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Tech honcho buys Wellington equestrian estate
Property spans 5.5 acres, includes 12-stall barn and Grand Prix ring
Springbrook Software’s Robert Bonavito with 15495 Sunnyland Lane (Springbrook Software, Google Maps, Getty)
Tech honcho Robert Bonavito bought a Wellington equestrian estate for $10.6 million.
Records show Bonavito, through his Florida entity 15495 Sunnyland LLC, bought the house at 15495 Sunnyland Lane LLC from Donna M. Lyon.
Frank Herz of Keller Williams Realty Wellington had the listing, and Jenna Steffens of Douglas Elliman brought the buyer.
Bonavito is CEO of Springbrook Software, a Portland, Oregon-based fintech firm that services local governments. He’s held executive roles in Silicon Valley tech companies for decades. Prior to Springbrook, Bonavito was CEO of Jaggaer, chairman of OnCenter Software, and founded iTradeNetwork.
His daughters, Natalia and Danielle Bonavito, are both equestrians. They train at Troyon Farm, the family’s Napa County farm and winery where they grow and bottle pinot noir and chardonnay under the label Cavalli e Vigne, the website shows.
Lyon is the widow of financier Robert H. Lyon, who was CEO of Institutional Capital in Chicago until his death in 2007. The Lyons had five children together, David, Keith, Alyson, Whitney, and Alexandra. Whitney Lyon is an equestrian and had W Show Stables LLC registered at the farm, records show.
Donna Lyon bought the 5.5-acre estate for $5.2 million in 2012, records show. She built the facility in 2015, which includes a 5,400-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bathroom house, records show.
The property also has a 12-stall barn with two bedrooms above the barn, five wash stalls, two grooming stalls, a laundry area, feedroom, bathroom, and an owner’s lounge and office, according to the listing. It also has a Grand Prix ring, a courtyard, trailer storage and a utility vehicle garage.
Lyon has listed the property for sale and rent on and off over the years. Most recently, the property was listed for $11 million in February, Realtor.com shows.
The Lyons, while rooted in Chicago, own properties across the country. Donna Lyon bought a Montecito, California estate from Ellen DeGeneres in 2018, the Dirt reported.
Wealthy equestrians from all over the world flock to Wellington each year for the Winterr Equestrian Festival, the horse world’s most significant event in the winter and early spring months.
BET co-founder Sheila Johnson sold her equestrian estate for $21.7 million earlier this month. Her daughter, Paige Johnson, is a competitive showjumper. JM Family executive David Chait bought an estate for $12.3 million in December. His wife, Amy Chait, is the equestrian in the family. Billionaire Netscape co-founder Jim Clark bought a mansion for $12 million in October. His wife, Kristy Hinze-Clark, rides and competes in Wellington. Another tech titan, Bill Gates, sold his equestrian estate for $26 million in March of last year. His daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer Gates and Nayel Nassar, both ride.