Derek lives in Carmel, CA, where he trains and coaches riders to the highest levels of Eventing. He has been competing internationally since 1977, winning the Rolex Kentucky Three-day Event in 1985 aboard Sasquatch. He also represented the United States in the 1986 Eventing World Championships and has been short-listed for several Olympic teams. Derek has designed courses all over the United States and Canada and assisted retired course designer Mike Etherington-Smith in at the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, and the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Derek’s philosophy toward course design is to use the natural terrain to create the appropriate questions for the level of competition. He stresses how important the design and placement of the obstacles are in maintaining the flow and rhythm of the course. Derek looks forward every year to designing cross-country courses that turn horses into champions.