March 2, 2025, Myakka City, Florida. The third week of the 2025 TerraNova Winter Series came to a close on Sunday, March 2, 2025, as national-level show jumping competitors took center stage in the Lakeside Arena while hunter horses led the way in the Magnolia Arena. The week has featured top-tier competition from cross rails to grand prix as part of the venue’s five-week series, which offers hunter, jumper, and equitation classes in the peaceful setting of Myakka City, Florida. Ahead of the junior and amateur classics, grand prix riders took to the ring first as the $20,000 Marsh & McLennan TerraNova Prix debuted jumper competition. With one of her three mounts in the class, Argo Z, Catherine Kubiak ultimately took the top title in a time of 34.661 seconds posted across the short course.
Steffen Buehling (GBR)’s opening track provided a challenging but beatable start to the day for the 12 horse-and-rider combinations set to tackle it. Held in an immediate jump off format, five entries managed to produce a clean first round effort. Kubiak found her way to the jump off with two separate mounts, but it was with Argo Z that the young rider’s performance led to victory.
“The horse I won on is a very large horse so I was able to do the leave out stride pretty much everywhere,” explained Kubiak of the Over Fences Farm, LLC’s 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Asca Z. “I think that’s what gave me the edge on my time a little bit.”
“He’s 11 years old and I’ve had him for about a year and a half,” she continued. “He’s really special, and at a little bit over 19 hands, he’s definitely a gentle giant. He has taught me a lot about how to make a different plan for different types of horses, because his plan is pretty different from any other horse I’ve ever ridden.”
Four seconds behind Kubiak’s tidy time but posting the second-fastest finish, Dan Urban earned the runner-up position on a finishing time of 38.560 seconds aboard Emellar Stables LLC’s nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Diktator van de Boslandhoeve, Qatar. Just a fraction off the pace, Adam Cramer’s time of 38.842 seconds with Mr Manchester van’t Paradijs Z, Equi-Sport LLC’s eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Manchester van’t Paradijs, and fault-free effort proved good enough for the third and final position on the podium.
Junior/Amateur Jumper Classics Close Out Week III
Directly following the main event, Buehling set to the task of designing for the afternoon’s junior and amateur classics.
The $5,000 1.30m-1.40m Junior/Amateur Jumper Class saw a winning performance from Lacy Cramer with Equi-Sport LLC’s seven-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding by Conthargos, Bubbleroom, while Logan Jacobson and RSH Grand-Dessert earned the runner-up prize.
Paisley Cramer and Equi-Sport LLC’s 12-year-old KWPN mare by Val de Loir-Imoo, Iris E.S., led the victory gallop in the $3,500 1.10m Marsh and McLennan Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic. Lily Walton and Icandy MCF took second, while Mary-Ann Musal rounded out the top three with Attack Z.