March 1, 2025, Myakka City, Florida. A picture-perfect day for show jumping was what TerraNova Equestrian Center offered to spectators on Saturday, March 1, as weekend competition kicked off during the third week of the venue’s winter series. The series boasts five weeks of both international show jumping action, as well as nationally-rated hunter, jumper, and equitation competition, all set against the picturesque background of Myakka City, Florida. Some of the sports’ best athletes from across the globe flocked to the Lakeside Arena on Saturday as anticipation built for the Stephex USA $65,500 1.45m FEI CSI2* Grand Prix. As the weather began heating up, so did the competition, with a total of five duos punching their ticket to the jump off. Following a fierce showdown, it was yesterday’s winning rider Daniel Bluman (ISR) who once again stood atop the highest point on the podium after landing the win with his steadfast partner, Hummer Z.
Steffen Buehling (GBR) got a glimpse at the talent of the starting line up during Friday’s competition and built accordingly, putting the 19 horse-and-rider combinations in the field through a series of challenges if they hoped to qualify to return for the short course. Proudly representing the nation of Israel once again, Bluman first found success in the jump-off with his newer partner, Landon de Nyze, after posting a double clear effort and setting the standard high with an efficient time of 39.20 seconds.
“The partnership with Landon is just starting,” Bluman said of his blooming partnership with the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo), owned by himself and the Over The Top Stables, LLC. “We’ve been working together for only about seven or eight weeks. This is only my second FEI show with him and he posted three clear rounds this weekend, so I’m really happy and the feeling was great. I’m excited about what’s to come.”
However, with a second opportunity still to come aboard Hummer Z, Abigail Wexner’s 11-year-old KWPN gelding by Harley x Hemingway, Bluman knew where he could find a faster track and ultimately knocked almost two seconds off his previous time to land in an unbeatable 37.14 seconds.
“Both Hummer and Landon felt amazing in the first round,” he expressed. “With a five-horse jump off where you have two of the horses, you have to go in with a little bit of strategy on how to tackle it. I had to go first with Landon and I thought it was a fast enough round to put some pressure on to make people take some risks.”
“When I came back with Hummer I was still in the lead,” Bluman continued, “but I knew the last horse in the jump off was perhaps the fastest horse in the class. So I tried to go pretty fast with Hummer and give myself a better chance of actually winning and it worked out.”
With Landon de Nyze, Bluman duplicated the previous day’s results with a third place finish after the USA’s Alexandra Worthington split the difference aboard Turn A Blind Eye, LLC’s foot-fast 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Kapitol D’Argonne x Oberon du Moulin), De L’Oiseliere in 38.21 seconds.
National-level competition and a slew of junior-amateur classics will conclude the third week of the TerraNova Winter Series on Sunday, March 2, 2025 before the penultimate week of the series kicks off the following Wednesday.