South Florida and New York equestrian mogul Mark Bellissimo received a $15 million loan for two large pieces of land in Wellington at the start of the year.
Florida Community Bank granted the loan effective Jan. 2 to Far Niente Stables III and Far Niente Stables IX, companies tied to Bellissimo.
The mortgage, according to Palm Beach records, is for a nearly 60-acre agricultural site and a vacant 40-acre lot, both in Wellington. The former was purchased for $16.3 million in 2008 and is located at 14833 50th Street South. The vacant 40-acre lot was purchased for $8.9 million in 2005.
Bellissimo is known for owning and running Wellington’s world-renowned equestrian venues. One of his companies, Equestrian Sport Productions, owns and operates the Wellington’s Winter Equestrian Festival, located on a 64-acre site at 14440 Pierson Road, from January to April.
Bellissimo received a two-year extension in August 2014 for his 59-acre Equestrian Village project, which faced opposition from nearby residents. Earlier in the year, he announced that he was done expanding in the area until his political opposition is out of office, the Palm Beach Post reported. Outside of South Florida, Bellissimo ran New York’s Central Park Horse Show in September 2014, which included the first United States Equestrian Federation-sanctioned contest in New York since 2001, the Wall Street Journal reported.