She built her name in the restaurant business. Now it’s giddy up and go with a new adventure

When Tommy and Jaymie Klauber decided in April not to renew their lease for the iconic Polo Grill and Bar after a 10-year run, they were left with a big question.

What’s next?

Jaymie Klauber decided she wanted to do something involving her passion for horses, and, after developing a business plan and budget, launched Epic Equine Experiences.

“It’s going better than I expected. The fact is that it is making money. People are coming out for all different kinds of things,” she said Wednesday.

With the attention to detail and creativity the couple are known for, the new business, for starters, offers scenic trail rides that include food and beverage, essentially a Tommy Klauber meal. Among the trail ride locales are Triangle Ranch, Myakka River State Park, Deer Prarie Creek Preserve and others.

Another one of the experiences offered by Jaymie Klauber is polo, both competitive and social, as well as lessons.

Finally, there are a smorgasbord of other equine services, including riding lessons, matching horse owners with stables, providing horses for modeling, advertising and theatrical productions, leasing horses to riders and polo players, barn management and more.

A sample of prices includes $60 for riding lessons, $75 for polo lessons, $20 for barn work and $200 for polo pony rental per chukker (period of play).

“We launched the business a couple of months ago and it has been nonstop ever since,” she said.

At Polo Grill, Jaymie Klauber was in charge of the highly successful catering operation.

“We do miss it, but it is so exciting at this point in our lives to be doing something different,” she said.

In July, Hugh Miller and Greg Campbell of Pier 22 announced they had made an agreement with LWR Main Street LLC to open a new independent restaurant called GROVE in the space formerly occupied by Polo Grill at 10670 Boardwalk Loop.

Since moving on from Polo Grill, Tommy Klauber has been pursuing other business interests and assisting with Epic Equestrian Experiences.

“Tommy wasn’t going to be involved in the business, but right now he is a great deal. He is working on a couple of other things, but right now I need his help,” Jaymie Klauber said.

Epic Equestrian Experiences is a much smaller business than Polo Grill was, and Jaymie finds herself involved with everything from bookkeeping to building her website and running all aspects of the operation.

“I was a little nervous at first, but I am a hospitality person and want to help people and connect people with anything equine,” she said.

She is assisted by her best friend and fellow horse lover, Uli Link.

“The horses are here, the country is beautiful and there are for sure many possibilities to go on those beautiful, big ranches and have nice rides,” Link said.

For more information, visit https://www.epicequineexperiences.com/ or call 941-705-3884.