Douglas Elliman Hosts Give Back for Special Equestrians at Wellington Equestrian Festival

Photography by Ryan Troy on March 10th, 2018 in Celebrity, Lifestyle

Georgina Bloomberg

Wellington, FL – March 10, 2018 – Some equestrians face a different set of hurdles. On Saturday, March 10, Douglas Elliman CEO Dottie Herman, President and COO Scott Durkin, COO of Florida Brokerage Gus Rubio, Stephen Larkin Vice President of Douglas Elliman Public Relations and Managing Broker, Wellington, Palm Beach and Jupiter Don Langdon ponied up with Grand Prix Show Jumping Champion Georgina Bloomberg and Give Back for Special Equestrians to spur donations and awareness for children and veterans with disabilities during the Douglas Elliman Winter Equestrian Festival $384,00 Grand Prix. More than $15,000 was raised at the lavish ringside competition and galain Wellington, Florida for Give Back for Special Equestrians www.giveabuckeq.org a nonprofit 501C3 whose mission is to provide equine assisted and therapeutic horseback riding scholarships in Florida and in New York for those facing some of life’s most difficult challenges like Autism, paralysis, Spina Bifida and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Douglas Elliman’s Ms. Herman presented the winning trophy of the $384,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix to rider Daniel Coyle of Ireland aboard his mount, Cita. Afterwards Mr. Durkin, a passionate horsemen, welcomed guests and introduced Dr. Heather Kuhl, who joined Sissy DeMaria and Isabel Ernst in founding the all-volunteer charity, to begin the evening’s program. “The Winter Equestrian Festival event is in step with Douglas Elliman’s mission to stand in support of friends, agents and clients in the equestrian arena as well as important chairites, like Give Back for Special Equestrians within the communities we serve,” said Durkin. “We are proud to align our philanthropic efforts with such a wonderful cause.” As part of the program Dr. Peggy Bass, a board member of Give Back for Special Equestrians and the executive director of Good Hope Equestrian Center, a therapeutic stable supported by Give Back for Special Equestrian extolled the life-changing benefits of equine assisted and therapeutic horseback riding for people with disabilities such as improving balance, posture and eye-hand coordination as well as self-esteem, self-confidence and self-control. Guests heard heart warming stories of healing from special needs rider Natalia C. Cercone, and Christina Simmons, mother of Ethan Simmons age 5, recipients of recent Give Back for Special Equestrians scholarships. Among those in attendance included: Georgina Bloomberg, Carlos Arruza Jr, Shai Tertner and Andrew Werner, David Luben, Cari Anderson, Doris Neyra, Dwigh Kuhl, Alfono Goyeneche, Munisha Underhill, Kyle Olson, Tiffany Morrisey, Cheryl Ernst, and Rodrigo Pessoa.