany Classic
Invitational Grand Prix & Family Day at her farm in New Albany,
Ohio.
Now, 16 years later, the event has become wildly successful
and has raised more than $20 million to support The Center for
Family Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The event is a great way for Abigail to raise awareness about
the issue, host an incredible horse show and introduce local
families to the equestrian world. The one-day show was rated
number one among the North American Riders Group’s top 25
specialty equestrian events of 2012. “We’ve come a long way
from our first year and I’m proud to say we’ve introduced the sport
to many people, raised a lot of support for the center and helped
families create some wonderful memories too,” she said.
Operated by Abigail’s entire family and a team of volunteers, the
New Albany Classic treats more than 15,000 spectators annually
to a great Grand Prix, as well as other activities such as strolling
entertainment, car collection displays, petting zoos, pig races and
a concert sponsored by retailer Tween Brands, which operates
Justice and Brothers stores across the country. Previous concerts
have included music from musicians such as The Jonas Brothers
in 2007 and Demi Lovato in 2008.
The event is one of Beezie’s favorite events to compete at. “The
New Albany Classic is such a great event, it is one of my favorite
places to go in the year even if I had no relationship with Abigail,”
Beezie said. “We love supporting her because she supports us
so much, as well as she has a real passion for her charity. It’s for
a great cause and the community is behind it which is fantastic.”
Beezie loves it so much she says that she wishes the show
was longer, so they could spend even more time there. Beezie
won the Grand Prix in 2005 aboard Authentic. Other winners have
included Todd Minikus (1998, 2008) McLain Ward (2004, 2011,
2012) and Jeffery Welles (2009).
This year’s event is being held September 22 and the grand prix
purse has increased to $125,000 – a major difference from the
$50,000 it started with.
Although Abigail spends more
time in the shadows cheering
on her horses and riders and
working toward bettering her
community than she does in the
limelight, she is definitely one of the United States’ greatest stars
when it comes to horses.
Perhaps Beezie explains it best. “I feel lucky to have her be a
part of my life. Not only is she a great supporter, but she’s a great
person.”
For more information on the New Albany Classic Invitational
Grand Prix & Family Day, visit
.
About the writer: Dani Moritz is a graduate of William Woods University with
majors in Equine General Studies and Communications. She is a staff writer for
Sidelines Magazine, freelance journalist and proud owner of a beautiful Paint/
Arabian mare named September. She is also the 2012 American Horse Publications
Student Award winner.
Photos courtesy of The New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix & Family Day
“
Abigail Wexner is that kind of special –
which is why she is regarded as one of the
greatest horse owners of our time.”
The Jonas Brothers were the performers at the first Tween Brands Concert at The New
Albany Classic presented by Justice in 2007.
Abigail Wexner proudly presents Authentic and Beezie Madden
with the 2005 New Albany Classic Cup.
