RELAX, ENJOY, SHOW

TerraNova Equestrian Center offers competitors a luxurious home-away-from-home experience with top tier competition

WORDS: APRIL BILODEAU PHOTOS: JANA BANNAN & EQ MEDIA

THE WINTER SHOW CIRCUIT is something countless riders aspire to do. But with so many options around the country’s southern half, it can be hard to choose where you want to show. TerraNova Equestrian Center is working to make that choice a little easier.

Located in Myakka, FL, just a short drive from Sarasota, the show park boasts unique, thoughtful amenities for both horse and rider, among others (like your dog or child!).

The equestrian center, which held its first event in 2021, is a family-run operation. The owners were heavily involved in the creation of the grounds as well as the day-to-day operations. The goal was to build a show park that appealed to everyone, while offering an unparalleled experience to all exhibitors.

“Everything here was thought through so carefully,” Hannah Herrig-Ketelboeter, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at TerraNova Equestrian Center, tells The Plaid Horse.

All The Amenities

TerraNova Equestrian Center boasts six arenas equipped with GGT footing, as well as a cross country course. State-ofthe-art, permanent stabling is available for all horses. All stalls are 12x12 in size with stall mattress systems. In addition, each stall has a fan and each aisle has TV monitors so that even back at the barn you can stay informed with each ring. Turnout is also available for horses as an added feature.

While they currently have over 250 permanent stalls available, they have plans to expand with a goal of over 600 stalls.

“One thing everyone remarks on is how relaxed the horses are here,” says Ruby Tevis, Marketing Director at TerraNova

Equestrian Center. “One braider remarked on how comfortable the horses were, which we loved to hear!”

While horse comfort is top priority, the creators of the equestrian center have also added the comforts of home for every family member. A VIP pavilion and spectator viewing area feature details that rival home decor from a magazine, while the TerraNova Tiny Town gives children the chance to stay busy and play during long horse show days. The team at TerraNova even has a park for the horse show dogs equipped with agility obstacles. Outside of the show grounds, Lakewood Ranch has all the shopping, dining, entertainment, schools, healthcare, nature, and recreational options you can imagine just a short drive away. Nearby Sarasota has beaches, restaurants, and shopping.

Something For Every Rider

TerraNova Equestrian Center offers eleven weeks of showing throughout the

Spotlight

year for most disciplines of riding.

October starts the season with TerraNova Dressage, followed by The Event at TerraNova, an FEI 4* three-day event.

In early January, the Sarasota Winter Classic holds their hunter/jumper shows, shortly followed by a week of the Split Rock Jumping Tour for their 2* championship.

While the team co-manages with WEST Show Management and Split Rock for these weeks, they also have four weeks of hunter/jumper shows between February and March that they manage on their own. Towards the end of spring, they round out their season with another three-day event and a dressage show.

During their hunter/jumper series, the prize list offers hunter derbies, national grand prix classes, and an FEI 2*, as well as several lower level classes so that there are options for everyone.

Competitors from around the country are noticing the equestrian center and are beginning to make it part of their winter showing, including top hunter rider Jennifer Alfano of Next Chapter LLC.

“I loved it, honestly,” says Alfano. “We did two weeks in January. The facility is fantastic, the stabling is great, the rings were great. It was just a really nice place to take horses. It’s really thought out.”

Another perk to the location is that it is equidistant to Wellington, FL and

Ocala, FL, making it the perfect place to stop no matter where you go for your winter circuit.

See For Yourself

Whether you’re traveling down to TerraNova for the week or for the whole winter, the team makes entering and reserving easy. You can order hay and shavings from their on-site feed store, TerraNova Feed and Fence.

For more details or to enter for the 2024 winter circuit, please visit TerraNovaequestrian.com. Seasonal stall reservations are now open.