2025 Course Designers
Course designers set for the CSI5*/CSIO5* competitions
Spruce Meadows has secured a full suite of skilled FEI course designers to test athletes throughout the 50th Anniversary year. We will have an extensive offering of national and FEI level competition throughout the tournaments, and here is who athletes can expect to see designing the 5* competitions in 2025.
Peter Grant (CAN) - Canadian designer Peter Grant will be leading the course designing team during the ‘Continental’, presented by Rolex. Grant is very familiar with designing at Spruce Meadows from entry level competitions to 5* Grand Prix, and also played an important support role in a number of championships including the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Olaf Petersen Jr. (GER) - With course designing in his veins, Olaf Petersen Jr. is back for the ‘National’, presented by Rolex. Petersen is world-renowned as a course designer with Olympic, Pan-Am, Asian and World Equestrian Games, as well as World Cup Finals and European Championships decorating his resume.
Anderson Lima (MEX) - Anderson Lima steps into the spotlight during the Spruce Meadows ‘Pan American’, presented by Rolex. While not a stranger to Spruce Meadows, this will be his first time leading the 5* course designing team at the venue. Lima’s experience spans a number of top show jumping events world wide including of World Cups, Pan American and Olympic Games.
Santiago Varela (ESP) - Santiago Varela designing at the ‘North American’ Tournament has become a bit of a fixture at Spruce Meadows. His courses, tough, but fair, riders and horses always improve throughout the week. Varela’s extensive resume most recently includes “co-lead designer” during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) - One of the most recognized course designers in the world, a year would not be complete without seeing courses from Leopoldo Palacios. At the 2025 ‘Masters’, athletes can look forward to challenging his tracks throughout the week - all the way to the $5 million CPKC ‘International’, presented by Rolex.
