Lakewood Ranch's Misdee Wrigley Miller used one word to describe the course after her marathon run on Jan. 25 during the first Combined Driving at TerraNova event.
"Magnificent."
It was four years ago that Wrigley Miller, who owns the Sarasota Polo Club with her husband, James Miller, "planted a seed" with TerraNova Equestrian Center founders Hannah Herrig Ketelboeter and her husband Zach Ketelboeter to host a combined driving event in Myakka City.
Molly Oakman was hired as president of the TerraNova Equestrian Center in 2024 and she pushed the event forward.
Wrigley Miller expects there to be more combined driving events at the facility.
"Having this the first time, they built three permanent hazards," she said. "I think that means we can come back."
Germany's Henning Lemcke, an official for the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, said the TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka was a fabulous host for its first combined driving event.
"Everything is flat and that is good for this sport," Lemcke said. "You have enough parking.
"You are going to see a lot of competitors here in the future. It is beautiful."
Wrigley Miller was covering the course with her team of four horses — Corleone, Doorman, Alonso and Calipso — along with navigator Dee Aldrich, and backstep Tristan Aldrich. But several classes were contested with one-, two- and four-horse teams competing in dressage, marathon and cones. The competition ran Thursday through Sunday.
Navigator Sierra Inabnett balances the carriage in a turn as driver Amy Cross, a 2024 national champion in Single Pony, works through a water hazard during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Navigator Susan Travis of Williston, and driver Carole Grimsley of Ringgold, Georgia, go through the water hazard with their Welsh ponies at TerraNova on Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Misdee Wrigley Miller, navigator Dee Aldrich, and backstep Tristan Aldrich cut through a sharp hazard during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Driver Raymond Helmuth of Cambridge, Iowa, takes a sharp turn in a hazard during the marathon portion of the Combined Driving at TerraNova event in Myakka City Saturday.
Photo by Jay Heater
Navigator Dee Aldrich and driver Misdee Wrigley Miller, a multiple-time world champion driver, navigate a hazard on Saturday at the Combined Driving event at TerraNova in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
The turns are so sharp when going through a hazard that Misdee Wrigley Miller's team of four horses looks like it is going in opposite directions. Lakewood Ranch's Miller was competing Saturday in the Combined Driving event at TerraNova.
Photo by Jay Heater
Dale Dedrick makes her way through the water hazard during the marathon portion of the Combined Driving event at TerraNova Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Navigator Carrie Ostrowski-Place gives her horse a kiss at the start line for the marathon portion of the Combined Driving event at TerraNova on Saturday.
Photo by Jay Heater
Australia's Janelle Marshall makes her way through a hazard during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Navigator Casey Kantenwein of Myakka City balances the weight of the carriage as driver Scott Adcox of Sarasota takes a sharp turn in a hazard on Saturday in the marathon portion of the Combined Driving event at TerraNova.
Photo by Jay Heater
Multiple U.S. national champion driver Raymond Helmuth of Cambridge, Iowa was one of the top competitors at the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Gerben Steenbeek, of Canada, guides his four-horse team through the water hazard at TerraNova Saturday.
Photo by Jay Heater
Jacob Arnold, a five-time FEI world champion, heads into a hazard at full speed Saturday during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event.
Driver Sarah Reitz, of Honeoye Falls, New York, heads right at an obstacle before making a sharp turn at the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Germany's Henning Lemcke, an official for the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, said the TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka was a fabulous host for its first combined driving event Saturday.
Sarasota's Amy Chenard, Wendy DeGilio and Katy Rosen enjoy champagne and a picnic lunch as they enjoy the Combined Driving at TerraNova Saturday.
Although TerraNova offers a VIP lunch, some visitors brought their own picnic basket, competed with champaign, cheese, strawberries and crackers.
Photo by Jay Heater
Tristan Aldrich (backstep) and Dee Aldrich (navigator) hold on as Lakewood Ranch's Misdee Wrigley Miller drives her team through a tight turn during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event.
Photo by Jay Heater
Carole Grimsley of Ringo, Georgia and her navigator Susan Travis of Williston hold on tight as Welsh ponies Andy and Armani pull them fast during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event in Myakka City Saturday.
Photo by Jay Heater
Five-time FEI world champion driver Jacob Arnold makes a tight turn in a hazard during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Driver Allison Stroud of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, competes in Combined Driving at TerraNova on Saturday.
Photo by Jay Heater
Driver Allison Stroud, of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, asks her horse for a little extra zip during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday in Myakka City.
Photo by Jay Heater
Canada's Gerben Steenbeek drives his four-horse team through the water hazard during the Combined Driving at TerraNova event Saturday.
Jay Heater is the managing editor of the East County Observer. Overall, he has been in the business more than 41 years, 26 spent at the Contra Costa Times in the San Francisco Bay area as a sportswriter covering college football and basketball, boxing and horse racing.
