Georgina Bloomberg: Pony Up at Trump Invitational

[highlight_text] It was truly breathtaking having the intercoastal waters as a backdrop for the amazing competition. [/highlight_text]

The first ever Trump Invitational is a wrap! The event was not only beautiful and fun, but also a very important fundraiser. It was held at the amazing Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach and hosted by Donald Trump and Mark Bellissimo. I served as co-chair with Paige Bellissimo.

The event was special for so many reasons. It was the first time in decades that horses were allowed on the island and it brought together two communities (Palm Beach and Wellington) that are so close in distance, yet so far apart in many other ways. And of course, it brought so much awareness to so many local causes.

It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a great turn out. Everyone had a fabulous time. I wore a red Halston Heritage dress that I had been saving for a special occasion and the Veuve Cliquot (a generous sponsor) was flowing. No one even seemed to mind the heat!

All the money that we raised went into a pot for the Great Charity Challenge held on January 26, where 32 local charities had riders compete on their behalf for over one million dollars. It’s a great night of show jumping and is especially important because it helps the community that we, as horse people, have come to love so much. I am so proud of my involvement in both events. I can’t thank Mr. Trump enough for letting us hold it in such a beautiful setting. It was truly breathtaking having the intercoastal waters as a backdrop for the amazing competition. I only hope the damage we have done to his lawn is easily fixed!

An Unlikely Companion I adopted my pet pig Wilbur at Bergen Country Animal Control after going there to volunteer with Prince Lorenzo Borghese after the hurricane. He had been there for a month and a half, and when we left, Lorenzo jokingly suggested that I adopt him. I knew absolutely nothing about pigs, but thought, why not? I figured that if he was like a farm animal, he could live at the barn with the horses and that if he was like a pet, he could live in the house with my dogs and me. He is definitely like a dog! He is completely house trained and loves laying in a dog bed and being a part of the family. He is so smart and has so much personality! He comes to the barn with me every morning and walks around making sure everyone is hard at work.