The Bainbridge Companies: A Major Sponsor of The 2003 Winter Equestrian Festival and A Major Factor in the Development of Wellington

Wellington, Florida -- February 19, 2003 -- On any given day at The 2003 Winter Equestrian Festival now being held at The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington through March 9, 2003, one can see Richard Schechter galloping by on his beloved paint horse.

While not a competitor at The Festival per se, Mr. Schechter is part of the support system that makes The Festival possible: his company, The Bainbridge Companies (“Bainbridge”), is a Platinum Level Sponsor of The Festival. Mr. Schechter’s own personal philanthropy contributes to the existence of The United States Equestrian Team, The American Hunter-Jumper Foundation, The Wellington Equestrian Alliance and The Hanley-Hazelden Foundation, to name but a few charitable/community organizations.

Mr. Schechter is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bainbridge, one of the premier real estate development and management concerns in the State of Florida. Based in Wellington, Bainbridge is involved with apartment complexes, office buildings and multi- and single-family developments in suburban and urban areas throughout Florida.

Recognizing early-on that growth in Wellington was about to explode, spurred primarily by the many-faceted equestrian community of hunter, jumper, dressage and polo enthusiasts, Bainbridge began building, managing and acquiring some of the best properties in Wellington: properties such as Polo Lakes, Polo Chase, The Wellington Country Plaza and The Estates at Wellington Green. The appeal of Bainbridge’s apartment complexes, other than location, is its dedication to individualized, custom design and appointments.

And Mr. Schechter’s belief in the destiny of Wellington is not simply business-driven: he lives in Wellington and maintains a stable there for many of his four-legged friends.