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Retaining that
hometown feeling
Wellington, Florida
Wellington, Florida
T
he Village of Wellington is locat-
ed just west of the city of West
Palm Beach, in Palm Beach County,
Florida. The community was craft-
ed out of acreage that, in the past,
was often flooded and swampy, but was made
suitable for agriculture in 1953, when the State
of Florida passed the Acme Drainage District
to provide for drainage and flood control for a
tract of more than 18,000 acres. Once the wa-
terlogged land was transformed to fertile farm-
land, portions of it were sold off or leased to
farmers for cultivation.
One of those properties became known as
the Flying Cow Ranch. They were overseen by
Charles Oliver Wellington, a Harvard-educated
accountant from Massachusetts, as well as a
successful investor, aviator, and sportsman. The
“Flying” in the ranch’s name refers to Welling-
ton’s hobby; the “Cow” comes from his initials:
C.O.W. At one time, the Flying Cow Ranch was
home to the world’s largest strawberry patch.
The Village of Wellington began as a planned
unit development, approved by Palm Beach
County in 1972. Until the early 1990s, it func-
tioned mainly as a bedroom community, with
very little in the way of commercial activity.
On December 31, 1995,Wellington was of-
ficially born as an independent municipality.
For the last two decades, its population has
increased from 22,000 to more than 61,000
people, and it has added approximately 2000
businesses. Last year, the Village was named by
Money Magazine as one of the “50 Best Places
to Live in 2016.” Today,Wellington continues
to be a highly attractive, suburban, residential
community with a very special attribute: it has
a large equestrian community and it is widely
recognized as a major center for equestrian
show events – jumping, hunting, and dressage –
as well as for hosting several international polo
tournaments, every year.
The Winter Equestrian Festival, held from
January to April, is the largest and longest-run-
ning circuit in horse competitions, with riders
and horses from 50 states and 30 countries.
“The equestrian component is a major element
here,” says Mike O’Dell,Wellington’s Assistant