deeper. Today, the rails are machine-rolled, lighter and very uniform, while a vast selection of jump cups
are available from the same deep holders to those that are completely flat.”
DESIGNING FOR THE
FUTURE OF THE SPORT
In 2019 the Chagrin Hunter Jumper Classic’s $50,000 Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund Cleveland Grand
Prix (July 14) is one of hundreds of grand prix on the USEF calendar. Course Designer Eric Mayberry built
last year’s grand prix course and will return this year. Unlike the early years, Mayberry isn’t designing for
international-bound riders, but for a broader pool that includes up-and-coming riders and grand prix horses.
Although the permanent Cleveland Bank, landscaped liver pool and water jumps, and Pulvermann’s Grab
are long gone, spectators will enjoy the competition as horses jump rain or shine on the 200-foot x 300-foot
state-of-art international footing, not the grassy polo field.
EE
www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com 63
Taylor Land and
Liroy 30 jump the
Chagrin Fallsthemed
oxer to win
the 2018 Lindsay
Maxwell Charitable
Fund Cleveland
Grand Prix (Anne
Gittens photo)
“I wasn’t born yet when the first Cleveland Grand Prix was held.
I have seen some of the course plans from the early Grand Prixes
and they appear pretty straightforward, but I have heard that they
jumped some tall jumps. I am very fortunate to be friends with
Steve Stephens. He is a mentor and the person who I started to learn
designing from… a big part of why I am here today.”
“I have heard stories about show jumping from the previous eras.
As far as the difference in today’s courses, today’s rails are much
lighter and the jump cups are also more shallow so is does not take
much of a rub to cause a knockdown. Some of the designers have
gone to a very airy look -- a lot of three poles on a vertical or maybe
a pole-plank in the middle, pole on top look. And course designs are
more technical as far as distances are applied... asking a horse to
shorten and lengthen his stride quite often within the course.”
Eric Mayberry
For more on the Chagrin Hunter Jumper Classic visit
www.chagrinhunterjumperclassic.org. For more on the
book Cleveland Grand Prix: An American Show Jumping
First visit www.clevelandgrandprix.com
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
/www.chagrinhunterjumperclassic.org
/www.clevelandgrandprix.com
/www.shiresequestrian.com