United States Eventing Association

Learn about Show Jumping Course Design from the Experts at the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention

If you’ve competed in an FEI event in recent years, there’s a good chance you’ve had the pleasure of riding a show jumping course designed by Chris Barnard or Marc Donovan. Collectively, the course designing duo has left their mark on dozens of venues throughout the U.S., with some of the most notable being The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, Montana), Tryon International Equestrian Center (Mill Spring, North Carolina), Stable View (Aiken, South Carolin), Carolina International (Raeford, North Carolina), Galway Downs (Temecula, California), and the USEA American Eventing Championships.

Anyone attending the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Seattle, Washington, will have the chance to learn from these USEF ‘R’ Eventing Jumping Course Designers (EVJCD) during the Show Jumping Course Design Seminar on Thursday, Dec. 12. Registration will be available here starting on Oct. 1.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PST, Barnard and Donovan will lead an interactive classroom session on the current trends in show jumping design. Whether you are a rider with interest in improving your horse's show jumping game, a coach looking for a “one up” in your analysis of the phase, or a prospective official, this seminar is a can’t miss event! The classroom discussion will include theory of show jumping course design, footing management, best practices, and more, as Barnard and Donovan educate and entertain attendees.

While the seminar is open to anyone that is interested in learning more about show jumping course design, it is especially important for any candidates seeking to gain or maintain an ‘R’ EVJCD license. Attendance at the seminar will fulfill the USEF Continuing Education Clinic maintenance requirements for current “R” EVJCDs or serve as the Training Program for those that are looking to obtain the license. Also, certified USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) Coaches can earn two ECP Continuing Education General Credits by joining the class.

Chris Barnard grew up in England and learned to ride at the age of eight. Growing up with horses and ponies in his family, Barnard started his British Horse Society training at the prestigious Gleneagles Equestrian Center in Perthshire Scotland. In 1994, Barnard moved to the United States and continued his equestrian career at the Millbrook Equestrian Center in Millbrook, New York, as a trainer and rider. Taking his love of riding into many equestrian disciplines including successfully showing on the “A” show circuit in the jumper ring, eventing through the Preliminary level, fox hunting with the Millbrook Hunt and competing in the dressage arena.

Barnard is an FEI Level 2 Jumper course designer and a USEF “R” licensed show jumping course designer. He continues to design courses up to the grand prix level for numerous top-rated USEF jumper shows, including The World Equestrian Center - Ocala (Florida) and The Venice Equestrian Tour (Florida). He also designs at many national and FEI events, including The Event at Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L, Morven Park CCI4*-L, Tryon International Fall CCI4*-S, Stable View CCI4*-S, The FEI North American Eventing Young Rider Championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and the 2017 USEA American Eventing Championships.

Now a US citizen, Barnard is based full-time in Florida with his show jumping wife Justine Dutton at their farm in Reddick. He is busy course designing and also designing, constructing, and selling his own line of aluminum show jumps.

Marc Donovan grew up in Long Island, New York, and started riding at the age of 8. Early in his riding career, he showed pony hunters and later in the equitation divisions. He was a member of Meadow Brook Hounds Pony Club and received his 'A' rating in 1986.

After studying for two years at Rochester Institute of Technology (New York), Marc continued his education at Emerson College (Massachusetts) and graduated with a degree in communications. Throughout college he rode horses and competed in eventing across the East Coast. In the 1990s, he rode his horse Middlemarch to the CCI2* level.

In the past several years Donovan has designed show jumping courses for many competitions including the Carolina International, U.S. Pony Finals (Lexington, Kentucky), Galway Downs, Plantation Field (Unionville, Pennsylvania), Richland Park (Richland, Michigan), Bromont (Quebec, Canada), Pin Oak Charity Horse Show (Katy, Texas) and the USEA American Eventing Championships.

Donovan assisted Richard Jeffery at the 2011 National Horse Show (Lexington, Kentucky) and assisted Richard and Conrad Homfeld at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Lexington, Kentucky). He is a USEF ‘R’ licensed show jump course designer and the Program Director at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina, where he started the War Horse Event Series schooling horse trials. Donovan is the organizer of the Southern Pines Horse Trials, Carolina International CCI and Horse Trial, Longleaf Pine Horse Trials, and the Five Points Horse Trials, all at the horse park.

Don’t forget to be the first to register for this year’s USEA Annual Meeting and Convention on Oct. 1. Registration will be available here. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Hardwick, by email at [email protected] or by phone (703) 779-0440, ext. 3003.

About the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention

The USEA Annual Meeting & Convention takes place each December and brings together a large group of dedicated USEA members and supporters to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by other eventing enthusiasts. The USEA organizes multiple seminars in addition to committee meetings, open forums, and tons of fun! The 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention will take place in Seattle, Washington, on Dec. 12—15. Click here to learn more about the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention.

The USEA would like to thank the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Sponsors: Adequan, ARMA, Bates Saddles, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, Parker Equine Insurance, PulseVet Shock Wave, Rebecca Farm, RevitaVet, Ride iQ, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, Standlee, and World Equestrian Brands.