Photo By Geoffrey Tischman
For Georgina Bloomberg, animals have always been more than just companions; they’ve been a lifelong passion.
The world-class champion show jumper, who calls South Florida home, began riding horses as a young girl. Her love for the sport and determination to win earned her an esteemed reputation among the equestrian elite, capped by a bronze medal victory competing for the U.S. equestrian team in the 2015 Pan American Games.
At 41, Bloomberg is known for more than her equestrian accomplishments — she’s also made her mark in philanthropy.
The many charities she’s involved with are wide-ranging, focusing on everything from supporting young equestrians to the environment to her greatest passion: animal rescue. In recognition of her work, she received the prized Compassion in Action Award from The Humane Society of the United States in 2016.
When Bloomberg is asked how many animals she has of her own, the mother of two boys, ages 10 and 1, laughs and says, “I couldn’t even count!”
But let’s try.
She usually has anywhere from seven to nine dogs inside her Wellington home, with an additional five housed in the barn on her property. The barn is also home to rescue horses, pigs, goats and mules.
Many of the dogs are rescues from the Miami-Dade County area. Sometimes Bloomberg adopts them; other times, she has connections who find them forever homes.
Bloomberg’s commitment to animal rescue was sparked by her experience adopting her dog with the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, a moment she recalls as pivotal.
“I remember saying I would do as much as I could to help others who couldn’t leave that day,” says Bloomberg, who is the daughter of Susan Brown and Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City.
Bloomberg has homes in New York and in Wellington, where she, her children and her fiancé spend their winters. When they need to escape the horse life for a bit, they head to their condominium in Palm Beach. But she admits that the older she gets, the more she finds herself craving home life.
“I enjoy being in that horse bubble and not leaving the property a lot,” she says.
Perhaps that’s because being home means she’s surrounded by her beloved animals, including her lucky dogs.
“My dogs are not my pets,” she says, “they’re my family.”