When you think of family projects, perhaps painting the living room, cleaning the garage or planting a garden comes to mind. But for Natalee and Steve Herrig; their daughter, Hannah, and her husband, Zach Ketelboeter, the family project is being produced on a grander and altogether different scale.
It’s a state-of-the-art horse show facility, rising from an old cattle pasture similar to the properties you can still see on the drive of a half-hour or so from glamorous Sarasota on Florida’s west coast. The still-rural location offers a contrast to the busy tourist destination city with its famous Gulf beaches, high-end stores and wonderful restaurants, but it’s close enough to allow exhibitors access to those features.
When the family started its work, there was nothing on the property they had bought, just over the Sarasota County line in Manatee County. Hannah and Zach named it TerraNova after two of their horses, Terra and Nova, but the name was doubly appropriate because it means “new land” in Latin.
Eventually, the showgrounds will be surrounded by housing, estates particularly suitable for horse lovers who want to enjoy their animals in the country, while being close enough to Sarasota that it’s easy to hop over for shopping or dinner.
Steve, whose businesses include workers’ compensation insurance, handed the equestrian portion of the project over to Hannah, an eventer turned dressage rider who has a degree from the University of Florida in communications and leadership fulfillment. Her husband is experienced in construction and stable management.
Natalee is part of the effort as well, handling community outreach and charitable initiatives. Since TerraNova opened last year, it has hosted not only jumper shows, but dressage competitions and eventing as well.
Palms and trees hung with Spanish moss provide a lovely setting for hacking near the show rings. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Although the facility had no track record in eventing, it immediately received dates from the U.S. Equestrian Federation for those competitions, because it has not only a specialist operations team experienced in the discipline, but also demonstrated the ability to accomplish what the family set out to do.
The ambitious TerraNova endeavor continues its growth, with a permanent VIP pavilion, a new show office under construction and permanent stables for the horses shipping in to compete. The barns are state-of-the-art, with a high-ceilinged design that maximizes air circulation, as well as stall fans, LED lights and “mattresses” cushioning the stall floors to insure horses get a comfortable night’s rest.
I asked Steve how he feels now that his vision has gone from imagination to reality, and he swiftly but politely corrected me. Listen to what he and the rest of his family had to say in this video.
Florida isn’t always as balmy as it is portrayed in the commercials suggesting that you come on down. There was a recent cold snap in the Sarasota area (you can hear the wind blowing in the videos above and below) but the organizers were quick to move the VIP facility back toward the comfort zone with heaters whose flames danced as showgoers gathered around them.
Heaters offered a place to warm up during a cold Florida weekend. ( Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Trainer Michele Grubb, who has been nominated for the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, has added TerraNova to her list of showing destinations.
“The footing is great, the management is great, the new barns are absolutely spectacular, the VIP is lovely. There’s nothing more you could ask here for the horses, exhibitors, the spectators. The only thing, it is very far from the hotels,” she said, noting that makes it difficult for people, including grooms,who are staying in motels closer to Sarasota if they need to be present at the showgrounds late at night or early in the morning. Cabins and other onsite accommodations are part of the venue’s plan, but there is no completion timeline for them as yet.
Irish rider Jonathan Corrigan, based in Wellington on the east coast of Florida, showed at TerraNova last year as well as in 2023, noting that it can hold its own among the many shows in the state.
Jonathan Corrigan and Super Chilled. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“They were brave building this with everything else that’s going on,” he pointed out, while mentioning that Florida’s west coast has less in the way of showgrounds than the Ocala/Wellington axis.
“I know we’re planning on coming back a couple of times this year,” he said.
A Winter Equestrian Festival regular at Wellington, Jonathan commented that at TerraNova, “The classes are easier, a little bit softer, They’re still competitive enough, but there definitely is less pressure. If you want to come and bring an FEI horse or two and then bring a couple of young horses, it’s a great place to do it.”
When I wondered if he could evaluate TerraNova in relation to the lavish World Equestrian Center in Ocala, he pointed out, “WEC is pretty much finished and these guys are just getting started, so it would be hard to compare them just yet.”
Olga Zarlenga, who is going to be barn manager at TerraNova, was manager of the show jumping at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
The VIP makes an impressive backdrop as Aaron Vale is on course during his first visit to TerraNova.( Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
She noted one important aspect of the new facility is that “They’re listening to the riders” about what they want,” which doesn’t always happen elsewhere.
As to its location, she said, “Everything starts from somewhere.” As an example, she mentioned that “Ocala was, okay, it’s horse country, but suddenly WEC was there and everybody wants to go there.”
The TerraNova show jumping competitions this winter, which include competitions rated 2 stars by the FEI (international equestrian federation), are being run by the Split Rock Tour. It was founded by Derek Braun, who put his riding career aside so he could focus on his efforts on advancing the sport with an updated perspective.
Split Rock’s event manager, Mike Belisle, was also involved in developing the TerraNova concept. He is delighted with the growth of the site and its shows. Hear what he had to say in the video below.
One innovation that gained instant popularity is Natalee’s project, Tiny Town. This miniature village complete with a child-sized veterinary clinic and market is a magnet for kids when they get tired of watching horses jump.
Terra Nova Tiny Town. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The vendor area is still a work in progress, with only a few tents selling vests and saddlery. There undoubtedly will be more vendors when there are more spectators.
Emilien Rieyre is based in Wellington with Voltaire Design, but wanted to come over and see what TerraNova was about. He had a conclusion about the venue that was similar to that of many other people I spoke with there.
“It’s really different but it’s beautiful,” he said.
“The whole facility is gorgeous.”