Photographs by Patricia Espinosa
Few magazines (if any) can boast of having their very own mascots, but then again, we’re not like most magazines. Since making his debut last May in our “Triple Crown” issue with Georgina Bloomberg on the cover, the miniature horse named Wag has been the toast of the town. And just like his namesake, which had its premiere slightly more two years ago with new owner Dee DelBello, our little Wag is all grown up and turning heads.
It’s hard to believe a year has passed since the foal first took my breath away as I watched him trot around on his not-yet-stable legs at Field View Farm, the stately Greenwich home of Adalbert “Adie” von Gontard, Jr. and his wife, Mamie.
A few days earlier – and just hours after my interview with Adie, Greenwich Rotary Club’s 2012 Citizen of The Year recipient and hands down my most charming interviewee to date – the foal was born.
Not one to miss the symbolism of a momentous occasion, Adie honored WAG with, well, Wag.
As mascots go, we couldn’t be prouder.
When a bus filled with Boys & Girls Club kids comes to the farm to visit, it is Wag who is the main attraction. Perhaps it’s his diminutive size that disarms them or his friendly personality, but one thing is for sure: This horse has star quality.
Just ask the von Gontards’ dinner guests, who delight when they spy the miniature horse as he walks in the main house to greet them. Ever the crowd-pleaser, Wag is not above dressing up as a reindeer during the holidays if it means putting a smile on someone’s face. All in a day’s work for this ambassador of good will.
But let’s not forget that behind every celebrity are the people who make it all possible. So if this were the Oscars and if Wag could talk like Mr. Ed, I’m certain he would thank his faithful 88-year-old owner, Adie, who wakes up early each morning to care for him and all of his beloved animals with the help of his devoted daughter, Vicky Skouras, chairman of The Greenwich Riding & Trails Association Inc.
