Straight-Up
Hello! Karen Robinson here. You may already be familiar with my writing, either in the pages of Horse Sport magazine or other publications and websites. I am one of those lucky equestrian journalists who gets to cover stuff like the Olympics; while I'm at such exciting events I am exposed to all manner of side stories and controversy, much of which doesn't make it into my articles. The blog that you will read here is the place I can share some of those stories. When I'm not writing articles or this blog, I design freestyles with my company Applause Dressage. I also ride my KWPN gelding Theo in the safe atmosphere of a dressage ring, having long given up the adrenaline of eventing. And when I'm not doing any of those things, I can usually be found traveling somewhere sunny with my husband Jan, and when possible, Dachshund Chorizo.
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Player’s: Drink and be merry, but skip the food
February 5, 2010 | 2 CommentsThe social highlight of any trip to Welly World is usually a Sunday night visit to The Player’s Club, where a melting pot of polo, dressage, jumper and hunter folk mingle with horny non-horsey fellas from the neighbourhood and pretend it’s Saturday night. In keeping with the slightly askew nature of Welly World, Monday really is Sunday to just about everyone except the poor souls who Read more »
Hello from Welly World!
January 27, 2010 | 4 CommentsI am back in the Sunshine State for my annual dose of plastic surgery radio ads and walking, talking display models of same. I spent last night shopping and dining where the rich and refurbished prance around the pink stucco haven of Palm Beach’s City Square. I hope this isn’t used against me at some future time, but I think I might actually be starting to succomb to the sunny skies, Read more »
Oh woe is EC
January 21, 2010 | 4 CommentsYesterday I finally signed off on what was probably the most hideously difficult article I’ve ever written: an update on the state of affairs between Equine Canada and the provinces – namely the six provinces that have said ‘hell no’ to signing the contract EC presented them with last year. What made it so incredibly complicated was that I would start with a question to Read more »
Karen’s Crystal Ball for 2010
January 13, 2010 | 3 CommentsBefore I go blabbing about my predictions for the next year, I want to make it clear that by no means am I a reliable fortune teller. I am also no gambler (been to Vegas five times and never once even put a coin in a slot machine), so these anticipations of things that may come to pass are not attached to any wagering or Read more »
Hello 2010!
January 6, 2010 | No CommentsHappy new year everyone. I hope you welcomed in this second decade of the third millennium in the style that best suits your individual tastes. My blog on Horse-Canada.com continues into 2010, which promises to be an exciting year with WEG finally to take place on the west side of the Atlantic for the first time. My official blog posting day throughout 2010 will be Read more »
New Zealand’s Total Awesomeness - Part 2
December 17, 2009 | 4 CommentsNot that the pot hasn’t been getting stirred in Horse Land – and I’ll get to that in a bit – but last week I did start a top ten list that begs to be completed. I’m still struck by how this two island country in the South Pacific can simultaneously feel so different and yet so familiar. Culturally it feels a bit like Europe Read more »
Top Ten Reasons NZL is Awesome! (Part 1)
December 9, 2009 | 2 CommentsI hope you can forgive me, but I don’t want to talk about horses today. I haven’t been near the internet for a week; the only news that has filtered through to my holiday-addled brain, thanks to Read more »
Circus-Circus
December 2, 2009 | 3 CommentsI don’t mean the Vegas casino - I’m talking about all the ridiculous things going on right now. If anyone out there was thinking of producing a reality show based on the equestrian world, now would be an excellent time to do so. Here are a few topics that would make excellent candidates for the pilot episode: Dubai’s credit crunch: with his multi-billion dollar Read more »
He Said, She Said, NSAID
November 28, 2009 | 2 CommentsWhere to start? I thought last year’s FEI General Assembly was a sizzler, but compared to last week’s pow-wow in Copenhagen, 2008 was a snooze fest. Top of the shit list this year: the Clean Sport Commission’s decision to allow the presence of things like bute and banamine in horses at FEI competitions, and the ‘yay’ vote from 53 national federations (there were 48 ‘nays’) to usher in Read more »
Yes I’m still here
November 14, 2009 | No CommentsI’ve been getting emails from a few people who are wondering where I’ve gone. I haven’t gone anywhere, but I had hoped that the ‘books’ I wrote on the GDF would have kept you hounds at bay. No such luck, apparently. There is much going on in Canada-land right now for me to share, and the FEI General Assembly meeting marathon gets under way next Read more »
The Bonus, the Malus, and the Ugly
October 31, 2009 | 8 CommentsGood morning! As promised, here are some further ruminations on the GDF. A quick side-note – or rather, a long side-note. Every year I interview Joep Bartels on the second day of the Forum. The event is his baby, having been dreamt up by him almost a decade ago; it’s held at his farm; and he is the Chair of the Program Committee. So I Read more »
Global Transgressions, Part I
October 30, 2009 | 5 CommentsGreetings and apologies to all of you who have been waiting so patiently for my GDF report. I am at last in America-land where the internet is free and fast. I had intended to start posting detailed coverage on Wednesday, after a refreshing night’s sleep to recover from two intense days that left me feeling like a goose having its liver fattened for a foie gras harvest Read more »
