Sarah Bretz, ContributorIn the spirit of doing new things in a new year, Windstar Cruises has announced the addition of Windstar the horse to its brand. The addition is in collaboration with Grand Prix rider Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen and Serenity Farm Show Stables in Wellington, Florida.
The onboarding of a horse marks a new era for Windstar as the first-ever cruise line to align with an international show-jumping athlete and horse.
Windstar Cruises, the horse’s namesake, welcomed Windstar to its family with a christening on Christmas Day, joining forces with the best in the industry to strategize a long-term training plan to develop a champion show-jumping horse.
“We are thrilled to welcome this extraordinary horse to our Windstar family,” said Windstar’s President Christopher Prelog. “Our unique collaboration aims to bring awareness to the travel community about what it takes to train a champion show jumping horse. We are fortunate to be aligned with such skilled professionals to provide Windstar with the meticulous training needed to enter the field. We look forward to witnessing Windstar‘s success over the years to come through Serenity Farm Show Stables’ dedicated efforts.”
Currently ranked in the top 300 riders in the world, Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen is an emerging star in the world of equestrian show jumping. She is among the youngest competitors to win some of the most prestigious awards and classes within the world of American showjumping and is currently the resident Grand Prix rider for Serenity Farm Show Stables in Loxahatchee Groves, Florida. Serenity Farm Show Stables is nationally and internationally recognized as one of the top hunter, jumper, and equitation training facilities in the country.
“This is truly an incredible opportunity on multiple fronts,” says Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen. “Windstar Cruises is such a unique company with a fantastic focus on luxury and fun. When they approached us with the concept to blend 180º From Ordinary with the prestige and competition of the show jumping industry I knew this was going to be a game changer. I look forward to an incredible future with Windstar Cruises and the horse Windstar!”
Windstar was purchased as a young horse to develop in collaboration with Vanderveen and Serenity Farm Show Stables, with the focus being the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Windstar is set to compete in several 2025 Equestrian events including the Winter Equestrian Festival, World Equestrian Center, Tryon International, The Hampton Classic, and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.
For more information on Windstar the horse’s journey, including his debut in the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, follow him on Instagram.
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