Kingston Downs, owned by Carl Bouckaert and named earlier this year as the newest of three sites worldwide for Concours Complet Internationale (CCI) four-star competitions, will operate a world-class equestrian program for Darlington School. The School is accepting students who want to apply for Darlington School three-day eventing for admittance this fall.
A team of specialists will train students throughout the school year in all three-day events: dressage, jumping, and cross-country. Suzanne King, three-day eventing director, and Jules Anderson will teach dressage. King is a Dressage Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal winner. Anderson was short-listed for the 2000 Sydney Olympics for Australia, was FEI Young Horse Champion in 2003, 3rd Devon 2001, and a Dressage Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medal Winner. Nathalie Bouckaert and Michael Pollard will teach cross-country and jumping. Bouckaert was short-listed for the Pan American Games in 2003, 3rd Foxhall CCI*** 2003, top 25 Rolex CCI**** 2002, North American Young Rider Champion CCI** 1997, and won the Peters Trophy in 1996. Pollard was Top 25 Rolex CCI**** 2002, Markham Trophy winner Fairhill CCI*** 2001, Young Rider of the Year 2001, Advanced Young Rider of the Year 2001, 4th Place Blair Castle CCI** 2000, Markham Trophy Winner Rolex CCI*** 1999, and was short listed for the Pan American Games in 1999.
Students will use facilities at both Kingston Downs and at Chatsworth, both owned by Carl Bouckaert. Bouckaert Farm at Chatsworth hosted the 1991 Pan American Equestrian Championships and is the site of the annual Beaulieu Classic CIC***. Riding facilities include an indoor arena, cross-country course, and thousands of acres of rolling, lush, northwest Georgia hills.
“Darlington School riders will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help prepare for both the three-star and four-star events. They’ll get to see up close what they’re striving for in their own competition training,” Carl Bouckaert said.
“These young riders will learn total horsemanship and the importance of working as a team with their horses,” Jack Pollard, general manager of Bouckaert Farm, the 5,000-acre farm on which Kingston Downs is located, said. “They’ll learn to think competitively and act responsibly about their riding,” he said.
The coordination of the three-day eventing program with Darlington’s college-preparatory program will offer riders an opportunity to perform at their highest level academically as well and prepare for college. “Parents of young riders are often frustrated because they want to encourage their child’s interest in riding, but not at the expense of their education. By incorporating this program into its total educational opportunities, Darlington is offering something high school student-riders can’t get anywhere else in the country that I’m aware of,” Pollard said.
“With nearly half of our student population being boarders, we’re very focused on individual students’ educational and social needs,” David Hicks, Darlington School president, said. “Accommodating these young riders’ demanding practice and competition schedules and working to make sure they stay focused and prepared academically is a natural extension of what we already do for our students.”
“The three-day eventing program enables us to provide something unique to student riders who want a high-quality college-preparatory education,” Hicks said. “These young people are very focused and highly motivated to ride competitively and we can offer the resources and support to make sure they excel in the classroom as well.”
