WEF Q&A With: Nick Granat

Q: How did you get involved in course designing?

A: I have always had an interest in course designing from the time I started jumping horses at eight years old. It became a hobby of mine while I continued to manage stables and ride, and then in 2014 decided to make it my full-time profession.

Q: How many years have you been coming to WEF, and what do you like most about being here?

A: I have been coming to WEF for 25 years! One of the things I love most about WEF is the access to the top of the sport. As a fan of the sport, it’s great to watch the best horses and riders in the world. Also, as a course designer I have the opportunity to learn from all the top course designers in the world that come here to work. I spend most of the year on the road traveling to shows. WEF is the only time during the year that I’m in one place for four months, so I really enjoy spending the extra time with my wife, Taylor. You also can’t beat the weather!

Q: What is the best part of course designing at WEF?

A: The best part about course designing at WEF is the jump crew. As a course designer, having a good jump crew allows us to make course changes in seconds that keeps the rings on schedule. Down here our crew is second to none.

Q: What course(s) have you designed this year that you were most excited about?

A: This past week I was honored to be the co-course designer with my friend and mentor Steve Stephens for the Nations Cup week. It was a very stressful week with many important classes, including the $25,000 Hermès U25 Semi Final, the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4*, and the $216,000 JTWG, Inc. Grand Prix CSIO4*, but I was really happy with the results.

Q: If you could design at any venue around the world, which would it be?

A: would love to be the course designer for a major championship someday!

Q: Is there another course designer(s) you would like the opportunity to work with?

A: If I could go back in time and work with any course designer, it would be Bertalan de Némethy. He was one of the first course designers to understand how to use a mix of color, location, and distances to create faults rather than just building huge fences that almost nobody could jump to achieve results.

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GRAND PRIX Continued from Page 1 to figure out. Every time that I ride him, I’m just so grateful to have him.”

Erynn Ballard (CAN) and Gakhir, owned by Ilan Ferder and Esperanza Imports, had four faults in 37.09 seconds and took home fifth place. Last into the jump-off, Ben Maher (GBR) and his mount Faltic HB, who went double clear in Saturday night’s Nations Cup, were going for the win, but with a front rail at the first jump for four faults in 36.30 seconds, they settled for third place.

“The plan was to try to beat McLain,” laughed Maher afterward. “That’s twice now I’ve lost to him [this season]. [Faltic HB] didn’t jump the first jump in the first round so well either actually, and told myself that today I needed to angle number one to get a good rollback to [jump] two. We just had it down.

“He jumped two rounds last night amazing, and he jumped very good today,” continued Maher of Faltic HB, Oakingham Stud’s 12-year-old KWPN stallion by Baltic VDL x Concorde he has ridden since October 2021. “That’s just the sport. Azur and Ioli’s horse are two of the best horses in the world, so nothing comes easy here. He’s come along great, and it’s been a good trip for him. I’m very fortunate to be able to have horses like him.”

While Maher is on a newer horse, Ward has been riding HH Azur, his 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games mount and winner of the 2017 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals, for seven years and considers every class with her as “bonus at this point.”

“She’s a warrior,” said Ward of the 16-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Sir Lui VD Zuuthoeve). “The horse gives so much, and she doesn’t owe me one round or one jump. When she’s feeling right, we aim her to a competition.”

Ward almost didn’t qualify for the grand prix since they had eight faults in Thursday’s qualifier. “I think I was a little overconfident,” he admitted. “I was a little rushed in the morning, and I didn’t work her very well. She’s a hot horse; she was a little wild, and tried to go a bit too fast.”

The cards went their way though, and it was meant to be that HH Azur would add yet another grand prix victory to her record.

“She felt great in the first round and felt even better in the jump-off,” said Ward. “I’m forever grateful for every grand prix we get with her.”

FINAL RESULTS $214,000 JWTG, INC. GRAND PRIX CSIO4*

1. HH AZUR: 2006 Belgian Sport Horse mare by Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Sir Lui vd Zuuthoeve

MCLAIN WARD (USA), Double H Farm: 0/0/35.22

2. LEVIS DE MUZE: 2011 Belgian Warmblood stallion by Elvis ter Putte x Tinka’s Boy

IOLI MYTILINEOU (GRE), Elia Construction SA: 0/0/36.84

3. FALTIC HB: 2010 KWPN stallion by Baltic VDL x Concorde BEN MAHER (GBR), Oakingham Stud: 0/4/36.30

4. CORNWALL BH: 2008 Holsteiner gelding by Con Air x Cambridge AMANDA DERBYSHIRE (GBR), Gochman Sport Horses LLC: 0/4/36.75

5. GAKHIR: 2011 KWPN stallion by Spartacus TN x Labor’s VDL Indorado ERYNN BALLARD (CAN), Ilan Ferder and Esperanza Imports LLC: 0/4/37.09

6. AGANA VAN HET GERENDAL Z: 2011 Zangersheide stallion by Aganix du Seigneur x Topas

LILLIE KEENAN (USA), Chansonette Farm LLC: 0/4/37.20

7. COACHELLA 4: 2012 Oldenburg mare by Christian 25 x Last Liberty 2 KARL COOK (USA), Helen Signe Ostby: 0/4/38.05

8. CAPTAIN COOPER: 2007 KWPN gelding by Namelus R x Corland HILARY MCNERNEY (USA), Hilary McNerney: 0/8/38.28

9. MY WAY: 2010 Oldenburg stallion by Mylord Carthago*HN x Cassini II

LUIZ FRANCISCO DE AZEVEDO (BRA), Santa Cecilia Stables: 1/78.04

10. PAGANINI 170: 2013 Hanoverian stallion by Perigueux x Lordanos

LIUBOV KOCHETOVA, Liubov Kochetova: 2/79.89

11. MOYA VD BISSCHOP: 2012 Belgian Warmblood mare by Darco x Utrillo Van De Heffinck

NICOLA PHILIPPAERTS (BEL), Nicola Philippaerts: 4/73.57

12. COSMONA: 2011 Danish Warmblood mare by Cosmeo x Bogegardens Apollo GIAVANNA RINALDI (USA), Anton Marano: 4/75.65

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