On Course With Jonathan Elliott

Aspen Farms Eventing

Lauren Davis Baker

A return to roots and family ties drew Jonathan Elliott back to the Pacific Northwest, where he’s busy developing a world class cross-country course and eventing facility that’s drawing rave reviews. Beginning just three years ago, Jonathan Elliott and his wife Suzy Pettman-Elliott, began transforming 240 acres of wooded, rolling terrain into an eventers’ dream: a cross-country course that incorporates the best elements of the courses the pair have ridden, from Kentucky Rolex to Burghley.

While the course is still a work in progress, having been selectively logged a mere two and a half-years ago, the results are more than promising. Much of the land has been kept in forest, grasslands, and natural wetlands. Open clearings and galloping lanes are dotted with deer an elk tracks. A pheasant startles out of the brush as we walk on course.

“We began about three years ago,” Jonathan says. “Logging, putting in the house, barn, arenas, and roads. Seeding. Adding footing.” Enormous effort—plus tons of rock and sand—have been put into the footing. “Footing is critical,” Jonathan emphasizes, “to protect the longevity of the horse as well as to draw better competitors.”

The effort paid off when Aspen Farms held its inaugural event in October of ‘07, during some of the heaviest rainfall the Northwest experienced all year. The footing drained off and held up throughout the event and promises to be even better next year. “After this year’s event, I learned how I’ll adjust the course for next year,” Jonathan says. “I got a better idea of how water flows on the property.” With the addition of more rock as a sub-footing, some french drains, and another season for the grass to establish itself, things will only improve.

The current cross-country course includes two major complexes: a water jump and a bank. Highlights include a ship with live evergreens serving as mast poles (designed by Matt Langliers), a hand-carved whale tail, beautiful benches, tabletops, and plenty of natural lumber. The initial course was built to range from Novice through Preliminary levels. “It’s important to address the needs of lower-level riders,” Jonathan says. “That’s where our largest base is, so they help support the sport economically.”

However, it’s just as important to encourage upper level riders and give them opportunities to develop and test their skills. To that end, Jonathan’s long-term goal is to create an Advanced track and possibly develop a CIC competition. Taking things one step at a time, Trumain Cooper is designing the Intermediate course, which should be in place for this year’s event.

As we survey the course, Jonathan points out highlights, discussing plans for a second water complex. Most of the cross-country jumps are portable, he notes, which allows for course changes and gives the footing a break off-season.

“We limited the 2007 event to 160 horses,” Jonathan says, “to give us a chance to work through the logistics. This year we plan to use a three-day format in June, which will allow us to take 200 to 220 horses. I’d like to grow it gradually and keep things well run.”

“Things were such a big push this year, we borrowed many of our show jumps from Lincoln Creek. We’ll build our own this year.”

Indeed, the 2007 event got high marks for running on time, thanks to a hearty band of volunteers. “The volunteers were troopers in the rain,” Jonathan says, “and we need to take care of them. Volunteers keep the sport affordable.” Volunteers came from far and wide—including Jonathan’s mother, Gail; his sister; friends from Florida; and parents and students from Baywood and Briarwood Pony Clubs. “Dale Irwin designed the show jumping course but couldn’t be here on show day so Jon Holling actually ran things on stadium day,” Jonathan says. Volunteers were kept well fed, given event t-shirts, and offered an opportunity for a free schooling session with Jonathan. With such careful treatment, chances are that this year’s event will be equally well staffed. “Next year we’ll have better weather,” Jonathan promises, “and music for the competitor’s party.”

The social aspect of Northwest eventing is one of the things the Elliotts enjoy most about the local event scene. “In Florida and on the East coast, events are close together, so you can just pop in for a day and stable your horses at home that night. Because Northwest events are fewer and further apart, people camp out and make a weekend of it. It’s more fun and social.”

East coast events also have larger numbers in their divisions and more professionals competing. “There’s less room for error,” Jonathan says. “The Northwest actually offers a nicer pace—you take more time with your youngsters. The longer drives motivate you to be more on top of it.”

Still, Jonathan would like to see the Northwest become more of an eventer’s destination. “I’d like to work with other organizers in the area to develop a summer event series of three to four events in six weeks,” he says. “The weather’s best in summer here (when it’s getting too hot to compete in California) and we could draw Canadian and California competitors. If we offered more competitions, back to back, it would allow people to work up the levels.”

Having taken the last year off from competition to work on the farm and prepare for its first event, Jonathan is ready to return to competition. “This year I’m looking for horses and planning to do more riding myself. I’m pretty competitive,” he admits. “But, I really like coaching and seeing riders improve, so I’ll try to be there for people as much as possible.”

Aspen Farms will offer limited boarding options. “We purposely kept the barn small,” Jonathan admits. “We’ll have horses in training and our own horses here.” The facility will bring in overflow stalls for clinics, camps, and derbies.

“I like the Event Derbies,” Jonathan says. “It’s a great format for young horses. You can use different segments of the cross-country field—like an extended show jump course. Derbies are simpler to organize and run. I like that you can ride the course three to four times until you’re happy with it.”

On the subject of horses, I had to ask what Jonathan’s own preference is, in an event horse. “I ride a lot of Hanoverian crosses,” he says. “With the weight of dressage in today’s competitions, you need to be in the top five. The crosses are bred to take the pressure of competition, have better movement, and jump” And, while he admits to liking Warmblood crosses, “It’s still about the individual horse.”

“I think it’s good to ride all different kinds of horses,” Jonathan says. “I also like the English and Irish Thoroughbreds. But for an amateur, I think it’s risky to buy a three year-old off the track. They tend to have a lot of baggage, aren’t as quiet and relaxed. They just don’t get to be a horse. I like to bring along a young horse, know their history. I prefer to school them all as if they’re going to be upper level horses as opposed to reschooling.”

“Competing here in the Northwest, back East, and at Burghley gave me a lot of ideas—like including a bank and a water jump in the warm-up,” Jonathan says. “Which is especially nice for beginning eventers—it gives them a chance to smooth things out.”

Jonathan helps out his younger horses by introducing them to miniature versions of all sorts of cross-country jumps. “That way, they grow up thinking “A ditch? No big deal. So when they see the same thing on course, it’s no surprise.”

Indeed, Jonathan Elliott’s care and concern for the horse is evident in the well thought-out design of his farm and courses. Aspen Farm is named, after all, for Jonathan’s first Advanced horse. He describes the 21 year-old, Aspen, as “A mutt with a big heart. He loved to compete.” And, while he competes no more, Aspen is enjoying his retirement in Yelm, Washington—a fitting place for an event horse to kick up his heels—and a tribute to the kind of horsemanship that protects the well-being of the horse.

About Jonathan