The renaissance of grass: Wellington International unveils a groundbreaking arena
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The grass is greener at Wellington International. Two years of planning followed by meticulous construction, sees the famed equestrian facility ready to open a state-of-the-art grass jump field, unrivalled in North America.
Ireland’s Richard Hayden of Hayden Turfcare is the mastermind behind the literally groundbreaking creation. An internationally-renowned specialist in the area of equestrian turf arenas, his résumé includes the construction of the iconic Hickstead Derby field and the grass arena at the Dublin Horse Show, as well as a limited number of private facilities – namely at Karlswood Stables in Ireland, home to Olympic medallist Cian O’Connor and some four years ago, at Coolmore Showjumping’s Farm in Wellington, which surpassed the standard of existing arenas on this side of the pond.
Wellington International’s grass arena is only the sixth in Hayden’s portfolio – not due to lack of demand but down to the Irishman’s determination to maintain quality control of his work.
“I’ve built thousands of sports surfaces around the world, but only six of these grass jump fields,” Hayden said, surveying the expanse of green on a recent site visit to Wellington International. “I treat every one as a long-term commitment – I don’t just build it and walk away. I stay involved for decades,” as evidenced by his 20-year stint at the Dublin show.
Hayden’s expertise has been applied to fields for premier international soccer events including the FIFA World Cup and the Euros. “I do all the sports so equestrian is about 20 percent of my business,” he said. “But obviously being an equestrian myself it’s my passion. And from this perspective Wellington was just a huge thing for me because all the roads for global equestrianism already lead to Wellington. I said we’ve got the opportunity to showcase the science and sustainability of what can now be done with grass arenas.”
Building a field for the future
The newly-constructed field sits close to the recently-completed covered arena, both forming part of the expanded showgrounds at Wellington International. Environmental issues pertaining to the Florida climate initiated a new approach to field drainage. “This is the first self-attenuating grass arena in Wellington,” said Hayden. “When it rains, the area floods. But this arena is designed to hold water in an underground attenuation layer and then release it slowly. It’s a landmark project in terms of environmental management.” The specifics of the design were developed in conjunction with local engineering firm Sexton Engineering.
For a foundation for the grass, Hayden’s team turned to native soil – a formula that was researched extensively, then processed and blended on-site in a giant mixing project – to generate what he refers to as “black gold,” bringing with it ecological and equestrian benefits.
“Grass wants to grow in soil — it doesn’t really want to grow in sand,” he said. “That means less fertilizer, fewer chemicals, and a more natural surface. Our gravel raft construction allows us to drain native soils better than traditional methods. What we want is for the hoof to penetrate the soil and pinch it about 10 millimetres. You can only achieve that with a moisture managed soil.”
A safer, softer ride
Sand arenas – all the rage for some time now – are losing their charm and there is a simple reason for that. Hayden cites decades of proof from Dublin and Hickstead that demonstrates properly constructed and maintained grass surfaces reduce the amount of concussion and fatigue on the horse’s legs, compared with sand.
“We use a measurement called the HIC value, which measures the force from the ground when you land on it from a certain height,” said Hayden. “A good sand arena might have a reading of 0.5 meters. On these grass fields, the force is halved. Horses can jump twice as much and twice as high. That’s based on 20 years of science and measurement, not just opinion.”
Irrigation – a maintenance staple – has been taken to an unparalleled level of sophistication for the new grass field. “We can apply an inch of water across the whole arena in 15 minutes,” Hayden said. “And with our sensors, I get data every morning — even when I’m in Europe — about moisture, temperature, conductivity. That information helps us manage the field long term and can be used to train future grounds staff.” The surface, Hayden says, can be tuned “like a guitar.”
A team effort, rooted in tradition
Though Hayden spearheaded the operation, he also relied on a collective effort, making use of local contractors to supply much of the material while minimizing the carbon footprint.
“It’s a big job and it’s a lot of pressure but it’s been a huge team effort,” he said. “We had Matador handling the big civil works, Travis Gold from TJTGW building on his sand arena expertise, and World Sports, who’ve done FIFA World Cup pitches. Sexton Engineering were the local consulting engineers also. Everyone brought something to the table.”
Hayden was also helped by his original mentor, a former Jack Niklaus’ golf course superintendent, who comes out of retirement every now and then to assist on projects.
“I started work life on a golf course 25 years ago as a golf ball collector in the lakes,” Hayden recalled. “I worked under Aidan O’Hara for many years. For him to come here and spend eight weeks on this project – it was pretty cool. There’s very few people in business who could say somebody who employed them 25 years ago can reciprocate and employ them back. Still working together and keeping that connection. Longevity is the theme.”
Setting a new standard for Wellington
For years sand footing has been almost exclusively the go to footing for riders and trainers in Florida and beyond as grass fields were ripped up and replaced. Now Hayden sees a renaissance of grass arenas in the making. “Shows like Dublin and Hickstead were always going to be grass but they invested hugely – these things were very expensive 20 years ago because the technology wasn’t there. And riders love those surfaces — and they’re safer. Now, with the science we have, we can bring that back. Grass is making a comeback.”
The new grass field will likely prove a major draw for Wellington International’s exhibitors. “Everyone is going to want to jump on it,” Hayden said. “But this isn’t just for the top international riders. It’s a year-round arena designed for hunters, juniors, and local classes as well. From grass roots to Grand Prix, everyone will benefit.”
Choosing a client with vision
Hayden worked with Wellington Lifestyle Partners – owners of Wellington International – and Paige Bellissimo Nunez in particular, in bringing the new grass field to fruition as part of the redevelopment of the horse show facility. Hayden did not undertake the project lightly.
“We probably interviewed each other,” Hayden said. “I told them I wouldn’t put my name on this unless they were committed to the maintenance and the long-term care. And they were. They want best-in-class across everything they do, and that’s what convinced me to put my name to it.”
Maintenance is a key component for the future and eventually the construction team will be able to hand off the role to full-time staff to oversee the field daily. For performance and aesthetics enhancement, the surface of Bermuda grass will be over seeded with winter rye – and mown to produce the spectacle of standout stripes of green.
Designed for performance — and for the spectator
Wellington International sets the stage for thousands of spectators to watch world class show jumping for the 13 weeks of the Winter Equestrian Festival. The new grass arena has been designed with those fans in mind.
“We’ve borrowed from stadium construction,” Hayden said. “Every seat will have a perfect view of the action. The slopes and sight lines comply with FIFA stadium standards. We didn’t want anyone sitting behind a post, unable to see a jump.”
At nearly two hectares in size, the field has subtle slopes built into four planes to shed water efficiently. The irrigation guns are mainly positioned off the field except for two mighty outlets – referred to as ‘the beasts’ – hidden within the footing at the middle of the field until needed.
“It’s not just about performance and safety,” Hayden emphasized. “It’s about creating a showpiece. It’s not like we won’t build them for anyone else, but it takes a certain set of criteria to do this. This is the piece that other shows around the world don’t have. This is the jewel in the crown.”
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