Tag: Leopoldo Palacios

Highlights From June 2011 Ranch & Coast Show

Just a few highlights at the Ranch & Coast Classic include Friday’s $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby and Saturday’s $10,000 1.40M Jumper Classic and $50,000 Grand Prix of California. Competitive until the final horse galloped on course, these three events welcomed well over a hundred horses onto the gorgeous grass field at the Del Mar Horse Park.$10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby

Qualifying for the Handy round of the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby required a cumulative first round score of 169 or better. The challenges of the Handy Round included a snake vertical, galloping up a hill, a trot jump and galloping down the hill to an oxer option. Although some illustrated classic hunter style, Yellow Dog Farm’s Crown Affair and John French proved their handy prowess, scoring a solid ten points higher than any other round. The thirteen-year-old Holsteiner stallion moved up from 10th after the first round for the win.

“I wasn’t sure if it was his day after the first round,” explained owner Gail Morey. “But he really perked up for the next round, he just loves to be handy!”

Second to Crown Affair was Davlyn Farm’s Come Monday, with Christa Endicott in the irons. Still green at the Derby level, the mare has a fabulous jump and no doubt will be a recognizable name in the hunter ranks.

$10,000 1.40m Jumper Classic
Of the thirty-eight horses who entered the $10,000 1.40M Jumper Classic, eleven were clean and the top five spots went to up and coming young riders. Last to go, Karl Cook aboard Lavito (owned by Signe Ostby) took the top prize away from Paris Sellon on her Orlando LA, when he stopped the clock a mere half a second faster. Coming in a close third, just a half a second slower than Sellon was fourteen year old Kara Chad of Canada on Stone Ridge’s Alberto. College freshman Saer Coulter rounded out the top five on her two mounts Atticus and Asgard.

$50,000 Grand Prix of California
The $50,000 Grand Prix of California hosted thirty-eight horse and rider duets onto the grass field at the Del Mar Horse Park. Venezuelan course designer Leopoldo Palacios challenged riders and horses alike setting a flowing course that demanded a keen eye and technically accurate ride. With plenty competitors garnering time and jumping faults, nine riders managed to navigate the first round with a clean score.

When designing the course for the $50,000 competition, Palacios said it was very important to him to understand the level of every horse and rider in the class.

“I believe this show is one of the biggest events on the west coast and I’m building big so those who are winning, are winning at the top national level,” noted Palacios.

In addition to his challenging courses, Palacios is also known for his setting tight times. Originally, competitors were not to exceed 79 seconds but after a few riders encountered time faults, an adjustment to 81 seconds saved many riders from faults. Third to go in the jump-off, Hutchison galloped Cantano around Palacios’ shortened track with the win in mind, knowing she would have to put in a quick and accurate ride to leave all the jumps in place. Stopping the clock at 36.56, nearly ten seconds under the time allowed Hutchison was able to do just that. The pair are truly in sync, as they enter their third grand prix season, this is their fifteenth win to date.

“Leopoldo is one of the best course designers around,” said Hutchison. “He has a tight time and sets to par which challenges the sport, making the riders and horses better. It’s what we need.”

Also earning a place in the jump-off and ending the day double clear, veteran riders Helen McNaught and Hap Hansen battled it out for second and third place honors. Navigating the shortened track second to last, Hansen masterfully piloted Archie Bunker (Linda Smith) to stop the clock in 39.20 seconds. Hansen seemingly had the second place finish secured until last to go McNaught and her own Caballo shaved one more second off the clock to finish in 38.12, bumping Hansen to third. Michelle Spadone and Uwwalon (Morgan Hill Partners) were the first pair to navigate the first round track without fault and did so again when they entered the ring for the jump-off, crossing the timers in 40.19 seconds for fourth. As the last double clear ride of the afternoon, Kirsten Coe rode Kilkenny Randall Z (Ilan Ferder) to the fifth position in a time of 40.54.


Highlights From The August 2010 Blenheim EquiSports Show

August 21, 2010: The $35,000 Summer Classic II Grand Prix, presented by Equ Lifestyle Magazine
The weather on Saturday afternoon was close to ideal, with a breeze and temperatures in the 70s. Spectators gathered in the Medal Club, on the hillside and in the hilltop VIP tent to watch the last of the summer grand prix events at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.

Thirty-three horse and rider duos stepped up (or in some cases down) to the challenge of the Leopoldo Palacios designed course in the $35,000 Summer Classic II Grand Prix, presented by Equ Lifestyle Magazine. Of all those who had aspirations of going clean, only the first two on course, Lane Clarke aboard Bay Rose’s Nikko and Hannah Selleck riding the fiery mare Tosca of Descanso Farm, were able to do so. Both young and ambitious, it was twenty-one-year-old Selleck who came out on top with a stellar double clear ride for the win.

Master course designer Palacios presented competitors with a technical track that demanded a careful, yet gutsy ride. There were a total of 17 obstacles which included a tricky bending line, a combination with a sizeable triple bar, another combination, a very tidy rollback turn to a skinny in five or six strides to the open water in a very tight ride to a vertical-vertical combination, and ended with a right-hand turn to a big oxer at the top of the field. All in a keep-up-the-pace time allowed of 87 seconds. “This was a very tough national grand prix. I tried to challenge the group as much as possible,” Palacios said.

The first two horse and rider teams made fault-free rides a reality. First to gallop onto the grass, Clarke jumped Bay Rose’s Nikko around the course just under the time allowed in 86.72 seconds. Next in the ring, Selleck brilliantly answered Clarke’s call and forced the jump-off, laying down a clean and aggressive first round ride in 79.98 aboard her chestnut mount Tosca.

“The track suited Tosca,” said Selleck of her 14-year-old Belgium mare. “The opening and shortening between fences is exactly what she likes.”

As the rest of the competitors took to the course, Palacios’ challenge was evident. All remaining exhibitors picked up faults of some kind – rails fell, time allowed was exceeded, hooves landed in the water, and refusals, run-outs and accidental dismounts also occurred.

“Leopoldo’s courses are hard, technical and have a tight time allowed,” explained second place rider, Clarke. “He does a great job of getting rails in different places, plus the horses and the riders always learn something.”

As the first to take in the jump-off, Clarke knew his ride had to be strong. “Hannah is a rocket and I knew I had to put the pressure on her,” Clarke explained. Clarke and Bay Rose’s Nikko navigated the shortened track in a time of 48.98 seconds and picked up eight faults towards the end. “I am really happy with my horse,” Clark said. “He is green at the grand prix level and is coming along fantastically.”

Having the advantage of following Clarke in the jump-off, Selleck and Tosca galloped onto the International Field with an air of determination. “In the jump-off, the pressure was on. I just had to go out there and stick to my plan,” Selleck noted.

Selleck presented the crowd with a masterful ride and triumphantly crossed the timers without fault in 45.15 seconds to surpass Clarke and clinch her first win in the grand prix arena.

Although close but not clean in round one, some of the remaining prizewinners deserve mention. The fastest four-fault ride was Mexico City’s Jaime Azcarraga aboard his grey partner Celsius, who had just one unlucky rail for third place honors. Slightly over half a second behind Azcarraga, Susan Hutchison and El Dorado 29’s Cantano had four faults and picked up the fourth place prize. Fifth through seventh went to four fault rides from Mexican riders Eduardo Menezes and his horse Utopia, last week’s winner Otavio Penedo aboard Carando Equisearch and Eduardo Menezes riding Avargo Mercedes Benz.

Earning the eighth spot, Michelle Parker and Socrates De Midos (Cross Creek Farms Inc., owner) thrilled the crowd when they miraculously cleared fence six from a near standstill. It looked as though the duo was going to go clean until, like so many others before them, they lowered the height of the first element in the one stride at 13A for four faults. In addition to finishing second in the competition, Clarke also finished in the money aboard his second mount, Mickey Hayden’s McLord’s First John, stopping the clock just over the time allowed for one time fault in addition to eight jumping faults. Winner Selleck rode Descanso Farm’s Bauer to an eleventh place finish as the fastest of the twelve fault rides.

EquestriSol News: September 30, 2010

If I had a million dollars…
With two $1 Million Grand Prix events taking place in September, equestrians from across the country were vying for their piece of the pie. As part of HITS-On-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY, the coveted top prize in the first ever Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix was awarded to McLain Ward and his stellar mare Sapphire (McLain Ward & Blue Chip Bloodstock, owners). Ward and Sapphire rode double-clear after second place duo, Charlie Jayne and Athena, the other clear team from the first round, pulled a rail in the jump-off. Fresh off his $250,000 FTI Grand Prix win at the Hampton Classic, this event was Ward and Sapphire’s last competition together before making the trip to Kentucky to compete in the WEG.

Representing the West Coast, Duncan McFarlane piloted the eight-year-old Mr. Whoopy to an impressive eighth place finish, dropping just one rail on course, and Helen McNaught rode Caballo to the thirteenth position with an eight fault score.

The Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament also boasted a $1 Million event this past Sunday with Venezuela’s Leopoldo Palacios designing the CN International Grand Prix. Three West Coast riders earned spots among the top ten finishers. Second place was none other than California’s own Richard Spooner and his 12-year-old partner Cristallo (Show Jumping Syndication Int’l, owner). Rich Fellers aboard Flexible (Harry & Mollie Chapman, owners) finished seventh and the young Karl Cook of Woodside aboard Uno De Laubry (Signe Ostby, owner) brought home the eighth place ribbon.

The WEG is here!
The long awaited World Equestrian Games are well underway in Lexington, Kentucky. We are not only pleased to be here but were honored to attend the Opening Ceremonies. There was plenty of exceptional talent, but the Friesian team of ten was simply magnificent. Watching ten jet black steeds all dressed in white polos prance in perfect sync and perform a dressage drill without a hitch while their manes flowed freely was a joy. We also took a few iPhone photos that show some of the fun. We will of course be back with bells on for the week of show jumping and look forward to some shopping time. Can hardly wait for the Final Four on Saturday, October 9th. Should be a sight to see!

We enjoyed interviewing Guy Thomas. He’s a multi-faceted individual and we wish him the best of luck next week. Even though he is representing New Zealand, he also represents California. And of course, it goes without saying – GO USA!

Here’s a video of the Friesians during the opening ceremony from “DreamGait”.

West Coast Congrats
West Coast Win – Nations’ Cup News
Congratulations to the United States team of Rich Fellers/Flexible, Ashlee Bond/Cadett 7, Richard Spooner/Cristallo, and Beezie Madden/Coral Reef Via Volo, for clinching the win in the 2010 Nations’ Cup during the Masters Tournament at Spruce Meadows. Coached by George Morris, the team edged out Ireland and Canada who finished second and third respectfully. Considering Fellers, Bond, Spooner all call the West Coast home and Madden’s mount, Coral Reef Via Volo, is owned by Coral Reef Ranch and Gwendolyn Meyer, the team certainly represented the region well.

West Coast USEF Talent Search
Preparing our high-level equitation riders for the jumper arena, the USEF Talent Search tests flatwork skills, how a rider handles gymnastic exercises and their mastering of a jumper type course on the field, including an open water element. One of the most challenging medal finals, the top four are required to each ride one another’s horse to determine the top placings. Riding under the tutelage of Karen Healey, east coast equestrian Taylor Ann Adams bested the field for the win. With scores well into the 80’s on each of the final four horses she competed on, her consistency and style paid off. Second went to Jocelyn Neff, another Healey student. Rounding out the top four were Jennifer Parker, trained by Benson Carroll and Caroline Ingalls, who rides with Hap Hansen.

Highlights From The Aug 21, 2010 Blenheim EquiSports Show

August 21, 2010: The $35,000 Summer Classic II Grand Prix, presented by Equ Lifestyle Magazine
The weather on Saturday afternoon was close to ideal, with a breeze and temperatures in the 70s. Spectators gathered in the Medal Club, on the hillside and in the hilltop VIP tent to watch the last of the summer grand prix events at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park.

Thirty-three horse and rider duos stepped up (or in some cases down) to the challenge of the Leopoldo Palacios designed course in the $35,000 Summer Classic II Grand Prix, presented by Equ Lifestyle Magazine. Of all those who had aspirations of going clean, only the first two on course, Lane Clarke aboard Bay Rose’s Nikko and Hannah Selleck riding the fiery mare Tosca of Descanso Farm, were able to do so. Both young and ambitious, it was twenty-one-year-old Selleck who came out on top with a stellar double clear ride for the win.

Master course designer Palacios presented competitors with a technical track that demanded a careful, yet gutsy ride. There were a total of 17 obstacles which included a tricky bending line, a combination with a sizeable triple bar, another combination, a very tidy rollback turn to a skinny in five or six strides to the open water in a very tight ride to a vertical-vertical combination, and ended with a right-hand turn to a big oxer at the top of the field. All in a keep-up-the-pace time allowed of 87 seconds. “This was a very tough national grand prix. I tried to challenge the group as much as possible,” Palacios said.

The first two horse and rider teams made fault-free rides a reality. First to gallop onto the grass, Clarke jumped Bay Rose’s Nikko around the course just under the time allowed in 86.72 seconds. Next in the ring, Selleck brilliantly answered Clarke’s call and forced the jump-off, laying down a clean and aggressive first round ride in 79.98 aboard her chestnut mount Tosca.

“The track suited Tosca,” said Selleck of her 14-year-old Belgium mare. “The opening and shortening between fences is exactly what she likes.”

As the rest of the competitors took to the course, Palacios’ challenge was evident. All remaining exhibitors picked up faults of some kind – rails fell, time allowed was exceeded, hooves landed in the water, and refusals, run-outs and accidental dismounts also occurred.

“Leopoldo’s courses are hard, technical and have a tight time allowed,” explained second place rider, Clarke. “He does a great job of getting rails in different places, plus the horses and the riders always learn something.”

As the first to take in the jump-off, Clarke knew his ride had to be strong. “Hannah is a rocket and I knew I had to put the pressure on her,” Clarke explained. Clarke and Bay Rose’s Nikko navigated the shortened track in a time of 48.98 seconds and picked up eight faults towards the end. “I am really happy with my horse,” Clark said. “He is green at the grand prix level and is coming along fantastically.”

Having the advantage of following Clarke in the jump-off, Selleck and Tosca galloped onto the International Field with an air of determination. “In the jump-off, the pressure was on. I just had to go out there and stick to my plan,” Selleck noted.

Selleck presented the crowd with a masterful ride and triumphantly crossed the timers without fault in 45.15 seconds to surpass Clarke and clinch her first win in the grand prix arena.

Although close but not clean in round one, some of the remaining prizewinners deserve mention. The fastest four-fault ride was Mexico City’s Jaime Azcarraga aboard his grey partner Celsius, who had just one unlucky rail for third place honors. Slightly over half a second behind Azcarraga, Susan Hutchison and El Dorado 29’s Cantano had four faults and picked up the fourth place prize. Fifth through seventh went to four fault rides from Mexican riders Eduardo Menezes and his horse Utopia, last week’s winner Otavio Penedo aboard Carando Equisearch and Eduardo Menezes riding Avargo Mercedes Benz.

Earning the eighth spot, Michelle Parker and Socrates De Midos (Cross Creek Farms Inc., owner) thrilled the crowd when they miraculously cleared fence six from a near standstill. It looked as though the duo was going to go clean until, like so many others before them, they lowered the height of the first element in the one stride at 13A for four faults. In addition to finishing second in the competition, Clarke also finished in the money aboard his second mount, Mickey Hayden’s McLord’s First John, stopping the clock just over the time allowed for one time fault in addition to eight jumping faults. Winner Selleck rode Descanso Farm’s Bauer to an eleventh place finish as the fastest of the twelve fault rides.

Highlights From Spring 2010 Del Mar

This time last year we were singing the praises of the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup in Las Vegas, proud of the super competition and offering congratulations to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, McLain Ward and Rich Fellers.

What a difference a year makes! This year we congratulate Meredith and Markus on their new daughter Brianne, now over 11 weeks old. We wish McLain could have a re-ride in this year’s World Cup. And we congratulate Rich (as well as Harry and Mollie Chapman) on his top twelve World Cup finish and his double grand prix victory at the Del Mar National earlier this month.

The beautiful grass grand prix field at Showpark set the stage for two main events this week at the Ranch & Coast Tournament. On Friday afternoon, the hunters were the stars as they competed in the $10,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby and on Saturday afternoon, the jumpers took the spotlight in the $50,000 Grand Prix of California presented by Mary’s Tack & Feed.

Hail to the Hunters
In the open hunter divisions, tri-colors went to Truman (Mary Sweeney, owner) ridden by John French in the Green Conformation Hunters, and to Ashley Pryde’s Victory Road in the First Year Green Hunters also with John French in the irons. Iwasaki & Reilly’s Small Affair dominated the Second Year Green Hunters again with John French aboard. Exupery (Stephen Borders, owner) with Keri Kampsen riding earned the Regular Working Hunter championship, and in the Regular Conformation John Bragg rode Cunningham (Mary Slouka, owner), to the championship. 

Thirty-eight horses hunted around the Derby course designed by Scott Starnes, which included three 4’ options and a diagonal line across the field with two verticals and two oxers. The early part of the line rode easy in five strides then continued to flow in four strides and finished with three strides. As always, the course took its toll on a few, a spooky cut-out wall leading into the combination at fence eight stopped a handful in their tracks and others had hard rubs or a rail in the diagonal line. But for the top twelve of the day, the scores were in the eighties and even nineties. Watching those rounds flow around the course was hunter poetry in motion.
[Read full Blenheim EquiSports press release with results]

The post derby Tango Party at the San Diego Polo Club complete with Argentinean Asado, Tango demonstrations and fundraising fun was another fabulous affair. See our photo gallery for the social details. Cha cha cha!

Photo © CapturedMomentPhoto.com

Chef Leopoldo
As Leopoldo Palacios explained to us last season, course designers are like chefs. They take all the ingredients including height, distance, scope, time allowed, the materials, positions of the jumps, shadows, terrain plus a dash of this or that – and analyze those who will be tasting this creation, the riders, to bake the perfect grand prix course. Ideally a varied group of horses and riders will return with a clean plate and jump off for a second round of Chef Leopoldo’s course creation.

The afternoon event opened with a polo demonstration provided by four riders from the San Diego Polo Club. With a fabulous location just across the street from the Del Mar Horse Park, the polo season begins this month.

Fifty-one horse and rider combinations went for the win in the $50,000 Grand Prix of California presented by Mary’s Tack and Feed on a cool Saturday afternoon. The early rider got the prize, as Canadian John Pearce galloped on the field third in the order and was the first to ride clean on his 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, Chianto. Next clean in the first round was New Zealand rider Guy Thomas and 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Carino. Riding seventh in the class, Thomas navigated the course smoothly and accurately. A handful tried to master the course without success until two talented and gutsy young women, Lucy Davis on Old Oak Farm’s Nemo 119 and Ashlee Bond on Little Valley Farm’s GZS Cassir Z, went sixteenth and seventeenth in the order and clean.

Of the thirty-four horses remaining, including Gold Medalist Will Simpson on Archie Bunker (Linda Smith, owner), Rich Fellers on the famous Flexible (Harry and Mollie Chapman, owners), Susie Hutchison aboard El Dorado 29’s Cantano, Joie Gatlin riding Camaron Hills Quick Dollar, and other well-known competitors, only the final entry in the ring went clean, S.F. Shakira and Michael Endicott. Happy to have him join the elusive four, the crowd burst into an exuberant cheer as he completed the course.
[Read full Blenheim EquiSports press release with results]

Photo © CapturedMomentPhoto.com

Media Mentions
Blenheim’ is honored to have their own tab on PhelpsSports.com alongside all the show jumping news from around the world. If you’re not a member of Phelps, now is the time.

Join Blenheim on Facebook and get connected with the latest updates, announcements and news. If you’re a tweeter follow Blenheim on Twitter.  A great place to follow the horse show scene, during Ranch & Coast we posted the details of the main events as they were happening.

Conversations With Course Designers: Olaf Petersen Jr.

By Jackie McFarland

Olaf Petersen, Jr.
 You could say that course designing is in his blood. Following in his father’s footsteps, yet making his own distinct tracks, Olaf Petersen Jr. is in that elite group of sought after course designers. Although he has traveled all over the world, his dream is to settle in our own southern California. During one of his visits here designing for Blenheim EquiSports, we had a chance to sit down and learn a bit more about the man behind OP Worldwide.

EqSol: How did you become a course designer? What is your horse history?
OP: My father, Olaf Petersen Sr., started course designing when I was 10 years old. He has course designed all over the world, including the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. My mother was a dressage rider, so my parents were a strong influence in my horse history. I competed up to the 1.50m level and trained several young horses from four-year-olds to 1.50m. Olaf Petersen, Jr.

My course design career started in 1990 and in 2002 I received my FEI International credentials. I now design about 15-20 weeks per year – there’s not time for more in my current schedule.

EqSol: Your course design mentors?
OP: My father, of course, and Dr. Arno Gego. I also worked with other top designers, including Leopoldo Palacios and Linda Allen. I was fortunate to assist at two Summer Olympic Games, 1996 in Atlanta with Linda Allen and 2004 in Athens with my father.

EqSol: How the course evolves for you…
Outdoor: The 2009 $40,000 Summer Grand Prix at Showpark
OP: Like other course designers, I watch the horses, know the material and the footing. You plan and move the materials to make it work best for the horses.

The quality of the field makes a difference. Last summer when I built at Showpark in August, we had a wide field of 56 riders in the grand prix. A group ready for the 2009/2010 World Cup qualifying season to start, including top West Coast and Mexican riders mixed with young riders moving up at the end of the season.

The footing at Showpark is excellent – we had 250 rounds on the grass that week – that’s a lot. So I tried to make it work for everyone. I knew some would be jumping a tough indoor course the next week at the first CSI-W of the season. So I thought out of 56 riders I would like to have 10-15 clean rounds.
[There were 14 clean. See write up in the EquestriSol August Showpark Edition.]

I will say that I can see a big difference from when I came here three or four years ago. The gap is not so big from east coast to west coast, the level has really come up.

Indoor: The last CSI-W on the West Coast, the $50,000 OC Register Grand Prix
OP: Of course I can’t give away my course plan for this week’s Grand Prix but I do know a few riders here are vying for their final qualifying points. The results will determine the list of west coast riders invited to go to Geneva for the 2010 FEI World Cup in a few weeks. So the course will reflect enough challenge for those competitors but also consider that these horses and riders have already been tested quite a bit throughout the qualifying season.

EqSol: Along with course designing across the world – what else do you do?
OP: I am a partner in a business called The Wegener Group. We produce invoice envelopes for corporate use – banks, insurance companies, etc. We have offices in Germany, Poland & France and soon Vietnam and employ 400 people. I also have a company that produces jumps and other equipment for stables. The web site is www.op-worldwide.com.

OP Worldwide Custom Jump

EqSol: Your course design goals… and your future plans?
OP: I have had some great experiences in the last two years, from the Mexican Championships in December with Equsport to the NAJYRC in both 2008 and 2009. I have had the opportunity to design for some big events like the Asian Games and several big shows in Europe – and I aspire to build in Aachen and at an Olympic Games. I think every course designer has the Olympic Games as a goal.

I really like coming here to Blenheim and Showpark. Not only is the show management excellent, but also it is my dream to live on the coast in southern California. I love the lifestyle, restaurants, the people, the weather. The Wegener Group is thinking of expanding into the U.S. Maybe then I can make my move…

  Thank you Olaf for your time and we hope your California dreams come true.

Conversations With Course Designers: Leopoldo Palacios

By Jackie McFarland

Who better to sit with during the $50,000 Grand Prix of California at Showpark Ranch & Coast Tournament than the course’s illustrious designer? Often named by other designers as a mentor, I was fascinated by the mind behind the man known as Leopoldo Palacios.

How did you become a course designer? What is your horse history?
LP: I come from a horsey family in Venezuela. My father had horses; I rode and competed up to the Grand Prix level. My older brother, Jesus Eduardo Palacios, was a fantastic rider. He won the Grand Prix at the National Horse Show in 1960.

I have worked as a contractor, mostly hotel construction, all my life and used to course design on the side as a hobby. That started in the 1970’s. It got to the point that I would split my time, about twenty-five weeks a year as a contractor and twenty-five weeks as a course designer.

When I retired from construction a decade ago, I followed my passion and started course-designing full time. My first job designing in the United States was in Ocala about 20 years ago. I designed for the Olympics in Sydney nine years ago.

Your course design mentors?
LP: Three influenced me the most – Pamela Carruthers, Dr. Arno Gego and Bert de Nemethy. I was an assistant to all of them. Arno was the course designer at Aachen for 20 years and established the Aachen School of Course Design; I worked with him quite a bit from 1980-85.

How do you determine difficulty for the field?
LP: For me the most important part is to know the riders. They are essentially my customers in every class. I believe that course designers need to tailor make courses for the field we have. Not so easy as to have too many clean, not too hard.

Course designers are like chefs. We take height, distance, scope, time allowed, the way we use the materials, positions of the jumps, shadows, terrain plus a dash of this or that – when we put the various ingredients together successfully we make a great course. Our job is to make it work for different types of horses – a variety of tests for horse and rider using our ingredient options without overdoing it by making too salty or too spicy.

I am happy that here we have three types of horses clean so far today [for the $50,000 Grand Prix of California], – a small, catty horse, Nadia (Will Simpson), Kaskaya (Jill Humphrey) is a medium horse in size and Urian (Guy Thomas) a large horse – all different types, all able to go clean.

How does the course like the one today evolve for you?
LP: I take many steps to create this course. First I research courses I’ve designed in years past to see what questions I’ve asked. Then early in the week I determine where I will place the triple and double combinations for the Grand Prix and I’m careful to save the footing around this area when building other courses. Throughout the week I see who my real customers are – what possibilities I have for designing a course where the best on that day will go clean. After this step I start to decide if these combinations will stand-alone or have related distances leading up to or after them and where they will fall in the course, early or late. Then I begin to connect the combinations to develop the rest of the course. I am careful to choose how the jumps relate, not having too many similar types in succession and choosing different striding in the lines. Put this all together and I’ve produced a track. Riders need to understand the track. The psychology of the rider is so important.

Analyzing the track…
It is key to note here – and one of the most essential lessons – that we analyzed the track, not the course. The technical questions asked aren’t just jumps with height or width, but how the rider approaches the jump, what track will keep them within the time allowed and how they mentally handle the challenges on the track. For this particular course Leopoldo presented a number of mental puzzles including a steady seven to a long one stride, to a long two stride in the triple combination towards the end of the course. Many the rails (and some of the riders) fell due to the above.

LP: I made the ride to the triple combination a bit too difficult for the field. My mistake is that the second element is a bit solid with a gate, which is backing horses off more than I had planned. The riders’ mistakes are happening because they need to steady early in the seven so they are coming forward for the ride through the triple. Too many are riding steady as they jump in.

And your future?
LP: Time passes and I am getting old [laughs] but I work with a wonderful team of course designers around the world – I learn from them and they learn from me. I am designing almost non-stop through The Masters in Spruce Meadows in September.

We would love to follow Leopoldo and his fellow course designers as they trek around the world designing tracks that challenge riders at all levels. What an interesting life they lead, constantly considering how to challenge on course. Thank you Leopoldo!

Highlights From 2009 Ranch & Coast

Challenging on multiple levels, the $50,000 Grand Prix of California, presented by Mary’s Tack & Feed and designed by Leopoldo Palacios (VE), had a solid forty-five entrants resulting in a jump-off of just four. The track was tight and the combinations technical, causing both time faults, rails, refusals and involuntary dismounts for riders.

Palacios left no room for error, keeping riders on their toes from the first turn to the last line. Although the rollback turn from one to two seemed straight forward, it was the initial spot where time was wasted and often could not be made up later in the course. The last line paralleled the in-gate in a steady seven strides to a triple that rode long in one to a sizeable gate oxer to another long two stride followed by a turn away from the in-gate to a big square oxer. The first rider to negotiate the course without a rail went fifth in the line-up, Gretchen Lof aboard Zambezi (Kings Wood Farm, LLC). However she stopped the clock at 79.41 resulting in three time faults, and a fifth place finish. Following her round, one or more rails dropped and time faults accrued until the twenty-second pair, Will Simpson aboard Nadia (Gotham Enterprises, LLC), galloped through the timers completely clean. Shortly after, Jill Humphrey and Kaskaya (Leone Equestrians Inc.) did the same. Twenty-ninth in the ring, Guy Thomas and Urian (Vicki Juelsgaard), joined the jump-off participants and not until the thirty-ninth horse, Veronica Tracy on her mount Muscadet De La Saveniere, did we have the fourth clean ride.

Simpson had a surprising two refusals with Nadia in the jump-off, leaving the door wide open for the next three. Humphrey rode Kaskaya to a neat and clean 35.85. Thomas on Urian and Tracy on Muscadet De La Saveniere tried to top her, but both had one rail apiece and took third and second respectively.

Four-faulters placed sixth through twelfth; the top of that pack was Susie Hutchison on Cantano (El Dorado 29) who went lightning fast with just one rail. Third time in the ring was a charm for Guy Thomas when clean aboard Urian, having his share of ups and downs with four entries including a fall off Midnight Dance (Alec Lawler), one rail on Carino (Willow Tree Farm, Inc.), and just one rail on Peterbilt (Peterbilt, LLC). Although possibly a touch sore on Sunday, Saturday was still worth celebrating for Thomas and Willow Tree, finishing with three in the top twelve (see results below).

We had an awesome weekend; starting with a chance to interview Leopoldo during this great Grand Prix in Del Mar and ending with a chance to watch the final day of the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program (EAP) Level I Training Session at Hansen Dam Equestrian Center in Sylmar. Melanie Smith Taylor gave a great clinic, also challenging at multiple levels, keeping these potential grand prix riders on their toes. So keep an eye out for ‘Conversations with…’ Leopoldo and Melanie in upcoming newsletters!

Hope all mothers, of children and animals great and small, had an enjoyable Mothers Day.

Grand Prix of California photos © CapturedMomentPhoto.com.

 

Conversations With Course Designers: Scott Starnes

By Erna Adelson and Jackie McFarland

A name we have seen printed in prize lists for many years, we caught up with Scott while he was designing courses in Parker, Colorado for the series of ‘A’ shows at the Colorado Horse Park.

HOW A SUMMER JOB CAN LEAD TO LEGENDARY OPPORTUNITIES
“It’s been a long, strange, trip,” says Starnes of his ascent to his current status as one of California’s well-known course designers. Not a competitive rider but rather a former collegiate defensive back, Starnes’ experience in the elite equine world was hard to come by, and is a testament to his work ethic, determination, and skill as a technical designer.

It all began with the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, when Coto de Caza was host to the Olympic pentathlon show jumping events. Starnes took what was supposed to be just a summer job as part of the set up crew and ended up having a knack for the assignment. Shortly afterward, he met the legendary Pamela Carruthers and upon her encouragement traveled to Spruce Meadows where he crewed and assisted with course design. During the next decade Starnes observed and drew inspiration from some of the finest in the field from Equitation Finals to Grand Prix, including Jon Doney, David Ballard, Richard Jeffrey, Leopoldo Palacios and Linda Allen. While assisting abroad, Starnes was also working his way up as a course designer in his own backyard, learning from Tommy Dendiu, Richard Keller and Michael Curtis about designing for hunters and equitation as well as jumpers. As the horse show schedule in southern California expanded, Starnes was gainfully employed and no longer
had time to spend summers in Spruce Meadows.

THE DIRECTION OF DESIGN – DERBYS & BEYOND
We asked about designing courses for the new USHJA Hunter Derby, a more recent addition to our ‘A’ rated shows that requires a designer’s imagination to create a demanding yet inviting course for hunters. Whereas an equitation medal final or grand prix have many of the same technical questions and distance challenges, the Hunter Derby has its own requirements. “It is supposed to be more like an actual foxhunt while maintaining traditional hunter style,” Starnes commented. “The class requires a completely different build, at least four height option jumps, 3’6” and 4’, plus handy options.” Only in its first year and growing in popularity, this class requires the skill of an experienced course designer and when done well is as awesome to watch as a great Grand Prix.

Certainly steeped in the system, Starnes is the first person to admit that his career path would be considered unconventional. “Nowadays course designing is regulated more strictly,” he says. “You need to apply for a license, attend a certain number of clinics, and design at least three grand prix courses every two years to maintain your certification.” He notes that the new guidelines require all course designers to get licensed which he feels helps to ensure the safety of both horses and riders and improves the sport for all involved.

FAVORITES & FUTURE
Though Starnes says that his most memorable assignments have been while crewing high-end events like the Olympics, World Cup and the Masters at Spruce Meadows because of the caliber of the designers and the athletes involved, he reveals that designing local and regional Medal Finals make him most happy. “I love designing at the Oaks because it’s home,” he says. Starnes is far from settled, though. With his FEI license pending, he may very well be back at the Olympics in London 2012, this time at the helm.