After 15 years as Bramham’s cross-country course designer, Bramham International Horse Trials bid a sad farewell to Ian Stark in 2024 but have just announced that Andrew Heffernan will take over the course design role in 2025.
Andrew Heffernan – rider, coach and course designer
Andrew has been a professional rider for over 20 years, representing The Netherlands at Olympic, World and European Championships as well as completing at Badminton and Burghley. He’s had firsthand experience of the Bramham Park turf having ridden round as a competitor on six occasions, including a top ten finish in 2010.
More recently, he has expanded into elite coaching, with Dutch rider Nina de Haas one of the top riders based with him, team management and cross-country course designing. He and wife Millie are based at the expansive competition, schooling and livery venue Somerford Park Farm, run by Millie and her family, and it’s here his love of course designing began.
Getting design experience at national level has quickly developed into involvement at international events. Andrew is now qualified to 4* level under the mentorship and guidance of Ian Stark, and course builder David Evans, who will continue to work at Bramham Park with Andrew.
A course designer’s dream
The challenge ahead is something Andrew is clearly relishing; “Excited doesn’t even come close to the way I feel about taking on the role as designer at Bramham,” he declared. “I’m extremely grateful that Nick and Rachel Lane Fox and Nick Pritchard have shown so much belief in me and given me what can only be described as a career changing opportunity.
To take over the reins from someone like Ian Stark is a huge honour. He has helped me enormously over the years with my designing and I’m hoping he will be there for me to lean on for a good few years to come! Bramham is a unique venue. With its topography and terrain, it is a course designer’s dream and the team at Bramham has been so welcoming, I really can’t wait to get cracking!”
Andrew has shadowed Ian and David for the last two years at Bramham Park and has developed a good working knowledge of the Park and it’s many features – and he and David have already been out planning for next year.
Defender CCI4*-L 2024 champion Harry Meade has given the appointment his endorsement “With its gentle undulations and the bold designs of Ian Stark, Bramham has long been one of the best events in the calendar as well as one of the few that truly prepares horses for five-star level.
With Ian’s retirement, it’s great news that his protégé Andrew Heffernan will take over at Bramham, and I’m sure that Andy will continue this same language of design that so successfully encourages forward riding. We’ll look forward to tackling this next chapter in Bramham’s story,” he commented.
“We’re delighted to welcome Andrew to the Bramham team, and he’s already settled in well" adds Event Director Nicholas Pritchard "His credentials as a rider, trainer and now course builder are first rate, and we know he’s learned from the very best.
Bramham is renowned for our cross-country courses and for many riders, it’s a proving ground for horses to go on to five star and championship levels and we’re confident Andrew will continue to uphold this, but with his own unique input. I’m sure competitors and spectators alike are looking forward to Andrew’s debut course in 2025.”
As the colour of autumn takes over the iconic Park at Yorkshire’s Bramham estate, the organising team behind the Defender Bramham International Horse Trials are busily planning 2025, which takes place 5th – 8th June 2025.
The box office for the Defender Bramham International Horse Trials 2025 opens on 1st December – just in time for Christmas presents!
