EQUESTRIAN AFICIONADOS AND INTERNATIONAL POLO PLAYERS have found a new home in South Florida. The Hobe Sound Polo Club is the newest upscale residential development dedicated to the regal sport and the equestrian lifestyle. The community was designed by polo players to provide a permanent world-class facility and organization for those passionate about the legacy of the game. Located east of I-95 in Hobe Sound, Florida, and covering more than 1,700 acres, the development offers unique amenities including five world-class polo fields, two stick and ball fields, a grand member’s clubhouse, club barn complex, exercise track, lake, paddock and miles of dedicated bridle trails adjoining 8,000 acres in Atlantic Ridge State Park, all available to members since late last year.
Several membership options are available. Founding members will have equity ownership interest in the club and eligibility to sit on the Board of Directors. This membership will be awarded to the first 26 purchasers of Club membership plus up to four additional homesite owners designated by the developers. Other memberships include Playing members, designated for residents who are not Founders but own homesites within the community. Playing members also have unlimited access to all the Club facilities. There will also be a limited number of non-residential memberships available, including seasonal and annual memberships. The club is deed restricted to private equestrian club uses for not less than 50 years.
The developer of this concept community is Groves 14 LLC., a partnership between Robert Whitley, recognized for his expertise in the development of upscale golf course communities throughout the southeastern U.S., Tucker Frederickson and Rockwood Capital Corporation, a private real estate investment company with a total portfolio value of $2 to $3 billion. The group has ensured the highest standards of luxury and expertise to make Hobe Sound Polo Club home to some of the greatest polo players in the world, including Argentina’s Adolfo Cambiaso, the world’s leading polo player who has announced that he will use the development as his winter horse operation. “It is great honor to have Adolfo as a member. He visited the property with me and immediately liked it for its location, its dry land and potential as a base for his horses from Argentina,” said Andres Weisz, a founding member . “I was impressed by the club and the plans for its development,” commented Cambiaso. Other notable members of the club include polo players Tim Gannon, co-founder of Outback Steakhouse, and Michael Price, a prominent investor.
The Hobe Sound lifestyle is about luxury, relaxation, polo and the equestrian lifestyle. It defines the finest comfort and amenities for equestrian lovers. Homesites are a minimum of 20 acres, delivered graded, grassed and fenced on all four sides with perimeter landscape trees outside of fencing. SA

By Lucy Bahamonde

Few families are fortunate with the opportunity to be able to live in exclusive Palm Beach. The area is emblematic of the fine things in life, luxury living at its best and a relaxed environment for America’s most prominent families. The island of Palm Beach is 16 miles long, flanked by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intercoastal Waterways to the west, which separate it from the cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. This excellent location makes it an ideal spot for lush gardens, palm-lined beaches and outstanding marine environment. The Town of Palm Beach is a Mediterranean-like mecca of stunning architecture, natural beauty, acclaimed shopping, restaurants and hotels, cosmopolitan culture and involved citizenry committed to civic and philanthropic causes.
One of the lucky families that calls Palm Beach home is Alan and Kathy Bleznak. The Bleznaks met in Philadelphia in 1986. She was a widow and he had recently separated when a friend invited both of them to a Fourth of July party. “There were so many people at that party that the hostess wanted to throw the name cards from the stairs and give up. I ended up at the same table as Alan, and the rest is history,” says Kathy of her first meeting with her future husband. Kathy Bleznak is a Philadelphia girl. She attended some of the strictest Catholic schools in the area. “I am a product of good Catholic education,” she said. She majored in English but her style is more classic American than anything else. The Bleznaks maintain a Georgian revival residence in Philadelphia’s Main Line, but they have made Palm Beach their primary residence. Philadelphia is the cradle of American democracy and the Bleznaks love the city. They go there in the summer and travel around the world from there. While living in Philadelphia, Mrs. Bleznak was involved in city politics. She worked for John B. Kelly, Jr. “Kell” as he was called, was the brother of the late Princess Grace of Monaco. He was a city councilman at large. Later she was appointed by Philadelphia’s mayor to direct the Philadelphia Art Commission.
Their eclectic Palm Beach home definitely has a neo-classical flair, but with the help of New York designer Bunny Williams, the couple has been able to create a sanctuary that is both grand and intimate at the same time. “Bunny had previously done all the decoration for Alan, his homes and most of his developments. From our first meeting, she made all my worries about the design disappear. She understands us and I really like her work,” says Mrs. Bleznak, whose approach to decorating springs from the concept that a home should have a high comfort level. “Bunny managed to make our dreams a reality. The rooms may look very grand, but at the same time, they are inviting. These are rooms where you want to sit and enjoy company, not just stand and admire the decor,” she continues. Her favorite area of the main house is the loggia. “Two years ago, we rebuilt our loggia because, while it was original to the house, if 2½ people were standing there, it was crowded. Alan contracted an architect and the new space is magnificent,” she added. Today, the loggia is decorated as an outdoor living room. Mrs. Bleznak also loves her spacious bathroom with over-sized windows facing her beloved rose garden. “The window invited the outside into the house. It is really beautiful,” says Kathy about her master bathroom.
“When we bought this house, it was pretty ugly. Alan is into real estate and he had a vision for the property. It sits on a double lot, which we used to build a rose garden.” Kathy Bleznak’s roses are her passion. “When we met, Alan was on the committee for the Philadelphia Gardening Show. On one of my first visits to his house, I found him tending to a great vegetable garden. He has taught me a lot about gardening. I take care of things which blossom. He cares for other important areas like grasses, lawns and trees. I learned about gardening the only possible way: by doing it. It is a lot of work, but it also brings us closer as we share the same interest for plants and conservation,” expresses Kathy about her love and appreciation for her roses and gardenias. The garden was designed by Ed Lindermann, the designer of the Philadelphia Gardening Show. Her favorite roses are White Christmas, Friendship and Voluptuous. She does not have any roses she does not like, most of them are pale in color, but she keeps a deep red variety called Black Magic, which adds a little drama to the placid garden.
From her beautiful home, she runs her life and concentrates on her many philanthropic commitments. “Philanthropy takes many forms,” she tells SA. “There is the donation of one’s resources and there is also the donation of one’s time, which is much more compelling. It is important to make some kind of contribution to your environment and to focus on the youth because they are our future. Find what you enjoy and dedicate some time to it. You will derive so much more from your actions than the organizations you help. Philanthropy is about taking the I and me out of your life and focus on the we.”
Kathy Bleznak lives by the motto, “Let them know you are there,” and she has done that for myriad organizations in the Palm Beach area, such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Norton Museum of Art, the Palm Beach Zoo, the Historical Society and other preservation causes. An ideal hostess, she opens her home, not only to entertain friends and family, but also to hold events for the organizations she supports. This great hostess exudes elegance and a relaxed attitude that makes her a beloved presence in Palm Beach. She has been a part of our community for over 15 years and she certainly has let us know she is here. SA

Photographed by Orlando Garcia