Bart Vonck new Course Designer for CHIO Rotterdam
IT director by day, international course designer by weekend – that’s the life of 44-year-old Bart Vonck. This Belgian horseman combines his role as an IT director at a school with an impressive career in international showjumping. He has long served as assistant course designer at Jumping Mechelen, and for the past two years has been responsible for designing the World Cup course there. Bart has assisted top course designers at events including the Olympic Games in Paris, and has worked at premier venues such as Stockholm, Rome, Monaco, and Brussels.
This year, Bart will design the jumping courses at CHIO Rotterdam for the first time. He is in charge of all course design for the Longines League of Nations™, the Grand Prix, and the other 2* and 5* jumping classes.
And that’s a true honour, he emphasizes more than once: “When CHIO Rotterdam’s Jumping Sports Director Yves Houtackers called and asked if I wanted to design in Rotterdam, I was honestly speechless. I sat in my chair for ten minutes, just taking it in. I never expected this!”
A stadium of international stature
In early April, Bart visited the venue in the Kralingse Bos – without the CHIO fanfare. What he saw surprised him: “There are very few shows in the world that undergo such a massive transformation every year. Now, it’s a riding school – during CHIO, it becomes a stadium of international stature. That’s truly unique.”
He walked the arena to get a feel for it. “It’s not the same as looking at a drawing. The ring is big, but not a classic rectangle. There’s an island with trees. It adds character, but also presents specific challenges for a course designer. That’s why experiencing the grounds firsthand is so important.”
Thorough preparation
Bart leaves nothing to chance. In preparation, he rewatched every CHIO Rotterdam class from recent years. He also studied past Longines League of Nations™ rounds in Ocala and Abu Dhabi. “The League has strict rules: a maximum of 12 jumps, at least 450 meters in length, a water jump is mandatory, and so on. These define your design framework. For the Grand Prix, there’s more freedom – up to 14 obstacles, and water is optional – but height requirements are stricter due to the event’s World Championship qualification status.”
Trusted team, fresh dynamic
Though Bart is new to Rotterdam, the rest of the course building team remains unchanged. He is supported by Louis Konickx and Marco de Jong – familiar faces at CHIO. “I’ve worked with Louis before. His attention to detail is exceptional. He builds courses that really make riders think. And Marco, like Louis and Henk Linders, is one of the best in the Netherlands. I feel privileged to work with them.”
‘Course designer’ fits the bill
The Dutch term parcoursbouwer doesn’t quite capture the role, according to Bart. “‘Course designer’ is more fitting – designing is creative work. It’s almost like fashion – everyone has their own style.”
Bart’s style is all about rhythm and forward flow: “It’s not so much about height or width, but about technical finesse. The riders and horses at CHIO can jump anything – so I challenge them with the lines, and how the horse can keep its forward gallop. Smooth lines for the horse, technical decisions for the rider – that’s where the art lies.”
The impact of colour and decoration
Bart designs his courses with great precision – even the colours of jump rails and flowers matter. “Horses see things differently than we do. A rail with no pattern, or in pastel instead of bold colours, can be much harder for a horse to read. And flowers or decorations influence a horse’s gaze. We use that deliberately. Of course, I want the course to be visually appealing for the audience too – but in the end, it’s all about sport and feeling.”
Signature of Rotterdam
What makes the CHIO course so typically Rotterdam? Bart doesn’t have to think long: “The boat, the harbour-themed wall. The Erasmus Bridge – sometimes a jump, sometimes decoration. And of course, the iconic white ‘Rotterdam’ letters in the arena – you won’t see that anywhere else. The atmosphere is special: the stadium vibe, but also the calm of the forest and the warm-up area. That’s especially nice for the horses. I’ve only seen something similar in Versailles.”
Bart doesn’t yet know the city of Rotterdam very well – “But that’ll change this year for sure. We’ll definitely explore it with the team.”
A preview of the European Championships
Bart expects a top field of competitors in Rotterdam: “For European riders, it doesn’t require intercontinental travel – that’s a big plus. And CHIO Rotterdam is a key preparation for the European Championships later this summer. Kralingse Bos will be a must-attend stop for many.”
One thing’s for certain: with Bart Vonck as course designer, the CHIO Rotterdam courses in 2025 promise to be technical, thoughtful – and full of surprises.