Did you know that talk show host and former “All My Children” star Kelly Ripa is a horse show mom?
Well she is.
And a proud one at that!
I know this because I met the co-host of Live with Regis and Kelly Sunday at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington and Kelly couldn’t have been nicer.
Kelly Ripa at the Winter Equestrian Festival on Sunday.
photo credit: Mason Phelps/Phelps Media Group
Kelly was there watching her seven-year-old daughter, Lola Consuelos, compete in the walk/trot/canter and crossrails classes.
But when I ran into Kelly, she was having lunch in the VIP tent and only a few feet away from where I happened to be watching the grand prix class filled with Olympic riders from all over the world.
I politely asked Kelly if I could do a short interview and she graciously took some time to talk to me.
And I can’t emphasize enough how nice she was.
Kelly talked about Lola and her horse show experience. Lola is one of three children Kelly has with husband, Mark Consuelos, whom she met when they both starred on All My Children.
And, by the way, Kelly said she and Lola would be back at WEF through the season.
“She’s just starting out,” Kelly said of Lola. “It’s her first time here.”
Lola, who trains with Kristina Muse at Beach Acre Farm in Bridgehampton, rode Clever Endeavor to the ribbons.
“She did really well, today,” Kelly said of Lola. “She won two firsts and two seconds. For her it’s not so much about the ribbons, but for her it was about the toy. She got to pick out a prize and she was very excited about that.
“We’re going to come as many weekends as we can here because Lola loves horses,” Kelly said. “She loves all things horses.”
As Kelly explains it, Lola watched the grand prix class at the Hampton Classic Horse Show two years ago and told Kelly that she wanted to take riding lessons.
“And I thought, ‘oh my gosh, I’m never going to be able to retire,” she laughed.
I mentioned to her that I also write Soapbox, which runs on the Palm Beach Daily News website as well as 14 other Cox Newspaper websites.
Kelly confessed that growing up she was a One Life To Live fan (remember the Eterna storyline? That was her favorite) and she never watched All My Children until she began playing Hayley, daughter of powerful and devious Adam Chandler.
Kelly praised the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
“[Lola] loves it here; she’s found a community here and I can’t think of a more beautiful setting,” she said. “This is the most extraordinary, friendly, warm, gorgeous environment. If you’re a horse person or even if you’re not a horse person, because I’ve never been on a horse in my life, to me this is the most extraordinary place on earth.”
As far as future horse showing for Lola?
“She’s going to be in the grand prix next week,” Kelly joked.
