FEI COURSE DESIGNERS MARINA AZEVEDO AND MAURICIO GARCIA BELLESTEROS TO SET TRACKS DURING SARASOTA WINTER CLASSIC AT TERRANOVA EQUESTRIAN CENTER

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run's Jireh won the 2023 $50,000 Grand Prix of Sarasota.
Photo by EQ Media

Myakka City, Fla. – Dec 26, 2023 – The team at TerraNova Equestrian Center is ready to welcome the first participants of 2024 for the Sarasota Winter Classic Week I, Jan. 3-7 and Week II, Jan. 10-14. A USEF National/A-rated, Level 4 Jumpers competition, the event features increased prize money in the junior and amateur divisions, two weeks of USHJA National Hunter Derbies, USHJA Hunter Incentive and USHJA Outreach classes, including a weekly 2'6" USHJA Outreach Hunter Derby. Sarasota Winter Classic offers something for competitors of every age and level.

Sarasota Winter Classic leadership announced its lineup of international course designers for the jumper arena, which will showcase the Grand Prix of Sarasota Week I and the Grand Prix of TerraNova Week II, weekly Welcome Stakes and a full array of open and junior/amateur jumper classes.

FEI Level IV course designer Marina Azevedo (BRA) will set the tracks during Week I. The first female featured course designer at the Pan American Games, she is one of only 30 course designers worldwide with the FEI Level IV certification and the only currently active female at that level. A former FEI show jumper, Azevedo brings to her craft a deep understanding of the competitors and their competency and a desire to continuously improve her offerings to provide fair play and great sport.

Mauricio Garcia Ballesteros (PUR), an FEI Level III course designer, returns to the Sarasota Winter Classic for the second consecutive year during Week II. Garcia Ballesteros represented Puerto Rico in competition and has built courses for many of the major venues in North America, including Wellington International, Blenheim EquiSports and Traverse City Horse Shows. Like Azevedo, he has designed at the Pan American Games. Garcia Ballesteros brings a lifetime of expertise to the arena as both a designer and a competitor.

While Azevedo and Garcia's skills are typically reserved for the elite of international sport, the Sarasota Winter Classic is delighted to offer their talents to enhance the competition experience for junior and amateur entries.