Pierre Le Goupil, a former elite-level eventing athlete, turned decorated course designer in charge of designing the eventing course at this year’s Paris Olympics, has been appointed the new cross-country course designer for the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory, beginning in 2025.
He'll be succeeding Ian Stark, who's overseen the design of the cross-country courses since the start of the inaugural event in 2021, as Stark will be retiring at the end of 2024. Le Goupil will be the designer at Fair Hill through at least 2027.
“I am delighted to design for the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill starting in 2025, and I am filled with gratitude towards the organizing committee for their trust,” said Le Goupil. “It’s a fabulous opportunity for me, and it’s also a great honor to succeed Ian Stark, who in less than three years has greatly contributed to the event’s reputation.”
Le Goupil, 61, has also been at the lead as course designer for last year’s Pan American Games that were held in Santiago, Chile and the 2023 FEI European Championships that were held in Haras du Pin, France.
“We're thrilled that Pierre has agreed to be our cross-country course designer starting in 2025 for the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory building upon the incredible foundation that Ian Stark has created through this year,” said Jeff Newman, President & CEO of the Maryland 5 Star Event Committee. “There is no position more important in eventing than the course designer as it's paramount both to ensure horse and athlete safety and the entertainment of our fans globally. We're so fortunate and honored to have two of the very best supporting Maryland as we continue to build upon our legacy as a world-class event at the highest level of the sport.”
Le Goupil began competing in high-level international events in 1975, doing so for nearly 30 years before retiring from eventing in 2002. He began organizing events in 1995, working with his family to create the Le Grand Complet competition at Haras du Pin.
His skill and proficiency in course designing has taken him to many parts of the world, working in 10 different countries including Brazil, Bulgaria, Belarus, China, Hungary, India, Japan, Russia, and Chile.
“Upon announcing my retirement, there was obviously going to be a new designer, and I’m thrilled for the event that Pierre will be the new man,” said Stark. “He has the talent, the imagination, and the flair to succeed, and I look forward to following his plans for the future of the course.”
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
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There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.