Biography

arguably Belgium’s most successful event rider. Karin last competed at Badminton in 2010 and at Burghley in 2014.

Karin began riding as a nine-year-old through the Pony Club and competed in Junior European and Young Rider Championships being 14th and 12th respectively. Her breakthrough to top level eventing came at Saumur 1992 where she was third (Britt), a result that led to her selection for the Olympic Games in Barcelona where the Belgian team took fourth place and she was eighth individually. She has since competed in five more Olympic Games (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 &’16) being ninth in Bejiing in 2008 with Gazelle de la Brasserie who she rode in London to 15th place. The pair was also fourth place at the World Equestrian Games at Lexington in 2010. Much of her success has been with homebred horses, descendants of her first Olympic horse Britt, such as Palmyra and Jenna.

Karin now rides the Chilli Morning daughter Jalapeno (ex Shaab) bred by Nick Gauntlett; the pair won the CIC2* and was 2^nd in the CIC3* in Barroca d’Alva in March.

Karin trains with Stefan Hollanders (dressage) and Grant Wilson (jumping)

Fletcha van’t Verahof, owned by Carl Bouckaert, Joris de Brabander and rider, is a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding. He is by former showjumping World Champion Vigo D’Arsouilles (winner of the gold medal at the 2010 WEG) also the sire of Karin’s former four-star mare Lamicell Unique. Fletcha is out of the thoroughbred mare Southern Queen by South Gale. Karin previously rode the full brother to Fletcha and acquired Fletcha as a five-year-old from the breeder who thought he might be the better one. In 2014 the pair was 5^th in the WEG and in 2016 contested the Olympic Games but was eliminated.