104 SIDELINESMAY 2014
FORHORSEPEOPLE • ABOUTHORSEPEOPLE
be at Rolex Kentucky, the premier four-star in North America.
John Williams, 1996 Olympic three-day team bronze
medalist, has been the cross-country course designer for 12
years.With his assistance, many new jumpswere constructed
and in place for the 2014 Pine Top Spring Advanced, CIC*
and CIC**, and his courses received positive feedback from
the competitors. With growth, however, great change is
inevitable. TheWilsons opted to introduce a fresh perspective
by engaging Derek to design their cross-country courses.
Derek’s resume includes designing cross-country courses
for the 2001NorthAmericanYoungRider Three-DayOne and
Two-star Championships, Fair Hill CCI*** (every year since
2001) and the Fair Hill CCI** (since 2008), to name a few.
His course design career took off when he became assistant
designer to Michael Etherington-Smith (GBR) for 2010 Rolex
and the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games, both held at
the Kentucky Horse Park. In 2011, Derek became the primary
Rolex cross-country course designer.
“We are thrilled to welcome Derek to the Pine Top team,”
stated Glenn. “We believe this is the first time that Rolex-
bound horses in the East will have the opportunity to jump
one of Derek’s courses in the run-up to the Rolex four-star in
lateApril. Derek visited during our recent Advanced event and
he felt right at home with our wide-open, rolling cross-country
acreage, which has lots of similarity to the Rolex property but
with even better footing. We are looking forward to achieving
newheightsandweare veryhonored tohaveDerekonboard.”
Exciting events are in store at Pine Top Farm, which is now
owned by the eighth generation of the Wilson family. The
late James E. Wilson Jr. (1923-2002) had a strong vision of
Pine Top as an important equestrian center and, with that in
mind, he developed and promoted the farm. What put Pine
Top Farm on themapwas the need for Europeans to get their
horses acclimatized to the summer heat and humidity prior to
the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
In 1993, Pine Top Farm received a visit from British
Equestrian Federation representatives. They were looking at
farms in Georgia for their pre-Olympics climate adjustment.
They chosePineTop, which led to the construction that winter
of the 40-stall British Barn behind the Willoughby House.
Then the FEI chose Pine Top Farm as the site tomonitor and
research the acclimatization of six horses from the cooler
climate of Europe for two weeks in August 1994.
Pine Top Farm hosted a total of 30 Olympic horses from
England, Germany, Hungary, Denmark and Argentina. Even
after the horses left for the Olympic equestrian venue —
Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, near Atlanta
— Pine Top Farm and the Wilsons remained very involved
with the Atlanta Olympics. Janet and Glenn were chosen as
Derek di Grazia, thenewCross-Country
CourseDesigner for PineTopHorse
Trials.
Photo byMichelleC. Dunn/mdunnphoto
PineTopHorseTrialsOrganizersGlennand JanetWilson
.
PhotobyMichelleAshePhotography
A view of the cross-country’swater complex situated picturesquely inPineTop’swide
open spaces.
Photo byVirginiaWilso
Continued on page 106
