United States Eventing Association

Insights from Hugh Lochore: Red Hills' Cross-Country Course Designer for 2010

Hugh Lochore is quickly putting his own stamp on the Red Hills cross-country course. No stranger to Red Hills, Hugh built the course from the ground up, resigning his position as course builder in 2008 in hopes of transitioning into design. Hugh has been working feverishly with our current course builder, Eric Bull, to shift the emphasis of the cross country challenge to a more natural set of obstacles that will encourage horse and rider to establish a rhythmic pace. “In creating tracks that help riders to settle their horses into a balanced rhythm early in the course, we are able to make the whole experience more fun for not only the riders but the horses as well. It is imperative that we get the horses into a positive frame of mind so that they leave the event better for their experience here. This is a fundamental part of the education that takes the horses to the higher levels of the sport in the first place,” says Lochore.

“I am excited to be given the opportunities to work on the courses at Red hills for the spring of 2010. Having been involved with the trials--principally as the course builder--since its inception 12 years ago, I feel that I have knowledge of the terrain here that will help prepare some exciting tracks for all levels involved. Ultimately cross-country must be ridden in a forward manner. We as designers must produce tracks that are forward thinking and attackable. The modern sport has not always brought out the best of cross-country riding due to the ever increasing demand for ‘test’, involving angles, skinnies, and tight bending lines. While there are obvious challenges here at Red Hills, with the relatively hilly and twisty terrain and the unavoidable tree cover, it is possible to create a more forward thinking track than we might have had here in previous years. We will be concentrating on taking more of the jumping efforts out into open areas; reducing the narrower obstacles that inevitably create a more backward style of riding; and we will especially be working on siting of fences, using the turns to best effect and where it is absolutely obvious to the horse what it is being asked to perform.

“Whilst we all understand the dangers involved in riding cross-country, there has always been and will always be this adrenaline-based element to the sport. We should not dumb down the questions being asked of horse and rider, merely just make them clearer and be absolutely aware of anything that might make a question unclear or anything that might distract the horse from its focus. The courses here at Red Hills will still be big and they will still pose a suitable level of challenge, but they will be clear, attackable, and fun. This in turn will contribute to the safety of horses and riders at our event.”

Born in Scotland, Hugh, wife Brooke Shelfer Lochore, and two sons call Tallahassee home. Although now living on our side of the pond, Hugh will continue to design the following international events:

· Burnham Market (Eng) CIC***-W/CIC***/CIC**

· Ballygraffan (Ire) CIC**/CIC*

· Burgie (Scot) CCI**/CCI*

· Tattersalls (Ire) CIC***-W/CCI**/CCI*