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.
Visit my other blog for Horse Sport International: Low Down.
Medals For Everyone!
So the FEI launched its latest greatest series last weekend, its Nations’ Cup Dressage series. Rotterdam and Aachen already offer team competitions a la Nations Cup-style, so the FEI just tacked one on the front (Vidauban, France) and one on
In memory of Jon Costin
It was with shock and sadness that I learned of Jon’s unexpected passing earlier this week. I did not know Jon well, but I do have a vivid memory of our first meeting, because he was the first international dressage
London Schmundon!
I thought I would be posting this yesterday, but due to some mysterious British logic, Badminton’s show jumping round was today and not on the ‘traditional’ Day of the Sun. And I certainly didn’t want to jinx Rebecca and Rupert by gushing
View from the Summit
The Dressage Summit, that is. No, I didn’t go. I wasn’t even invited, which doesn’t surprise me THAT much, given my muckraking ways. Believe it or not, though, no one is more keen to write good news about Canadian dressage
Coming Up on Straight-Up
Given that I’ve kept you all in the dark these past couple of weeks, I thought I ought to let you know what you can look forward to here on Straight-Up over the spring and summer. I plan on catching
Odd Job
Today’s post is only peripherally connected to actual horses, but I feel compelled both to explain and garner your sympathy for my failure to keep you entertained over the past couple of weeks. Two days ago, I performed one of
Hopping Away for the Holidays
For those of you who will accept nothing less than a weekly post, here is today’s, which is really just a glorified auto-reply that I’m out of my kitchen office for Easter. I’m off to recharge my batteries on a
One Final Flogging
You know that old cliché, “kicking someone when they’re down”? Or how about “adding insult to injury”? Or “flogging a dead horse”? Well, just roll them all together and you have something that approximates what came down the FEI communications
Countdown to Normandy
What, you ask? Countdown to Normandy, which is still – according to the Normandy 2014 website – 525 days away? Why of course! Preparing for the second most important championship after the Olympics starts a long, long time before the
It’s all about Bromont, bro’
Last week the FEI issued a press release filled with invisible smiley emoticons about the Bromont bid proposal they ever so graciously heard in Lausanne. The first thought that crossed my mean little mind was that, just a few years