Scions of the Anheuser-Busch family dropped $24.5 million on a 42.1-acre equestrian facility in Wellington.
Records show PBESC LLC, a Florida entity managed by Stephen A. Orthwein Jr. and linked to his uncle, Peter Busch Orthwein, bought the Palm Beach Equine Sports Complex at 13056 Pierson Road. The sellers are two entities managed by Palm Beach Equine Clinic President Scott Swerdlin, founder Edward Wollenman, Robert Brusie and Robert Boswell, all equestrian veterans in Wellington.
The Palm Beach Equine Sports Complex last sold for $4.5 million in 2004, according to property records. The complex was built in 1979 and includes a range of equestrian facilities, including six riding arenas, barns totaling 336 stalls, a 17-acre pond, on-site apartments for staff and a private lounge for riders, its website shows. The facility is walking distance to Wellington International, the showgrounds that host the Winter Equestrian Festival, which is considered a significant perk among the village’s equestrian buyers.
Both Stephen Orthwein Jr. and Peter B. Orthwein are descendants of Adolphus Busch, the founder of beermaking giant Anheuser-Busch. They are longtime polo players, according to published reports. Stephen Orthwein Jr. is co-owner of Franklin Polo Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. Peter B. Orthwein also co-founded Thor Industries, the recreational vehicle company that produces Airstreams, Jayco and Hymer RVs. Records show he paid $5.7 million for a Palm Beach house at 202 Garden Road in 2017.
Wellington is the epicenter of equestrian sports in America, drawing showjumpers, polo and dressage riders to its winter and spring competitions. High-profile equestrians who train in Wellington include Bill Gates’ daughter Jennifer Gates, her husband Nayel Nassar, Steve Jobs’ daughter Eve Jobs and Bruce Springsteen’s daughter Jessica Springsteen.
The athletes fuel the village’s market for luxury equestrian estates. In May, billionaire Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, whose great-grandfather Ole Kirk Kristiansen founded Lego, bought an equestrian estate for $25.5 million.
