California couple pay $15M for Wellington home near Bill Gates

An entity linked to a wealthy California couple just put down $15 million to own a piece of Wellington equestrian country, which happens to be across the street from Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ massive land assemblage.

County records show a company called Even Stride bought the 3.6-acre estate at 13770 Quarter Horse Trail through a deed recorded Tuesday.

The estate has a four-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom house with its own screened-in pool, a sizable and separate barn, plus several horse training loops.

It was sold by Christian Paillot, chairman of Paillot Equine Consulting, who first bought the property for $6.5 million in 2012.

The buyer, Even Stride, has a California address and is noted in several public agendas from the Palo Alto township as being owned by Alex and Cathy Mendez. According to a report in the Los Altos Town Crier, Cathy Mendez is a former competitive horse rider who had an equestrian career spanning 15 years. Her husband, Alex, is a venture capitalist.

Listing website Redfin said the agents for the sale were Martha Jolicoeur of Douglas Elliman on the seller’s side, with David Welles of Equestrian Sotheby’s International Realty representing the buyers.

Their new Wellington home is across the street from Mallet Hill Court, a small gated community where almost all of the property has been quickly purchased by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in recent months.