By Joshua Marc Hebert, Founder & CEO, Magellan Jets
After flying from Boston to Sarasota, Florida, I took a scenic drive to TerraNova Equestrian Center on a Saturday morning with modest expectations. I had heard great things, but I’m not an equestrian person — or at least, I didn’t think I was. What unfolded that day in the countryside of Sarasota changed my view entirely, not just of the sport, but of what a destination community could be.
TerraNova feels like slipping through a portal into a different version of Florida — one that most people never see. Instead of palms and resorts, the road is lined for miles with towering oak trees draped in character. The sense of arrival is subtle yet powerful: this is a place shaped by nature.
The moment I arrived, alongside my father, my wife, my five-year-old son, and a colleague from Magellan Jets, I was in awe of the movement and energy everywhere. Thousands of acres alive with activity: spectators, competitors, families, and staff flowing across the property on bikes, scooters, golf carts, and side-by-sides. It felt like an equestrian city, one with its own rhythm and heartbeat. The scale is staggering. Jumping arenas. Cross-country fields. Stables that seem to stretch on forever. And among the competitors were Olympic-caliber riders, treating this place as both serious sport and joyful gathering.
Our day began in the VIP grandstand overlooking the primary jumper ring. It struck the perfect balance between refinement and comfort — an open-air club atmosphere, but without the pretension. Great cocktails, attentive service, friendly conversation, and the best seats in the house. Our table sat right on what felt like the “50-yard line” of the action. It was the kind of hospitality that makes you feel instantly cared for.
And then we had the privilege of visiting The Miakka Golf Club, directly adjacent to the equestrian center. This is where the story takes another turn, because what they’re building is exceptional. The course is being designed by Fry/Straka Global Golf Design, in partnership with golf champion Paul Azinger — a name synonymous with strategic, championship-level thinking. Even with nine holes complete and the remaining nine underway, the vision is unmistakable: this is going to be a world-class course.
They’re not cutting corners. They’re literally breeding their own grass — hundreds of acres of it — developing a hardy, premium, aesthetically stunning turf specifically engineered for the course. They’re even supplying this grass to other Florida clubs because of its quality.
It’s a detail most guests would never think about, but once you see it, you understand the level of intention behind every decision here.
A place like this doesn’t happen by accident. And everything clicked the moment I met Steve Herrig. Steve is the Florida entrepreneur behind TerraNova Preserves LLC and the developer of the entire project, including the Miakka Golf Club, the clubhouse, the equestrian center, and the new residential community. He spoke openly about his previous businesses, his long-term vision for this land, the families he hopes will eventually call it home, and the legacy he wants TerraNova to hold decades from now.
When we reached the golf course, Steve was out there playing the nine by himself — not for leisure, but to test, evaluate, critique, and make sure every contour, every fairway, every bunker lived up to his standard. Visionaries who physically participate in their own projects are rare. Visionaries who enjoy doing it are even rarer. And that’s Steve.
As if equestrian excellence and a championship-level golf course weren’t enough, Steve and his team are developing a residential community of 5- to 10-acre estate homesites, with plans for around 250 lots. We toured one of the newly completed homes — beautifully built, with the kind of quiet luxury that blends seamlessly into the natural landscape.
It wasn’t hard to see why my father, who lives downtown in Sarasota, said, “Imagine living here.” And honestly? It’s not a stretch. The serenity, the beauty, the amenities — it’s the kind of place that feels like its own world.
I’ve been in private aviation for 25 years. I’ve seen exclusive clubs, elite resorts, and iconic destinations. But TerraNova is different.
It’s not just a horse facility. It’s not just a golf course. It’s a vision being built in real time — with craftsmanship, clarity, passion, and soul.
If I recommended TerraNova to someone, there’s simply no chance they’d return and say I exaggerated. If anything, they might tell me I undersold it.
Because some places you can describe. But TerraNova? You have to feel it.
And once you do, you don’t forget it.
