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Friday, April 15 2011 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Five Questions With Derek diGrazia

Derek di Grazia and his wife Bea (neé Perkins) di Grazia have been around eventing for a long time. They met when they worked for Jimmy Wofford and their combined training experience spans nearly 70 years. Now based at their Stillwater Farm in Carmel, CA, the di Grazias train, conduct clinics and also bring along young horses to sell. They wear many hats. Both Derek and Bea continue to show their young stock, but one facet in particular of their equestrian three-day enterprises has really taken hold. Derek is an FEI International level course designer and a USEF National course advisor. He was Assistant Course Designer for both Rolex and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. His handiwork for more than 15 years is well known by two- and three-star riders at Fair Hill International CCI***, Bromont CCI***, Stuart Horse Trials and Twin Rivers Horse Trials, to name just a few. Two years ago, Janie Atkinson, the energy behind the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, asked Derek to help Mike Etherington-Smith, slated to retire in 2010 after Rolex and the World Games. From there it was just a hop, skip and a jump to taking over the cross-country course design for the Rolex CCI****.

Sidelines: When did you realize that course design suited you?

DdG: I don’t know if there was a flash, but at the 1986 World Championships, [AUS] I was officially helping out at events, both in California where I grew up, and also where I was living on the East Coast. Bea’s family owned Huntington Farm (VT), which held horse trials in the summer so we always would be helping out with the courses. I was sort of involved all along. At one point, Stephen Hales, manager at Wild Horse Valley Ranch, asked me to come out and design the preliminary course for their horse trials and it just went on from there.

Sidelines: How do you view the change from classic long format to short? Did you leap through any learning curves to accommodate new XC design?

DdG: I was part of the long format for quite a while and you get used to doing something from a rider’s perspective. Organizers definitely save money and time, as they are not flagging Roads & Tracks or putting together a Steeplechase phase.

As for the course, there was a bit of a learning curve for the first couple of years seeing how the horses were going to respond to doing a longer course without having the other phases first. Riders also found that their horses needed to be just as fit although maybe in a slightly different way. Now I think we’re in a better place because the riders are preparing their horses correctly and understanding more about riding the longer courses in this format.

Course designers have changed in that the intensity level on courses has lessened as opposed to a few years ago where we had many efforts in a short amount of distance. Design has evolved and will continue to as we continue to make changes for a safer sport. It’s better.

Sidelines: How do two eventers with strong competitive streaks manage to keep the peace in the long pull?

DdG: It’s just been one of those relationships – we’ve been the best of friends over the years. We work together every day. We’ve been together for so long that we know what each is thinking about. We help each other and cover for each other in our coaching. It just works.

Sidelines: What advice do you have for students who aspire to the upper levels?

DdG: It’s interesting with students. Some come by it naturally; others have to learn by much repetition. The more times you go around a course, the more you learn, but in this day and age, you’re lucky if you have more than one horse. If you have five or six horses, by your second or third time around the cross-country, you get so you don’t have to think about it as you have already reacted. Ride as many horses as you can.

Sidelines: What about your first solo design for the Rolex cross-country? Are you artistic by nature in terms of the design?

DdG: The first thing is to have a track that flows well. Then I work on jump placement and the shape of the jumps. I like working with terrain to see how it is going to work best for me within the course. I enjoy working with space and knowing how things should fit into it. I don’t think about making the course into a theme park. It’s more about getting the jumps right.

By Lauren Giannini

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The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

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We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

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Stud Fee $750 (plus collection)
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Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
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