Text © World of Showjumping

“I cannot ask for more in life,” Santiago Varela (55) tells World of Showjumping after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “I feel proud to have been a part of this story, a part of history. The horses jumped very well and even though we had drama – as is always the case in any major championship – we did not have any negative images of the sport. I think the riders and the horses did a great job and the fences were really well received. The arena was fantastic, the venue was unbelievable and the footing was perfect; I think we can only be proud about how everything worked out. I never expected to be a course designer at the Olympics once in my life, and to get to do it twice…  Paris 2024 was one of the nicest moments in my life; I will never forget what happened during this week.”

The difference between Tokyo and Paris was that this time, we started with the teams, which made it somewhat easier for us to increase the level of difficulty

- Gregory Bodo -

Gregory Bodo (45), who Varela also worked with at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, was the Spanish mastermind’s co-course designer in Versailles. From day one, and throughout the week as the competition evolved all the way up to the individual final – the ultimate thriller – the two maestros received endless praise for their work. By the end of the week-long delivery of nothing but absolute perfection, only one thing was missing; two gold medals for the men that carried so much on their shoulders with such deceiving ease. “It was a great, great experience,” Bodo says. “We have seen good sport, especially regarding the horses. With the new Olympic format, it's not easy to build, but the difference between Tokyo and Paris was that this time, we started with the teams, which made it somewhat easier for us to increase the level of difficulty.”

In December 2022, Varela and Bodo were appointed as co-course designers for Paris 2024. It was the first time this role was officially shared – and it was a wise decision to let two shoulders carry this enormous task.

They have been perfect – as expected

- Rodrigo Pessoa - 

Because it was not only medals that were at stake in Versailles. For years, the Olympic format has been the subject of a heated debate within the jumping community – causing huge disagreements between the FEI and the riders. Furthermore, increasing pressure from groups of animal rights activists – such as PETA – calling on the IOC to ban equestrian sport from the Olympics, has left a questionmark on the horizon for its future within the Olympic movement which it has been part of for 112 years. “Our first goal is to survive, and the second is to be successful,” Varela told WoSJ in April 2023, when asked if he and Bodo could feel the weight of a whole community’s future on their shoulders. “There is no question; we need to get it right.”

And they did. As FEI Athlete Representative Rodrigo Pessoa put it, “Alone they are good, and then put the two together, they are double as good. The sport has gotten so technical and so good, the horses are so good, the riders are so good, everything is so sharp – they have to be also, and they are two masters. They have been perfect – as expected.”

“What you play for is one thing and what actually happens another,” Varela continues to explain about the challenges faced in Versailles. “For the individual qualifier, we estimated that it would be best to have less clear rounds than in Tokyo. We wanted to make sure there was an opportunity to qualify for the final even with one down, and optimally, we were playing for 15 to 20 clears – and we managed to get 20.”

What you play for is one thing and what actually happens another

- Santiago Varela - 

“In the individual final, we aimed for three clear rounds,” he continues. “We had seen during the week how well the horses jumped and how flawlessly the riders were performing. This made it very difficult for us, because – normally – at the end of the competition week everyone is more or less tired, but in Versailles everyone seemed to stay in fantastic form. Therefore, we knew we had to build a very big, very difficult class – it was the Olympic final, after all, and the course was really measured for a huge occasion. Every element that should be included in an important competition was there. In the end, I am very happy with how the riders resolved the issues; they did a super job, and most importantly, the horses jumped amazingly.”

“My favorite moment was probably the team final,” Bodo adds. “In general, I like the system of the Nation Cups, and all competitions concerning teams. The team final was a great moment, and so was the individual final as well; it was very exciting with three clears going through to the jump-off. Overall, the atmosphere with the French public was very nice, and I enjoyed working in Versailles. Our goals for the team and individual competition were met, and everything went according to plan.”

“However, it was a stressful week with little sleep,” Bodo continues. “The varying level of riders was one of biggest difficulties we had to take into account. For the first qualifier in the team competition, we built a serious course which was always respectful for the horses. It was about finding a good pace, a good balance. To tell you the truth, I have been a course designer for 27 years and I had never built anything that big before. This proves that even if the obstacle dimensions are impressive and the degree of difficulty is very high, you can still build courses with gorgeous fences that will respect the horses without pushing them to their limits." 

The varying level of riders was one of biggest difficulties we had to take into account

- Gregory Bodo -

“Throughout the week, all the fences that we used were very delicate,” Bodo points out about another key ingredient. “In the design, we first chose the monuments and elements we wanted to highlight; we had a panel with approximately 100 jumps. Finally, the Paris 2024 organizing committee decided to reduce the choice to around 50 jumps. Mihai Simion – who we have worked together with on many previous occasions in the last ten years, such as the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the Pan American Games in Santiago – did the manufacturing.”

“We would like to thank everyone,” both Bodo and Varela say humbly. “First of all, the FEI and the FEI Jumping Committee, as well as GL Events and Sylvie Robert, for their confidence in us.”

These courses were truly a team effort

- Santiago Varela - 

“The communication between Greg, myself and the technical delegate Guilherme Jorge – who was an important part of this story and did a super job – was very good,” Varela continues. “The whole team deserves a thank you, because these courses were truly a team effort and so many people were involved. As an example, the technical delegate is someone no one remembers, but ultimately, he is where the buck really stops. Therefore, everyone needs to remember that Guilherme was there and that he was confident in us."

"There are so many people that are all equally important to the success we saw in Versailles, from the team of course designers, the maintenance team, the manufacturers of the fences and the footing to those working in the warehouse, with the timing, with the decoration, all the volunteers… Without them, none of this would have been possible,” Varela points out. 

"Personally, I would like to thank the FEI, GL events and Sylvie Robert, and Santiago – who is a visionary with a high level of technical competence – as well as Guilherme Jorge for his tranquillity and his fruitful advices, without forgetting all our team of assistants from different countries," Bodo says.

We must keep the horse as our main focus and continue to build courses with delicatesse and finesse

- Gregory Bodo - 

“These Olympic Games made it possible for our sport to continue to evolve,” Bodo concludes. “However, we must keep the horse as our main focus and continue to build courses with delicatesse and finesse – and to only challenge the riders and never the horses. The results of these Olympic Games have undoubtedly enabled to perpetuate and consolidate our amazing sport for the future." 

28.8.2024 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.