Please tell us about the course you have designed for Sunday’s CPKC ‘International’, presented by Rolex...

LP: I believe and hope the course will be very tough, which is very normal here. There won’t be too many differences from my usual designs; however, I will use some features that I haven’t used before. I will be including two big water jumps – one of them a big Liverpool with two poles as a vertical, which will be followed by a left turn to the other Liverpool. This will be the first time that I've used this feature, and I believe this week is the perfect time to use it. I try to include different features in my designs every year – this helps to keep things interesting.

I will also use a lot of CPKC and Rolex fences; for example, I will have one of each of these fences in the jump-off, if we have a jump-off! In the second round, I will use a double Liverpool, a double oxer, and then after that to the bicycle jump. And as we no longer have the bank, I will use a line under the trees, which I think will be very nice. I’ve tried to make a Grand Prix for the occasion, and I hope I succeed.

How long have you been designing Grand Prix courses for at Spruce Meadows?

LP: I started designing courses here in 1994, but I didn’t do the ‘Masters’, I was only designing for the June show. In 1995 I started designing courses for the July show, which included the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Then in 1996 I did both the June show and the ‘Masters’. If it wasn’t for losing one show in 2020, because of covid, this year would have been my 30th anniversary of designing Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ courses. I’ve built at two Olympic Games, which, of course, was very important, but I believe the courses here are tougher and more demanding than at the Olympics.

What is your favourite memory from your time designing courses here at Spruce Meadows?

LP: I have wonderful memories every year. But I have also had experiences that I’m not very happy with, which are memories – not necessarily with other people, rather with myself and the courses that I’ve set. When you play with the limits, sometimes you overstep those limits. The reality is that this Grand Prix represents the limits for both the horses and the riders, and no other Grand Prix in the world is like this – the results do the talking.

This place is my life, and I try my absolute best all the time, and I’ve succeeded for many years. The Southern Family is like my family. I had a dinner with them in 1992, but when I first properly met them in 1994, this is a memory that I cherish. My other favourite memory is from 2015 when Scott Brash won the Rolex Grand Slam – that it one of the highlights of my life. When Scott finished, I felt so proud, and I was near to crying. It was incredible here that day – when Scott approached the double Liverpool in the last line of obstacles, you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet, and then when he cleared the last fence the crowd exploded. Rolex does a fantastic job with the shows that it sponsors – this has helped to make the sport the best that it is today. For me, these shows are real five-star show.

For you, what makes Spruce Meadows such a special place?

LP: For me, Spruce Meadows has really helped to make many positive changes in this sport. Its 50th anniversary demonstrates what Spruce Meadows has done for this sport – maintaining traditions but also leading from the front. For me, this represents a perfect balance, and many riders have come to me to say that they really appreciate this. It's one of the most challenging places to come, but it’s also the ethos of Spruce Meadows to always put the welfare of the horse at the forefront of everything that we do.

How positive has the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping been for the sport?

LP: I think the Rolex Grand Slam has been the most positive thing to happen to this sport in the last 30 or 40 years. In the case of the Rolex Grand Slam, Rolex has managed to unite four of the very best shows and make us work together. But at the same time, and in my opinion, Spruce Meadows is competing with these three very good shows, we’re learning from each other, and every year we’re always trying to be better than one another, which I think is good for the Rolex Grand Slam and good for the sport. There’s no doubt that what Rolex is doing is improving the sport.