World-Class Course Designers for 2023 Spruce Meadows

Spruce Meadows is pleased to announce a suite of world-class course designers from five nations for the 2023 FEI 5* season of international sport. In addition to the elite athletes looking to join us for the 2023 FEI tournament season, the organizing committee has secured some of the top international FEI course designers ahead of the start of the season.

The ‘Continental’ CSI5* – June 8-11, 2023

Brazilian course designer Marina Azevedo will start the season designing the 5* tracks in the North American Ring. Azevedo’s professional resumé includes some of the largest competitions in the world including the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, CSIO Aachen, the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, the Pan American Games, numerous Nations Cups and Brazilian national and international championships.

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The ‘National’ CSI5*, presented by Rolex – June 14-18, 2023

Athletes can look forward to courses designed by Olaf Petersen Jr. (GER) at the ‘National’ including the $700,000 Grand Prix. Petersen is a world-renowned course designer who has designed the courses at Olympic, Pan Am, Asian and World Equestrian Games, as well as World Cup Finals, European Championships, and numerous Nations Cups.

The ‘Pan American’ CSI5*, presented by Rolex – June 29 – July 2, 2023

Grégory Bodo of France will showcase his talents during the ‘Pan American’ Tournament on the Meadows on the Green Ring. Bodo has jumped onto the international show jumping scene over the last number of years, lending his talents to courses at the Masters of Chantilly, FEI World Cup qualifiers, Brussels Stephex Masters, and he was part of the team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The ‘North American’ CSI5*, presented by Rolex – July 5-9, 2023

The Spruce Meadows Summer Series will conclude with the ‘North American’, featuring for the first time the $1 million ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup Grand Prix. Santiago Varela (ESP) continues to bring his course designing talents to the International Ring where his experience designing top level events include most recently the principle designer for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Varela last designed at Spruce Meadows in 2019.

Recently Varela and Bodo have been announced as the co-course designers for the jumping and jumping eventing competitions at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The ‘Masters’ CSIO5* – September 6-10, 2023

Leopoldo Palacios (VEN), will be bringing his designs to the International Ring for the 2023 Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, including the $3,000,000 CP ‘International’ Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Palacios has an extensive international resumé including the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games, and holds a unique connection to Spruce Meadows as a student of Pamela Carruthers (GBR), one of the first course designers at Spruce Meadows. Carruthers is also a Spruce Meadows Hall of Fame course designer.

Stay tuned to the official Spruce Meadows website and all our official social channels for the most up-to-date information on the 2023 tournament season.