New Heights Course Decorating 101
N Evie Frisque, a Grand Prix ring Asset
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course designer, who asked her to decorate for him.
W A relatively new staff position at
“Leopoldo took so much time and never made me feel
the ‘big’ shows, course decorating,
like I was in the way. He would start up the computer and
is coming into its own as a very
show me so many pictures of what great jumps looked like.
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important element of any upper
He talked about the way he would like the jumps decorated
and I worked really hard to try to get what he wanted done.
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level jump course. It is definitely
obvious when a course decorator is
I learned detail from Leopoldo and the balance of the jumps
I
involved with the layout and design
and how decorating makes the course almost a different
of the arena.
course due to the way it is decorated,” said Evie with
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Evie Frisque, is an example of
appreciation. “I cannot thank him enough for his kindness
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this new breed of show celebrities,
and encouragement over the past few years.”
and at HITS Thermal, she was Evie says, with a quiet giggle and twinkling in her eyes. “I
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absolutely non-expendable as far as really also enjoy using the computer and shopping all over
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the exhibitors are concerned. Each
the world for the right flowers. The great big ones you see
jump was carefully surrounded or
on the jumps here at Thermal, all came from Canada. It took
covered with any array of flowers,
a lot of looking but the end result is just so nice. Buying
vines, bushes and/or trees, all done
them there and shipping them to California was a lot more
in coordination with the course
designer.
economical that trying to buy them local. I would love to
Evie started riding at eleven years
find an outlet in the USA too.”
old. She was actually enrolled in
“I have had such wonderful opportunities to work side
dance lessons and one of the other children was also taking
by side with some really great people. Leopoldo, Olaf
riding at a local stable. As all children do, Evie wanted to
Peterson Jr, Michael Valiancourt, Pierre Jolicoeur, Anthony
follow her friend and ‘do that too’, so away they went together D’Ambrosio, Dave Ballard and Danny Foster to name a few,”
into the land of horses. From there came Pony Club, all the Evie said, starting the count. “There are such wonderful
way up to the A Level and then into horse showing.
people out there who always reach out to give a leg up to
Opening her own barn, Blue Star Farm, in Mt Albert,
people as we start.”
Ontario, she not only trained and taught, but caught the bug
For her, the best part is that horse shows are such a positive
to put on horse shows and move into the management end
and peaceful place to be. Her job usually keeps her way out
of the industry for a time. In 1986 the farm was sold and
Evie stepped out on her own to freelance teach and begin
of the lime light and she just putters
judging, adding another facet of education to her already
around nonstop, humming all the time.
growing resume and long list of experiences.
She is a Pollyanna type, always positive
Six years ago the course designing interest took hold when
and upbeat, which always makes her
she volunteered to help Muffie Gutherie at the Royal Winter
presence welcome when she took a
Fair. During the start of the show the plants arrived for the break for lunch. Sharing her story and
course but there was no one there to put them out, “So I knowledge openly with the exhibitors
did,” said Evie.
has certainly endeared her to all of us.
“Barbara Mitchell and John Taylor are on the horse show
“Anything management and officials
committee then, and they put my name forward to decorate
can do to make showing better and
the main ring,” Evie adds. “I had no idea what I really
make it a great sports event, is good
needed to do but I GOT THE JOB and threw myself heart
and soul into it. From there I found that I really really loved
for all of us,” she says. “I think
doing that, and I think I did it well! All I knew was that I was
the colorful jumps make the horses compete better, and
having a great time.”
certainly they seem to like it too. I can’t think of anything
That first step led to so many opportunities for Evie,
in my life I would change, I love everything right now. With
that she has had trouble keeping up with the pace her life
the opportunity to work here on the West Coast and meet all
has taken on. In the process of learning, she had her first the super people here, I will go home with great memories
opportunity to work with what she considers “the best in of this place.”
the business” when introduced to Leopoldo Palacios, the
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