Sarah LesslerCrossing the threshold from the frenetic pace of Wellington’s competition season into the Rizvi family home is comparable to stepping through a portal, trans- porting guests into an entirely different world. Lapping fountains, candle-lit lanterns casting dancing patterns, ornately carved doors, and intricate mosaics transform the home into an immersive homage to family heritage.
Set amid a quiet enclave of elegant homes, it might suggest that one would find an airy and neutral interior more typical of the community, but instead, it dazzles with the rich architectural allure of Moroccan style.
Above: The expansive dining room idyllic for large gatherings; the casual kitchen eating area; one of the grand yet casual living spaces; niche accents in the dining room; a light-flooded, ornately designed shower.
The home of PJ and Suhail is designed to accommodate their family of six, as well as PJ’s mother-in-law and caretaker. It is also home to six dogs and four cats. “We wanted to create a real family house, not just something spectacular,” PJ shares.
The Rizvis initially rented the 8,000-square-foot house built in the 1990s and expanded it to 20,000 square feet after purchasing it. PJ admits, “I spent the whole rental period jotting down how I wanted the house to be on pieces of paper, and I imagined it somewhere between Frank Sinatra and Hotel Californian.” She wanted the house to have a quirky feel, like a house they had rented in Palm Beach. She designed the house to have overhangs to shield out the direct sun and strategically added loggias to allow access to various areas of the house without getting wet. Her goal was to design a house for practical living. “I didn’t want a big house with white marble floors,” adds PJ. “I wanted everything to feel authentic and cozy.”
The design reflects a blend of Moroccan, Spanish, and Islamic influences intertwined with Palm Beach Mizner-style elements and Indian heritage. “A lot of homes in India, such as my husband’s, were designed around a center courtyard where uncles, aunts, and children all lived together,” notes PJ. “We have family heirlooms from India and gifts given to us when he traveled to the Middle East or other places that we’ve put on display. My husband also has a soft spot for modern art, so he has his [Andy] Warhols and [Jean-Michel] Basquiats.”
The Rizvis’ Wellington home showcases the best of courtyard design. The space is quite sizable and lush, with tropical plantings, water features, vibrant orchids, a pool, and generous clusters of seating for outdoor entertaining.
Although the courtyard is very serene, PJ emphasizes that it can get quite lively. “We had my brother’s wedding here last December, and he said, ‘I can’t think of a better place with a good energy to have a small wedding,’” smiles PJ. “Of course, we all wound up in the pool in our gowns at one in the morning. So, it’s definitely a place where we have good energy.”
What gives the house such a sense of character and authenticity is the hands-on involvement in the vision and sourcing of the furnishings and interior design of the home. PJ and her husband love Marrakesh and took countless trips there to find the perfect pieces for the house. “It’s such a romantic city. What I love the most about Marrakesh is nighttime, with all the bronze lanterns making patterns on the ceiling. It’s just magical, and that’s what we wanted to create here,” PJ says.
Above: accented with ornately carved doors and mosaicked floors and niches. Opposite: Details of carved tables and doors, including mother-of-pearl and tile inlay.
The tiles came from Italy, Morocco, and an old house in France; many of the furnishings and massive doors were also acquired in Morocco. The shops, which were often in people’s homes, were filled with furniture. “You actually had to sit down, have mint tea, and take in the whole room because there’s stuff all over the ceiling and furniture behind furniture,” PJ recalls. They even took the kids on one of the trips so they could select things for their rooms.
“I went to Morocco at least eight times when we were doing this house, and we stayed at the Royal Mansour, which was so inspirational. The manager there gave us the contact information of the people who made the bronze lanterns at the hotel and where they got the tiles. So, I got to meet the guy and show him my ideas on napkins, and he would draw it back in a better version. He designed the lanterns for me, and if I found an antique lantern, he would make matching ones if I needed them.”
Left: The vast hall lit with custom-made lanterns,
THE RIZVIS AND RIDING
Above: PJ enjoying the refreshing pool and relaxing in the welcoming center courtyard.
While the home is tranquil, the Rizvis themselves are energetic and personable. Like many families, the children were off pursuing their individual interests. Two daughters, Yasmin, 23, and Farah, 21, were away at college and law school. Their son, Arslan, 17, zipped by us en route to tennis practice, giving us time to chat with PJ and her 19-year-old daughter, Zayna, about their riding endeavors.
All the Rizvis are accomplished riders, with PJ and Zayna taking a more dedicated direction. PJ attributes much of her children’s discipline and success to their early years with horses. “We were in Connecticut when the kids were very young, and we lived on our farm. It taught them a lot of responsibility, not just about riding the horses, but the responsibility of feeding them in the morning, turning them out afterward, coming home, riding, and cleaning up afterward.” PJ adds, “It taught them how to get up early, how to organize and commit, which I think helped tremendously with school. I think all the traveling to the different shows taught them how to travel, how to behave, how to fly, how to pack, and they’re complete experts. I never had to wake my kids up for a horse show, ever.”
PJ started casual trail riding in her 20s and began competing as an amateur jumper on a 2 1/2-year-old racehorse at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) when she was 29. Within a year, she became pregnant with her first child and, through a course of events, switched to dressage. “So, after the racehorse, as a wedding gift, my husband said, ‘Why don’t we use the $18,000 you’ve saved and get you a horse?’”
Her new 4-year-old horse led her to a “Dressage for Jumpers” clinic with Olympian Robert Dover. She had been jumping the new horse, but Robert recognized its talent and potential to compete in dressage. The horse went into training with Robert, and PJ began her dressage journey.
Above: PJ celebrating a grand prix ride on Breaking Dawn, her Dutch Warmblood gelding. Photo by: SUSAN J STICKLE
After receiving a gift of 12 dressage lessons from her husband, PJ returned to her former longtime friend, Ashley Holzer of Riverdale Equestrian Center, who helped her in her early years of riding. “Ashley [and her husband Rusty] would try to help me and give me some pointers, but I was kind of just trail riding and jumping logs or whatever I saw in front of me,” admits PJ. “I didn’t have any training. So, I called Ashley and said, hey, my husband bought me 12 dressage lessons. Do you have time for an amateur? And she said, ‘I always have time for you.’”
Returning to training with her long-time friend, PJ balanced motherhood and riding. “When I was 40 years old, I got my first, and supposedly an amateur, Prix St. Georges horse, Breaking Dawn (known as Edward),” explains PJ. She rode the Dutch warmblood gelding in the smaller tours and won several Prix St. Georges classes before turning the reins over to Ashley, who qualified for and competed in the 2012 London Olympics with PJ’s amateur Prix St. Georges horse. “I was riding him up until a few months before the Olympics. I know most people don’t have their amateur rider riding their Olympic horse, but it was my horse,” PJ laughs.
PJ took over the ride on Breaking Dawn when he was a little over 13 years old. “I was 43 when I did my first grand prix. He was off for about a year, and then I won my first national and started some CDIs. I had my best years with him from 2017 to 2019,” PJ notes. “That’s when he was 17 to 19 years old, and I started doing CDI 3-star events. I was winning 3-stars in Florida and went to Europe for the first time through the U.S. pre-elite program. I was third and second in CDI 4-stars in Europe, which was huge for me.” Ultimately, she went to Europe and competed in a CDI 5-star event.
“Not many people could say my first grand prix was at 43, so I’m a late bloomer,” admits PJ. “But I always say; in my teens, I was too sick. In my 20s, I was too poor, and in my 30s, I was too pregnant.”
PJ currently has a Dutch warmblood, a German warmblood, and a Lusitano. She’s gradually easing back into competing following a significant riding accident in 2021. “It took a while, but I’m getting better. It’s not an easy thing, and I’m still trying to build up confidence for the CDI again. I’m thinking about it. But I don’t want to put a tremendous amount of pressure on myself.”
PJ is also heavily involved in fundraising efforts for Polo for Life, an organization that supports local families of Palm Beach County struggling with pediatric cancer. The funds assist families with the financial burdens that come with a cancer diagnosis. Having lost her sister to leukemia, PJ is all too familiar with the burden and financial impact it can have on a family. “You know, when my sister was sick, I drove from New York to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland and slept in the car because I couldn’t afford a hotel. I don’t want to see other families suffer like my family suffered.
“We put the money where the families will benefit the most. We’ve had people pay mortgages and utility bills, tutoring for the siblings of sick children who fall severely behind in school, and, tragically, funerals. It’s sad, but we’ve helped so many people.”
ZAYNA’S EQUESTRIAN SUCCESS
Zayna, the youngest Rizvi daughter, rode her first horse at the age of 3 but didn’t start competing until she was 5. It’s been horses and riding ever since. “When I first started riding, we had a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut, and I used to go to the barn almost every day, but I would only go if I was allowed to wear my princess outfits,” Zayna laughs. “So, I never rode in riding clothes. I would go there all day in my tutu and my whole get-up, and I would ride my pony like that. That was how it all started.”
She tried a few other sports such as gymnastics, ice skating, and dance, but once she reached a certain age, she focused on riding. It was also a great way for her to bond with her sisters, Farah and Yasmin, as they all started riding simultaneously.
“We were always together at the horse shows and the barn. It was a way that we all bonded, and it brought us closer as siblings,” she says. “My mom rides, so she could always connect with us on that level. She could relate to the times we had a tough day or were struggling with something. That’s the hardest part about riding sometimes: not knowing other people who ride or have family that ride. They might not understand why you’re down or upset about something not going your way, but my mom always understands.”
Zayna’s talent was recognized at an early age, and by the time she was 10, she began training with John Brennan and Missy Clark at North Run. She accrued major awards as she competed through her junior career, garnering impressive placings in the 2019 USEF Medal Finals and Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Equitation Finals, and winning one of the most prestigious awards, the Maclay Finals, in 2021.
Above: Zayna wrapped in a blanket from a FEI Youth Jumping Nation’s Cup in Peelbergen, Netherlands, in front of countless riding awards won by the Rizvi family.
Now competing in the U25 division, Zayna has enjoyed similar success, including winning the Lionel Guerrand Hermès Trophy in 2024. “That award represents everything that I want to be,” Zayna says. “So, for people to choose me to receive it was just amazing, and going to Five Rings Farm in Wellington to receive it was also so cool. Some of the most important people in the equestrian world were there, and it was really an honor to be given that award in front of them.”
Last summer, she was crisscrossing the country, traveling to shows from the Hampton Classic to Traverse City, Tryon, Devon, Upperville, and, in the early fall, Old Salem Farm, where she won the CSI 4* Welcome Stake on Exquise Du Pachis (Patchy), her 14-year- old Belgian Sport Horse. “I was so proud of my horse and how well she jumped,” she notes.
Above: Zayna clearing a jump on Exquise Du Pachis (Patchy), her Belgian Sport Horse, at the CSIO3* Nation’s Cup at the Sunshine tour in Spain. Photo by MACKENZIE CLARK
If the rigorous competition schedule isn’t enough to time-manage, Zayna has added college to her agenda. “I’m at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), but I’m doing classes fully online. Doing online was important to me because I travel a lot, and I wanted to be able to ride as much as I could, but my dad was set on me going in person,” Zayna admits. “When we [discovered] that UPenn has a fully online program, that changed his mind because my dad and my sister went to UPenn. That’s a big thing in our family, so it was a great compromise.”
A LASTING IMPRESSION
After an afternoon in the Rizvi’s Moroccan-inspired home, it was tough to leave the flickering lanterns, tranquil fountains, and warm energy. PJ’s and Zayna’s stories reflected not just their equestrian achievements but also the deep bonds of family and tradition.
To read this article in the digital magazine version, click here. To see more of EQ Living’s favorite equestrian home visits, click here.