Alec Lochore, a veteran in eventing course design, has been selected to create the cross-country course for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games at Santa Anita Park. The appointment surprised him, but he views it as a profound honor amid the challenges of adapting a historic racetrack for the discipline. Lochore emphasizes horse safety and scientific preparation as key priorities.
Alec Lochore's selection as the cross-country course designer for the 2028 Olympics came as a shock to the experienced eventing professional. "I was pretty shocked," he admitted, "and very humbled. It’s a great honor, but it comes with pressure. I feel that pressure every day."
Born into a family deeply rooted in eventing, Lochore's parents competed at elite levels, including Badminton and Burghley Horse Trials. His mother, Polly Lochore, achieved European Championship and team gold in 1969 at Haras du Pin, pioneering women's participation in top-tier eventing during the 1960s. After a stint in UK National Hunt racing, Lochore returned to the sport through event organization in the late 1990s and early 2000s, discovering his passion for course design.
His career includes roles as national and international technical delegate, competition manager at Olympic Games, and technical delegate at World Championships, Pan American Games, and Asian Games. He has collaborated with renowned designers such as Giuseppe Della Chiesa, Mike Etherington-Smith, Pierre Michelet, Derek di Grazia, and Ian Stark. "You get to walk courses, take notes, and understand the philosophy of the very best," Lochore said. "That experience is something I draw on constantly."
Santa Anita Park, a historic thoroughbred racing venue, raises questions about space for a cross-country course. Lochore counters concerns by highlighting its scale: the grandstand stretches nearly a quarter mile, or about 1,100 feet. The course will incorporate three-quarters of the turf track, featuring an 11-meter terrain drop from the mile's top to the finish. "Every time I go there, I think, ‘This is actually quite a big space,’" he noted, adding that Google Earth distorts perceptions.
Drawing parallels to past Olympics, Lochore points to Tokyo's compact landfill course and London's tight Greenwich Park, which hosted 50,000 spectators. At Santa Anita, footing has undergone scientific analysis for aeration, watering, and improvements. "Science plays a huge role in modern course preparation," he explained.
Safety remains paramount. "The singularly most important thing is safety for the horse," Lochore stressed, focusing on fences readable at 25 miles per hour. The design must balance accessibility for varied athlete experience levels with challenges to identify champions, as seen in Rio 2016. Test events and adjustments will refine the course.
Santa Anita's history with FEI Jumping World Cup Qualifiers has built equestrian expertise, aided by proactive organizers like 1/ST. Lochore aims for horses to thrive and riders to feel prepared. "We want horses to have a good experience," he said. "We want them to progress. We want riders to feel prepared and proud."
