The second week of the IPPOS SPRING TOUR 2024 in Thessaloniki had the chance to welcome a famous Italian course designer Elio Travagliati. The experienced course builder from Bologna prepared the track suitable for all riders and believes that the venue in Ippos Club will see even high star events in the future. In the interview, he reveals how he started this job and talks also about his favourite places and professional aims.
How can you describe your job?
My job is very difficult but also very interesting because you have to build the course that fits to everyone and suits many gallops of horses. We have short gallops, long gallops, faster or slower horses, and what is the most important to me – I want to see the horses jump well at the end of the day. It does not matter if they are small or bigger. I like when horses finish the course. That is my philosophy.
How many people work in your team? Is it the same team everywhere?
I do not work with the same team everywhere because I travel to various places that have different teams. It is always easier for me, when I find the same team working again. When somebody calls me for the first time, I have the condition to bring one of my assistant with me. It is easier for me to have someone when I do not know the place and the material.
How was it here in the Ippos Club in Thessaloniki?
It is very easy for me because I know everybody here and I have been working with Greek people for 20 years. I know the riders, I know the assistants… So it feels like home to me.
How can someone become a course designer?
The main condition, the most important thing is that you are a rider. Without this experience, it is impossible to do this job. You must have this feeling when build the course. Person, who has never ridden can never become a good course designer. You also need to have a big passion because this is a very hard work – in all kinds of weather, the days start very early and finish very late every day… And if you do not have this passion to do that, it would be very difficult.
How did you start your career?
This is my thirtieth year working as a course designer. We started with some small shows, regional competitions and low classes. Then I started to go up and up and I was very lucky because many people in Italy and also in the rest of Europe enabled me to work with good course designers and I got the best knowledge from the older ones.
Do you need to study some special school to do this job?
Yes, you need to do a special course. National one at the beginning and then, depending on the country, you take next ones. For example in Italy, it is becoming very difficult because you need eight years to get from the level one to level three. It is not easy. After that, you can start the international career. It is very hard.
Who do you think is the best course designer in the world?
It is me (smiling). There is a lot of very good designers – five or ten. Every course designer has a different style and then it depends on the people. Someone may like it, someone not because we all have a different style of building the track for the horses. It would not feel good if we build the same track for everybody.
Is it possible to distinguish your style from the others?
If you look on the different courses, I am sure you can see the style of the designer, you can recognize it.
Is there any special place or arena where you like it the most?
There are many places I like a lot. In Italy I have many – when we speak of a grass surface, I like Arezzo – it is one of the best. For the sand, it is Montefalco. In Europe, in Spain, there is a lot of places I like very much and I work with them.
You work for the higher competitions – what is the difference?
It is totally different to prepare a course for the 4 – 5 star competition and I have to change my mentality to do this. It is an international competition with the two stars here in Ippos Club and you must build a course normally – northing too hard because there are some professional riders but also some amateurs. But when you have the 4-5star events, you have only professionals. So you have to prepare a little bit different course – I would not say more difficult but different – I play with the colours, with various obstacles.
Do you think that this facility has the capacity to welcome higher competitions in the future?
For sure, it is a very good facility. This year, when I arrived here, I saw many improvements and innovations. This owner – Anna Papageorgiou and her father do a very good job and they have very big potential to bring good competitions here in the future. It is also because they do is step by step. They built the venue, then next arena and they add more and more gradually. Also the hospitality is superb here.
How many competitions per year?
I do circa thirty competitions a year. I do not do more because I do not want to go crazy.
Are there any other sports you are interesting in?
When I was younger, I was a football player. I also like tennis and all the sports. When I see some good match, I like to watch it.
What are you looking forward to and what is your dream in this work?
This year, I will work in the team at the Olympic Games. But the top is when you are the main course designer at the Olympic Games. I am very glad that I stayed in the team for these Games. Then, the CSI Rome is my next target. I have been there but never built the course. So that is my next goal.
