Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo finds balance in his work
French course designer Gregory Bodo returned to Wellington this winter to design at the Winter Equestrian Festival for the second year running in the first of the show’s three five-star weeks of competition. Last year’s visit coincided with his first ever trip to the United States and since then his career has reached a milestone with his role as course designer for the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024.
“Paris was a challenge because it was viewed from a different perspective because of course it was the Olympic Games. But it did not change me,” he said. The individual show jumping course produced a perfect number of three clears, leaving the jump off to decide podium positions. The consensus was that it was the ultimate outcome – a demonstration of course designing 101. Wellington International course designer, Andy Christiansen, was among those to say so. “To me, they did an amazing job,” he said of Gregory and his co-course designer Spain’s Santiago Varela. “The sport was fantastic. All the tracks were on point and everything worked out in their favor. They had three in the jump off. The perfect score for this type of event.”
The success of Paris, rather than accelerating Gregory’s career, has instead coincided with his decision to reduce the number of shows he takes on in the course of a year. “It is not because the Games went so well in the way we had hoped that I am going to have the advantage of traveling abroad to do more big competitions – not at all,” he said. “Things stay the same and I have even decided to reduce a little the number of shows that I do each year, because I was doing a lot. You also have to remember that I have a second line of work as I am still a Marketing teacher, two days a week.”
Back in Wellington for the second year, Gregory felt more acclimatized to the workings of a US show than he did upon arriving on the scene for the first time in 2024. “Last year I did not know the United States at all – it was my first time in the States, when I first came to Wellington. It is a way of working that is a little different from Europe – that is certain.” In Europe and even at the Olympics, many of the job requirements at the show ring are filled by volunteers. They do have a horse background, but they are not paid professionals.
The seamless workings of Wellington International continued to impress the Frenchman, who was joined in Wellington by his assistant, Germany’s Philipp Schwender. “Honestly here everything functions impeccably,” Gregory said. “Everyone knows the job they have to do. There is really good coordination between all the officials, all the technical team, the jump crew, the people who look after the footing, the maintenance of the jumps and if you want to change something – the color of the jumps etc. Anything is possible.”
Each course designer has an individual style, and Gregory was noted for the way his tracks start off in the manner of a serpentine. “I love to have a descent as opposed to sharp movements to test the riders,” he said. “It requires good control of the horse on the part of the riders and they need to always keep the balance – that is important. Because without balance, the horse can be a bit flat or not collected properly and that will produce faults.”
Gregory studied at the Aachen School of Course Design in Aix-la-Chapelle under the mentorship of one of the most famous names in the art, Arno Gego. “He would always tell me that a great course is musicality,” Gregory said. “I have always remembered that.”
Balance and rhythm are elements Gregory also applies to his working life. “I am passionate about course designing, but by working as a teacher – which I also really like, it gives me a great balance,” he said. “I don’t want to work from Monday to Sunday always in horse mode, because you could become bored, and your work would suffer. I am going to cut down to 25 horse shows a year – as I can now choose the shows that I want to do. For sure I would like to come back to the Winter Equestrian Festival next year.”
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