At the moment, he predominantly works at Spruce Meadows and Thunderbird Show Park, which are located closer to his Cowichan Bay, BC, home. His start in course design was born of necessity; in his late teens while competing and coaching at horse shows, he was often called upon to load and unload the jump trailer and help set up the course. After years of juggling professions, he decided to focus solely on course design in the mid-90’s.

There is often a misconception that course designers are “out to get you” with tricky tracks and scary fences. Holmes considers it an important aspect of his job to make the courses appropriate to the level of competitors. “No matter the division or height, each course needs to have achievable challenges, as no one likes to see horses or riders over-faced,” he says. “Commonly, I will start with an easier first fence and introduce the combinations no earlier than the fourth fence, as this allows the horses time to get going forward. At the lower levels, I attempt to control excessive speed by using turns, and the courses need to have breathing spaces where the rider and horse have time to reorganize. The different levels have different challenges and I enjoy seeing horses go well at each level.”

Breaking the course down

The ability to control pace and track is crucial to success in competition. Holmes notes that practise on these foundations of training is possible at home, even with limited room and a few basic jumps. “Some things, like atmosphere and arena confidence, can only be achieved through competing. But the riding controls needed for complete courses can be achieved at home through breaking the course down into smaller, more achievable sections, and then connecting them. Most any part of a course challenge can be practiced on a single low fence or fences before it can be achieved in a similar form as a big course.”

Advertisement