Good 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 […]
Greetings 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 […]
After the FEI came out with its report that there was no scientific evidence that riding a horse in hyperflexion had detrimental physical effects (they also concluded that much more extensive and expensive research would be necessary to determine if there was the risk of psychological damage), the whole furor over roll kur died down – I […]
Before I burrow my head into the GDF like a tick into its victim’s soft, pliable flesh, I’ll share with you the story of the mystery person I visited yesterday at his charming home-with-studio near Utrecht: none other than the artiste de kür himelf. Cees Slings had extended an invitation to visit him any time I […]
After a few relaxing, jet-lagged days spent following Colin Farrell’s bad-boy footprints around the medieval streets ‘in Bruges’, I have arrived in Holland rested and ready to absorb all that comes my way at the Global Dressage Forum. Of course I’m looking forward to the whole darned thing, but a couple of sessions hold especial intrigue, […]
Just a quickie to remind you all that I’ll be posting several times over the following ten days as I head to Holland for the Global Dressage Forum. It’s always an honour to be an invited journalist, and this year is extra-exciting. I am anticipating a terrific event next week – after last year’s ‘calm before […]
The Canadian flag, that is. I was starting to wonder if I would ever get to say good things about Dressage in this country again (except of course, for the individual achievements of those talented people who have managed to reach for the stars in spite of our federation’s dysfunctions). Yes, I’m talking about the […]
What with all the shenanigans going on in the breakaway republic of Alberta, I’ve accumulated quite a few bits that haven’t made it to this page yet – so today I bring them to you in an ‘apropos of nothing at all’ installment of random items. The biggest news (which would have been a scoop if […]
Who says separatism is dead? In the September issue of Pacific & Prairie Horse Journal, the abyss that yawns between Equine Canada and the Alberta Equestrian Federation is spelled out in words that are well-spiced, but far from minced. In an open letter response to the grenades AEF lobbed at EC in its summer […]
It’s getting easier and easier to watch equestrian sports without having to leave the comfort of home. I resisted the temptation (and the persuasion of a couple of buddies) to get myself to Spruce Meadows for the Masters this past weekend; my decision to stay home was made easy by the fact that last week […]
