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Course Design What goes into the making of a cross-country course? The planning that goes into a cross-country course can sometimes take as much as a year of analysis, design, construction, with combined efforts of many paid experts, workers and voluntary helpers and of course many thousands of pounds. |
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When I first take on a site I generally try to figure out how the terrain is going to be best used and where the best going will be at the time of the competition and this focuses me on looking for the areas to place the question fences - the water jump, the ditches, and banks for instance -and then plot around them. Some sites have great areas, whereas other places might not have a lot of character to the fields and you have to create sites by creating mounds but it's nice if you have park land that has a lot of character - it allows for a better course. The big thing is determining the route of the track so there is a good flow to the course. Next I will look to provide the right profile of fences depending on the slopes and cambers of the ground to match in with the shape a horse will achieve over certain terrain when ask to jump an obstacle there. I look to ensure there are a variety of questions and that they aren’t repeated or asked on just left or right bends. I also look at the options to re-work the course at a later date knowing that a course should last for many years but will need alteration to maintain its character and appeal to riders with new horses coming up through the grades. |
Then I look at the building of the course. Who is going to build it and what materials are available? A big issue in a lot of areas is the availability freshly sawn logs and birch brush. Brush is always nice on a course because it looks so good and I can build fences over 200mm higher than standard maximum height and so create the ‘big & imposing look’. In some areas it's very difficult to get big timber so I have to use many portable fences but this often helps organisers who require the fences to be removed after an event and so many more portables are being designed into courses these days – anything up to 1 in 3 fences can be moveable. I might use square sawn timber and ensure the edges are planed to give a much more forgiving profile to the fence. Organisers also like to see themed fences, especially if there is a sponsor who wishes to see a fence particular to their business. Traditionally though, natural fresh timber such as larch and Scotts Pine provide the best feel for cross country fences. Whilst, the dynamics of creating an educational test for the horse and rider are paramount, there is often the scope within course design to give some personal style to a course with either the way fences are built or how they settle into the land. |
So there is a lot to the design of a course but the most rewarding thing is to see combinations tackling a course a making challenging and complex fences look easy – like most sports really! Most of my clients require works to either expand or enhance a course and in 2009, we will help develop courses at the following tracks in the UK & Eire. |
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t +44 [0]1931 713 245 m +44 [0] 7836 238 808 e enquiries@douglasweymouth.com |