I Competed at the Inaugural Event At TerraNova. A Review:
Being a full-time Florida resident, I’m lucky to be able to ride year-round and be within driving distance of so many amazing equestrian venues. From the World Equestrian Center Ocala to the variety of top-notch eventing facilities, it’s a horse girl’s dream.
I live in Tampa Bay, which is about a two-hour commute to Ocala. So when I heard that a world-class eventing venue was in the works in Sarasota County just south of where I lived, I was thrilled.
TerraNova Equestrian Center has certainly had a lot of hype. The 225-acre facility grabbed plenty of attention when their state-of-the-art barn (equipped with chandeliers and custom wood-panel accents) opened and images made the rounds on social media. And that was just the beginning. The venue has big expansion plans, with 600 permanent stalls coming online, licensing for top-level eventing and show jumping competitions and even real estate ventures on the horizon. It certainly felt like a one-of-a-kind place, just reading about it.
TerraNova hosted their first competition this month and as a competitor, I can say it lived up to the hype.
As an amateur rider competing at the lower levels, the staff went above and beyond to make every competitor – even me – feel welcome and important. This was my first true “three-day”, in that it was a nationally recognized event taking place over three days. Despite the pressure of all that, the Event at TerraNova offered a ride-a-test opportunity on the Thursday before the show. I opted in for that, and was grateful for the opportunity to ride in the arena before the show.
TerraNova created a big environment for this event – the main area was wrapped by a long VIP tent, with a vendor’s village along one side and bleacher seating on the other. I may have only been competing at Novice, but riding down centerline and later, into my show jumping round, felt like nothing short of Rolex Stadium in Kentucky.
Marilyn Payne, who has adjudicated at every top event in the world including two Olympic Games, judged my ride-a-test. To have that opportunity and feedback alone made the entire weekend worth it.
The show ran smoothly all weekend long, and cross-country day was filled with excitement as the FEI-level riders ate up a technical and tough course designed by Capt. Mark Phillips. Even as I rocketed around my cross-country course, people lined the white ropes at the water element and cheered for me as I galloped by.
The event was livestreamed online every day, and I was able to download clips of my ride for free. Karen O’Connor was commentating on Saturday and Sunday, even while I rode in the Novice division. I can’t think of an opportunity outside of the American Eventing Championships where a low-level, ammie rider like me would have access to the names and amenities like this.
The cost of entry was the same as nearly any other USEA event I have attended in Florida, but with the atmosphere of something much larger. The quality of the jumps, the footing and the fun things to do when I wasn’t riding was beyond what I had experienced before at any other horse show. (well, except maybe WEC-Ocala). There was a dog park – seriously! A textured-footing horse trail that lead to all the arenas and warm-up areas. And a bar for spectators set up on cross-country day.
Being a local, I was able to haul in and out every day of the show, but plans to replace temporary stalls with permanent ones are coming soon. I’m curious to how TerraNova will continue to grow from here.
Photos by Angela Conkel Photography