BEHIND THE SCENES: Malcolm Hook Is Eventing's Go-To Guy

Modest and equipped with a dry sense of humor, Malcolm Hook has set the standard (albeit a high one) for announcing and controlling events. His name adorns countless eventing committee lists, and those who know him sing his praises, but the technical delegate from Aurora, Ore., is just a man who loves what he does.

With the exciting and often controversial changes occurring in the eventing world these days, Hook is more driven and enthusiastic about the sport than ever.

His introduction to eventing happened in 1970. “I had nothing to do with horses until I had the bad sense to fall in love with a horsewoman,” Hook said smiling.

That young woman, Julie Costello, became his wife, and her passion for eventing soon rubbed off on him.
Hook began riding recreationally, but once touched by the sport he took an interest in pursuing a more active role. He was particularly influenced by Julie’s late brother, Pete Costello, course builder of the first four-star Rolex Kentucky course and an active TD in the 1970s.

In 1976, Hook acquired his own TD card—the first step.

“At that time there were only three TDs in the western United States,” said Hook, recalling his decision to become a TD. “Being young and involved in the competitive side, we thought no one knew what they were doing.”

Naturally, the role and effectiveness of the technical delegate has grown up with the sport. “The learning curve has steepened considerably since [the ‘70s]. You learn something new each time you go to a competition. If you are at least minimally aware of what’s going on out there, you never stop learning,” he said.

More than 30 years later, Hook still enjoys learning as a Fédération Equestre Internationale Eventing Chief Steward and U.S. Equestrian Federation R-rated TD, announcing and controlling about 20 competitions in the western United States each year.

Hook said he stays actively involved with eventing because of the people.

“There are so many amateurs in this sport, and this is their recreation. It creates the atmosphere. They want to go out and have fun and not get hurt. When they have a great day you can see it on their faces,” he said.

The Human Element
As a TD, Hook evaluates several different factors at each competition: the physical conditions of the facility, the design and flow of the cross-country course and the appropriateness of the levels. He also looks at the organizational aspect and ability of the facility to handle competitors.

His first-hand experience with the participants at events has provided him with a realistic impression of
the relationships between all the people involved. He’s constantly looking to ease tensions and create more unity between differing groups of people.

“Human factor is enormous. It’s so easy for things to degenerate into chaos and confrontation. We tend to see ourselves as three adversarial roles: officers, competitors, and organizers, but each one has the same goal. They all want a successful competition that provides learning experiences for both horses and riders where no one gets hurt and for everyone to go home pleased at the end of the weekend,” said Hook.