February 28, 2025, Myakka City, Florida. With sun high in the sky and a soft breeze flowing through the picturesque property, the third week of the TerraNova Winter Series saw feature classes in both the Magnolia and Lakeside Arenas debuting a weekend of excitement on Friday, February 28, 2025. Boasting a full schedule packed with top-tier hunter, jumper, and equitation competition, as well as weekly international show jumping action at the two-star level, the series boasts a little something for everyone.
Hunter horse-and-rider pairings put forward the first trips of the day as the Magnolia Arena invited riders in for the DNA Wild $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. Across the venue, international jumper athletes lined up for inspection at the CSI2* jog before the afternoon’s $32,000 1.45m FEI Welcome Speed. Bill Yeager crafted the track for both the classic and handy round of the morning’s premiere event, which saw a new winner in Keri Guanciale (Clarksburg, MD).
“TerraNova is an amazing, well thought out facility,” stated Yeager. “I am excited for the opportunity to set for the hunters this week and the main hunter ring really lends itself to setting a hunter derby. This week my goal was to set a welcoming track that utilizes all of the ring.”
Following two exceptional performances, Guanciale and Glenn Ridge & Associates Inc.’s nine-year-old Westphalian gelding (Cornets Iberio), Quintero, combined their scores of 86.00 and 87.50 to earn the class’s overall lead with a score of 173.50 points.
“This is his first derby ever,” said Guanciale. “We got him in the middle of last year and he was a green horse so we just played around with him a bit. Now my dad shows him a bit, and I compete with him in the derbies. He is super brave, and honestly, the hardest thing about him is just that he is super quiet and takes a lot of leg!”
Guanciale first tackled the course on her long-term partner Blue Harbor, an 18-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Chacco-Blue, whom she ultimately earned the reserving placing on as she tallied only half a point off her leading score with a total of 173.00 points.
“For my handy round, I got to go in on my first horse who I’ve had for 10 years and know really well,” she explained. “They are very similar in stride and scope, but their main difference is that one has a motor while Quintero is all leg.”
“This is our first time showing here and we just absolutely love it,” she continued. “We’ll definitely be here all of the weeks next year.”
The victory lap was rounded out by the combination of Hannah Wu and Kevin Eufemia’s 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (VDL Arkansas), Kaaterskill, who posted a two-round total of 154.00 points.
Daniel Bluman Wins the Estates at TerraNova FEI Welcome Speed
The afternoon was all about the fast-paced action as a total of 22 entries passed through the Lakeside Arena’s iconic archway ready to give it their all in The Estates At TerraNova $32,000 1.45m FEI Welcome Speed track. Steffen Buehling (GBR) built a foot-fast and flowing course for the seven nations represented in the field. As an athlete often known for dominating a speed track, Israel’s Daniel Bluman easily scored the top spot aboard Hummer Z.
“Today’s course was a very friendly course to start the week,” he detailed. “Hummer jumped great. I had an early go, and there were a couple of options where I could have gone faster, but I felt it was a round that was fast enough to hopefully finish in the top three. He’s an experienced horse now developed by one of the best of all time, Beezie Madden, so he knows his job, and today I was just piloting him around and showing him the fences.”
“At this point Hummer benefits from riding at a little bit more positive pace and going with nice momentum,” he continued. “So I just picked up a pace he felt comfortable on and rolled around. I think he’s great and ready and it was all a perfect set up for tomorrow.”
Daniel wasn’t the only Bluman blazing around the track at TerraNova Equestrian Center. Cousin Ilan Bluman proved to be hot on his heels with Whitefield Farm, LLC’s nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding Camp S (L.B. Crumble x Acorado) and split the difference between Daniel’s finishes.
“It was fun, I knew he was coming after me and was going to try and get me,” laughed Daniel. “In the end he actually did beat me. I was second on Landon when he came in and he ended up beating me on him, but I am still very happy.”
Posting a time of 67.75 seconds, Ilan took home the second place position for his home nation of Columbia, while it was Daniel’s time of 68.26 seconds aboard the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding he co-owns with Over the Top Stables LLC, Landon de Nyze (Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo), that earned third.