Mick Costello is the Rolex and WEG course builder, a leading expert on eventing safety, and one of the coolest people in eventing. From the very first time I met Mick, I was struck by the combination of his intelligence and calm demeanor that instantly let me know he was the right kind of leader in our sport. The lovely Samantha Clark was kind enough to interview Mick for Eventing Nation using a series of videos. It is a privilege that Samantha will be contributing to EN on a regular basis over the coming weeks. If you are a Twitterer (as the old people call it) then follow Samantha @samanthalclark–she is one of the top people in the horse world to follow on Twitter. Thanks for writing this Samantha and thank you for reading.
One would think that I would have had my fill of WEG 2010 by now, but I can’t quite let it go. Neither it seems, can the Kentucky Horse Park. The temporary stands are still there, the driving stadium is pristine, apparently there are six people total to dismantle everything; sadly the media centre is a thing of the past, and absolutely no one seems to know where the big blue fibre-glass horse with all the medalists’ signatures on it has disappeared to. The Horse Park sent me to the Lexington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, who swore it was back at the Horse Park: no dice.
Mick would also like to see some indoor driving, and gave some clues to a Legacy Event, and what may or may not be on the Rolex course next spring.
Grabbing headlines at Rolex this spring was Oli Townend’s crashing fall at the Hollow which sparked much debate about safety and course design, and this is something that of course Mick takes extremely seriously. Mick is a man who has spent his whole life amassing experience, literally, in the field. Thoughtful, smart, a real horse-lover and old-fashioned cross country enthusiast, Mick can casually drop names like Jack Le Goff into conversation about the good old days, but is bang up to date about what’s happening here & now, and where the sport is headed, and how to get the balance right.
I have to admit that when I first met Mick it was perhaps not under the best circumstances as he “busted” me for gaily hacking around the Horse Park one rainy day, a couple of weeks before Rolex, as if I owned the place, and actually he could not have been nicer about it. There can’t be anyone who knows an inch of the Park better or cares for it more. What does Mick want see and where would he like to go next?
There’s a lighter side to Mick though, a definitely dry and a bit naughty sense of humour, as well as some great vision – one of my favourite jumps on the course this year, the enormous tree trunk, was his idea entirely, and the subsequent relocation of which he enjoyed explaining!
The eye-catching frog, kingfisher and goose that were features of the WEG course have been moved to the entrance of the Museum of the Horse, by the Giant’s Chairs, where they look very Alice in Wonderland, but will be appreciated by thousands of visitors for years to come.
I’d like to thank Mick for talking to me, and thank you for reading/watching. It’s definitely a treat to talk to people who love what they do, and are at the top of their game. I’m open to suggestions, and all comments are welcome. I’d like to thank John for the opportunity, and of course for the fabulous job he does every day on Eventing Nation – Go Eventing!
