March 7, 2025, Myakka City, Florida. Kicking off a chilly morning at the penultimate week of the TerraNova Winter Series, the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by Everglades Equipment Group, debuted competition in the Magnolia Arena on Friday, March 7, 2025 with 12 top combinations ready to tackle the track. Held at the TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka City, Florida, the five-week series has seen top international athletes weekly at the two-star level of show jumping, as well as national hunter, jumper, and equitation riders.
With its finale just one week away, the action at the venue has hit a high note. Doubling down on her top finish during the third week of the series, Keri Guanciale (Clarksburg, MD) once again rode to the top of the leaderboard in the weekend’s premier hunter event with longtime partner, Quintero. Topping their previous winning score of 173.50 by half a point, the pair executed two flawless rounds, despite a drop in temperature, to earn a total of 174.00 points over the William Robertson-designed tracks.
“Today’s course was really fun to ride,” she detailed. “The way you could stay on the inside track to the high options was really fun and I love how they did the green grass wall. It was beautiful to come out of the turn to that. The high options were also very welcoming because of where they were on the course; it felt like you really got to show off the horse.”
For Guanciale, the win is the second in the past two weeks with the Glenn Ridge & Associates Inc.’s nine-year-old Westphalian gelding (Cornets Iberio).
“He started out a little bit green last week but this week he came back feeling confident in what he was doing,” she explained. “I came back in for the handy round and I stuck with my plan. He was way more relaxed than last week, so he rode phenomenal.”
With plans to head back to her home base in Maryland this coming week, Guanciale stated that the venue has been the perfect winter getaway for her team.
“We haven’t been able to do much back home because the weather has been terrible,” she expressed. “Coming down here has been absolutely beautiful. The facility is wonderful and we have had the best time here.”
Brooke Cudmore (Bennington, NE) and Kathleen Rose’s 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Breitling LS, So They Say, paired scores of 82.00 and 85.00 points to tally a total of 167.00 points across the two rounds for the runner-up spot in the victory gallop. The final combination to crack the code into the top three honors was Elizabeth Perry and Ocean Z. Earning a 158.00 total with the Nere Holdings LLC’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Hunters Scendro, the Ringoes, New Jersey resident rounded out the all-female lap of honor.
Paul O’Shea and Hellcat Win the Estates at TerraNova CSI2* Welcome Speed
Having completed and passed the FEI jog early on Friday morning, 39 horse-and-rider combinations readied themselves to take on the track built by Bernardo Cabral (POR) in the afternoon’s $32,000 The Estates at TerraNova CSI2* Welcome Speed track. Spectators were treated to a special treat in the pavilion at the official welcome party which offered beverages and delicious bites courtesy of the venue’s new head chef. With a stacked field, the competition was hot, and the thrill of the win ultimately went to the speedy combination of Paul O’Shea (IRL) and Hellcat at the class’s completion.
“She really knows her job now so we barely jump her at home,” he said of Team Eye Candy’s 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Cassander van het Bremhof x Conan). “We really do very little homework at home; it’s mostly about keeping her happy and making a good plan. Today, Mia was really fast. I did one stride less to the double combination than her and maybe we got it there, but we were very close and it really could’ve gone either way.”
The win marks a victorious return to the venue for O’Shea, who first came to the facility in 2024 and found success.
“We’re delighted to be here again,” he stated. “We were here twice last year with Hellcat and it went great for her. There are just so many good riders here that it’s a very good place to get experience for a horse and rider. The grounds are fantastic, it’s great to have the space, and the courses are lovely.”
Holding the lead for almost the entirety of the class, young rider Mia Bagnato (USA) put forward a foot-fast round on her own 12-year-old Holsteiner mare, Florida N (Clarimo x Laval II) in a time of 58.79 seconds and took home the second place prize following O’Shea’s completion. Olympian Laura Kraut (USA) piloted newer mount Lady D, the Cherry Knoll Farm, Inc.’s nine-year-old KWPN mare (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Indoctro) into the final podium slot with a clean and efficient time of 59.34 seconds.