WHAT began as a request to help out at a local riding club show over 23 years ago has developed into an outstanding career as an international course designer for Drogheda native Tom Holden.

He took some time out this week to talk about how something he fell into “completely by accident” has become a passion which has taken him all over the world.

“I’ve been around horses all of my adult life and one day I was asked to give a hand at a local show that my wife Orla was competing in. They needed someone to build a course for the show jumping and I knew something about distances and strides so I was drafted in.

“While building the track, I found myself really enjoying it. This piqued my interest. Steve Hickey was the course designer for the registered shows at my local riding centre in Gormanstown at the time and I went along to look into it further,” Holden explained.

“Steve was fantastic. If you showed any interest at all, he took the time to teach you. He encouraged me and was so generous with his knowledge. I ended up serving my apprenticeship with him which was fantastic.

“That was in 1997, we together we built at Blessington, Kill, South County, all over really, and it wasn’t long before I was ready to take my first written exam which saw me qualify as a regional course designer.

“Through Steve, I met Gerry Byrne and lots of the other designers of the time and was able to pick up tips from all of them.

Moving up the ladder

“With more experience and many more shows, I moved up through to National level and then on to Senior National which includes a detailed CV, attending seminars and completing exams.

“After serving my time at Senior National, I then moved on to FEI international level, starting at FEI level 1. I am currently at level three which allows me to design courses at pretty much all shows all round the world,” said Holden.

“The next progression for me is to move up to FEI level 4. This would allow me to design at the Olympics, World Championships and European championships. It takes a long time to move up to level 4 and it isn’t just a matter of deciding you want to progress, it involves many criteria and invitations to certain shows so the opportunity doesn’t often arise but I’m not ruling it out.

“I’ve seen lots of changes in show jumping over the years. The sport has become so much more professional. The horses have more blood; they are quicker in the body and across the ground.

“The materials we use have become much lighter and much more varied. I’ve been lucky to have travelled extensively all over the world and observed a huge amount of horses and riders and I have been able to learn so many new things.

“As a course designer, you develop your own style. Over the years, I have spent countless hours just watching horses; how they cope with different obstacles and challenges they are presented with.

“I build a lot of tracks for young horses; you must watch them carefully and talk to the riders to see what they are capable of.

“It’s a learned process. I don’t want to ask more of a young horse than they are capable of. While they are learning, I like to make it straightforward for them. I like to do things correctly and be fair to the young horse. I like to create simple lines that make sense.

“You must develop a context for youngsters, you don’t want to destroy the weaker ones. You must educate yourself by watching and learning.

“Through teaching, I find that I benefit from seeing horses and riders progress. I was one of the first people to achieve the FEI level 1 coaching course in Ireland when it was held in McKee Barracks many years ago. I give lessons to all sorts of levels of riders from amateurs to 1.35m and I can see first-hand what works and what doesn’t.

“It’s a constant education. If I see something that works and riders like, you can take that and improve on it. That’s what I enjoy; the never ending opportunity to learn.”

Meeting the challenges

“When designing a track, you must first look at the size and shape of the arena. Next, you must factor in the surface you are on. The challenge is to make the best from what you are given whether it be a small sand arena or a big galloping field.

“Personally, I love a grass arena. There is nothing like bright coloured poles on a grass arena on a sunny day for me. I think grass provides a much better education for horses. When building, you must learn to be flexible and adapt to change.

“A grass surface presents much more of a challenge for the horse, rider and therefore, the designer. It makes the competition much more interesting for everyone involved, not least the spectator.

“I love the grass rings in Tattersalls, Barnadown, Mullingar, all of them, but my favourite is Dublin. I had my best day there in 2017. I was the main arena course builder and on Aga Khan day. The class was decided by the last competitor in the second round; it was so exciting and I was so proud.

“Another show I love is the June show in Spruce Meadows. I’ve been lucky enough to have been invited to build there for the past nine years now and I love it. It’s where I should be preparing to go right now if it wasn’t for the current crisis, that and designing tracks for the RDS qualifiers.

“I’m keeping busy wearing my other professional cap as a health and safety consultant for the building industry. I’m involved in preparations for some of the sites to hopefully go back to work next week.

“In addition to that, I’m enjoying doing ‘course designers challenges’ on Facebook, that’s keeping me in touch with other designers all over the place so that’s a bit of fun.

“My daughter Mairead and her family live just across the way from us so we are able to keep in touch, at a distance. My other daughter, Nina, is a physiotherapist in London. She works in a hospital ICU department and caught the virus. Thankfully she has made a full recovery, so much so that she has been able to go back to work.

“I, like everyone else, am looking forward to the day that the shows start up again but realise that we probably have a long road ahead.

“I never dreamed, when I started this journey, that I would end up designing at the shows I have done and hopefully will continue to do in the future,” concluded Tom Holden.