March 14, 2025, Myakka City, Florida. On a bustling Friday morning at TerraNova Equestrian Center, twelve hunter pairs arrived to take on a final national derby challenge in the Magnolia Arena for the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by Equestrian Services International.
During this finale week of the TerraNova Winter Series, increased prize money and a prestigious partnership with the Split Rock Jumping Tour have created an electric atmosphere at the venue. The first spotlight was on the hunters. At the completion of both the Classic and Handy phases, Brooke Cudmore (Bennington, NE) and So They Say stood out from the pack to take the win.
Priming the course for a total of 12 combinations to compete over both courses, William Robertson set an elegant track in the venue’s upgraded arena using a variety of luscious filler and natural elements from the brand-new jumps purchased prior to the beginning of the 2025 circuit. With a steadfast determination to break her runner-up streak, Cudmore guided the 12-year-old KWPN gelding (Breitling LS), owned by Kathleen Rose, skillfully around the first track, putting herself in a prime position to return. Posting another well-executed performance in the handy round, Cudmore’s determination paid off as she finally led off the lap of honor with a two-round total of 173.50 points.
“I was pretty hungry; I really wanted to win one of these,” Cudmore laughed. “So I’m just happy I finally got the chance! We actually had a really good group of competitors and everybody had beautiful handy rounds so I knew it was going to be tight down at the end and it was.”
The win was extra special for Cudmore as not only her first derby win at TerraNova, but with a horse she regards so highly as well.
“I’m just so lucky to get to ride the one I’m riding because he’s a super awesome horse,” she gushed. “I haven’t really had the opportunity to ride him in a while before this circuit and he’s such a cool horse I couldn’t be happier to finish my show here with that horse with this as his last class; it’s so awesome.”
Hot on Cudmore’s heels was young rider RJ Maya (Wellington, FL) who piloted Zoe Wolf’s 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Cassin, Cassario 8, into the reserve spot following two successful rounds and a grand total of 172.00 points. Hailing all the way from Ringoes, NJ, Elizabeth Perry rounded out the leading trio with her performance on the Nere Holdings LLC’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Hunters Scendro, Ocean Z that earned a total of 163.00 points.
Cayden Hill and Cornet’s Cocio Win the TerraNova Young Jumper Final
Later in the afternoon, young jumpers took to the Lakeside Arena, with seven horses in the running for the $15,000 7-Year-Old TerraNova Young Jumper Final. With four horses advancing to the short course, it was ultimately Cayden Hill and Headwaters Equestrian LLC’s Cornet’s Cocio, a gray Holsteiner gelding by Cornet Obolensky, out of Dove who took the win.
“Coco is still new to us, it’s been about a year. He came over from Europe last year,” Hill said of the seven-year-old gelding. “When he got here, he was pretty skinny and scrawny and not ready to do the six-year-olds. We gave him some time, he spent most of the summer growing up; he spent some time in a field with a donkey and a mini horse.”
“The last two months with him, the trajectory has just been phenomenal. He’s a very cool horse, and we’re pretty excited for the future with him. He’s a super careful horse, I don’t have to help him out much at the jumps. He’s naturally fairly quick across the ground, so I try to just ride the jump off the same way as the first round, and he was fantastic.”