I’m not sure what shocks me more about the Telegraph’s latest tale of doping woe that continues to follow Sheikh Mohammed around like a bad smell. Is it the photo showing the Queen dressed like a babushka or is it the sob story headline, ‘Sheikh Mohammed’s son-in-law explains pressures that lead to doping in endurance racing’? The photo is captioned with the phrase ‘Royal approval’. Which
Posts in Karen Robinson
If you didn’t see my post from last week, you might want to take a wander back there before reading today’s, which is an update to the story I wrote about last week, a story that is getting weirder by the minute. First of all, I’d like to give my weekly ‘intrepid reporter’ kudos to Pippa Cuckson, who has posted as a guest here before
Racing: the domain of rich people in silly hats Way back in her first term as FEI Prez, I remember hearing HRH Princess Haya mention that the disciplines of racing and polo were on her radar as potential future FEI family members. Because WEG isn’t big enough already, right? And because equestrian sport isn’t already an exclusive activity reserved for the world’s one percenters. Well,
You’d think that in the world’s most populous country – one with an ‘authoritarian regime’ no less – they could compell some bums into seats, even if it IS to watch third rate show jumping. You’d also think there would be at least one photographer on hand who understands that nose-first is not the most flattering perspective from which to shoot a subject (I’m talking
They’ll eat anything in China. But apparently the people of Beijing will be holding off on the horse, at least until a bunch of top European show jumpers have done their best (or worst) on borrowed equines in the Olympic Bird’s Nest stadium during the fabulously important sounding Longines Beijing Equestrian Masters, set to take China’s first city by storm in late April. A curious
I know I promised a couple of weeks ago that I would leave the drama of Welly World alone until something actually newsworthy (as opposed to gossipworthy) happened. I should have qualified that promise so that it didn’t conflict with my previous promise to bring you the complete interview I conducted last month with (mainly) Mark Bellissimo and (a little tiny bit) Michael Stone. Even
Not to worry, today’s headline is not in reference to me. I have not been hauled off and beaten behind the barn by any of the several parties who might feel tempted to knock my teeth out. No, I’m talking about the sport of Eventing, which has taken a couple of power punches these past ten days. On March 11, in trademark sugar-coated style, the
If you read yesterday’s post, you may recall that one of the UAE Endurance Sinners has an extra long suspension, partly due to the fact that while he was provisionally suspended he continued to attend FEI sanctioned endurance races. He didn’t compete of course, but he was there hanging out. Because I had familiarized myself with the gory details of his 30-plus page case, I
You know, on balance equestrian sport is pretty clean (I’m talking Olympic disciplines – no hunters!), especially compared to the likes of cycling. According to a 2012 study by WADA, cycling was the worst of the 26 Olympic sports, with 3.71% of tests coming back positive for some nasty substance or other. At the other end of the spectrum, Badminton was the squeaky cleanest at
Remember this adorable poster from the seventies? I feel just like that kitten right about now. It doesn’t seem to matter whether I’m actually in Welly World or sitting here at home in my microscopic office-off-the-kitchen. I just can’t keep up. And I’ve tried. Hard. To. Keep. Up. But this latest twist in the plot goes well beyond the category of ‘you can’t make this