Brought to you by The Plaidcast
Hunters may not be about speed, but the subtlety and flow of their classes demand artistry in course design. For veteran designer Ken Krome, the hunter ring is a place to showcase beauty, rhythm, and preparation. His goal when designing hunter courses is always to help the horses and riders shine.
Creating Space to Shine
When Krome and fellow designer Megan Rollins created courses for the 2024 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals, they focused on preserving the traditional essence of the discipline. “In the first round, we really took the traditional hunter phase to heart,” Krome explained. “We wanted to give the horses plenty of space to canter and show off the beauty of them just covering the ground.”
The course that day was longer than in years past, with flowing approaches and space to let the horses stretch. Instead of the short, technical tracks that often appear in equitation, Krome emphasized longer related lines—up to nine strides at times—to give riders the opportunity to present their horses with style.
Challenging With Creativity
But artistry isn’t just about flow. It’s also about thoughtful tests that highlight the skills of both horse and rider. In the handy round at Derby Finals, Krome and Rollins added an option late in the course that allowed riders to choose their own level of difficulty. “There were easy ways to do it. There were harder ways to do it. There were just so many creative ways to do it,” Krome said.
The result was a class that rewarded knowledge and horsemanship. “You got to see a little aggressiveness out of the hunter riders where you usually don’t see that,” he noted. “We just really wanted people to show off their horses and to get high scores.”
Hunter courses must balance challenge with encouragement. Krome points out that at Capital Challenge, the first indoor event of the fall season, horses are adjusting from summer outdoors to the confines of an indoor oval ring. For that reason, he focuses on being “kind” to the hunters.
That kindness is reflected in both the jumps and the tracks. Using Steve Stephens’ well-built jumps with solid fill, clear edges, and inviting shapes, Krome sets lines that are comfortable rather than overly tight. Distances are planned to help horses meet jumps in stride, while placement in the ring ensures that even tricky corners offer a fair approach.
For Krome, this is not about making courses easy. It’s about giving horses the best possible chance to perform their best. “In the hunters we’re always trying to… we want everyone to get high scores,” he said. “That’s how we know we did our job well.”
Elevating the Hunter Discipline
Krome believes that thoughtful hunter course design plays a key role in elevating the entire discipline. With riders and trainers working year-round to prepare their horses, the course should be a canvas for that work to shine.
“The hunters really are evolving,” he said. “Doing a hunter well and riding it well and preparing it well is a difficult thing. And I think people realize that it’s not easy.”
By blending tradition with fresh ideas, Krome ensures that hunter riders are challenged to bring out the best in their horses while audiences and judges alike are treated to the beauty of the sport at its highest level.
Want more insight into the art of hunter course design? Listen to episode 451 of The Plaidcast to hear Ken Krome’s full interview, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform for conversations with equestrian sport’s leading voices.
