about karen

Karen Crommelin is a Level 2 Equestrian Australia Dressage Coach and FEI rider.  She is a highly knowledgeable coach, coach educator and warmblood breeder.

foundations & accreditations

Karen began riding as a very small child. She competed at pony club and successfully hacked at Royal Shows in her teens. Over the many years of her riding career she has been fortunate to train in Germany with excellent coaches and in Australia with the best coaches, both local and international. She brings this depth of knowledge to her own coaching and endeavors to continue to grow as a rider, coach and judge for the benefit of her horses and students.  

In 1999 Karen became accredited as an EA Level 1 (non jumping) coach. She has been actively coaching since that time. In 2009 she completed her EA Level 2 (dressage specialist) coach accreditation and in 2014 became a coach educator.

Competing Elite Rouge Homme

Competing Elite Destiny, August 2020

coaching & training

Karen coaches both children and adults and is particularly interested in following riders through the progression from novice riders to competing in official dressage classes. As a competitive dressage rider herself she believes she has a lot to offer her students both in training and preparing their horses for competition but also preparing them mentally for the stresses of competition.

She follows a classical system of training with the emphasis on the correct way of the horse going to preserve the purity of its paces. Adherence to the German training scale is an important part of this process. She also firmly believes that the position and aids of the rider are paramount and without a disciplined rider success will never be achieved. Achieving a balanced and harmonious rider position therefore is an important part of her coaching.

With Elite Destiny

Elite Rouge Homme, AWHA State Dressage Champion 2012

clinics & judging

Karen has conducted clinics for pony clubs, schools and dressage groups. She has been heavily involved with coaching dressage to many interschool teams including Fairholme and Glennie schools on the Darling Downs and has been instrumental in producing a number of State and National Interschool champions. In addition to coaching many dressage riders she has also coached successful eventers in their dressage phase.

Karen is an EA Level B dressage judge, judging up to Prix St Georges/Intermediate 1 Level. She is a qualified EA Young Horse Judge in Australia. Judging keeps her up to date with her sport and involved in a continuous education process. She also regards it as her contribution to the sport as a volunteer.

Starting young horses correctly

Looking relaxed with Didi (Elite Destiny)