The five-time Burghley winner and cross-country coach to the Swiss eventing team analyses recent course-design trends
In a year when lots of riders are choosing to compete abroad, it’s great to see a very healthy number of entries for Defender Bramham Horse Trials this week.
I haven’t been to a British CCI4*-S yet this season – I’ve been to two Continental ones, Marbach and Strzegom with the Swiss team – but, looking at the results, the courses at Thoresby and Bicton caused plenty of trouble. I think that’s a good thing. Why should it be a given that you go clear at your CCI4*-S just because you’ve been popping round CCI3*s?
I thought the Marbach track was very good. Last year it was decent and one nation in particular complained, so Mike Etherington-Smith was called in to be the course advisor. In fairness, I gather that all that was changed were a few of the alternatives at tough fences, but those tackling it were very much encouraged to try the direct routes.
The eventing Nations Cup teams were first and the majority made it look easy. Then it came to those less experienced at CCI4*, and problems started occurring all round the course. That’s natural – there were plenty of competitors at their first CCI4*, and it shouldn’t be automatic that they go clear when making the step up.
Perhaps that was also the case at Thoresby and Bicton. I spoke to a few riders, and asked if they had done an advanced class first, and they hadn’t – they’d gone straight up from three-star.
That seems to be the culture of riders today – they believe they should be able to move up a level and it will be easy. But the questions become harder, the let-up jumps aren’t so straightforward, and that is what it is supposed to be.
Frangible questions
From the results sheet, a lot of frangible devices seem to have been broken at Thoresby and Bicton. I do wonder if, sometimes, fences are being put in the wrong place because they’re pinned? If pins and MIMclips didn’t exist, would designers have put those fences in those locations, and if not, surely it is the wrong fence?
At Marbach and Strzegom very few frangibles were triggered. I know there are lots more runners in four-star classes over here, but you’d expect the overall standard to be better as well.
The subject of course advisors is an interesting modern phenomenon. How many of these four- and five-star tracks now present the course-designer’s original plans, and how much input do these advisors have? And did these advisors have – or take – advice themselves?
However, I think the concept of assistant course-designers at the very top level is a good one to help them progress and gain experience.
Putting ideas into action
Andrew Heffernan designed the Strzegom track, and it will be interesting to see his Bramham course. I gather he’s made various changes, now he’s got the feel of it and can put his ideas into action, which is exactly what we want from designers.
Of course as a rider you want a course to be the same as the last time you jumped it – it’s a lot easier! But a designer needs to be confident and to have self-belief without arrogance.
Andrew is also going to be responsible for the new track for the national under-25 advanced class at Cornbury, which will be a bit of a “test event” for the 2027 under-25 World Championships.
The more I’ve thought about this new championship, the more I like it. Take, for example, the Swiss. They don’t have many young riders and serious competitors often start their careers later. This will be a real help in putting them on an upward curve.
There is a really good vibe about it in Europe. It gives riders an incentive to push their boundaries a bit and aim for something higher up the ladder. It also gives them the experience of being part of a team. It doesn’t take much to ignite someone’s thinking and who knows where they will end up as a result?
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