Texting with: Marit Haarr Skollerud Cox
She is married to Karel Cox and together the showjumping power couple run a sales- and trainingstable in Belgium. Marit loves the process of developing a horse, misses Norwegian food living abroad, and believes that focusing on the details is the key to mentally prepare for the competition ring!
Published:
February 5th, 2022
/ photo: private
Hi, Marit! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello, Cavalier! Absolutely! I’m 35 years old and I run a business together with my husband, Karel Cox, in Hechtel-Eksel, Belgium, where we live with our son Marius. I have previously represented Norway at the European Championship in Gothenburg and World Equestrian Games in Tryon, to mention some.
You work as a professional show jumper in Belgium. How did you end up in Belgium?
After been working four years for Leon Thijssen (an international Dutch rider) I decided to start a business for myself in the Netherlands. A few months later I met Karel, and we wanted to do something together. I moved to Belgium, and the rest is history ;-)
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Sounds like a fairy tale! You run Karel Cox Horses together with your husband. Can you tell us a little about your business concept?
Our business started about 10 years ago. Karel had just built a new indoor arena, right next to his parent’s place, with a stable on each side. We started with a few trading horses and some young horses. After a few years of hard work, we got some great sponsors. The same sponsors are still an important part of our team today. Our core business is that we buy young or unexperienced horses, and we build them up to their best level before selling them. We are very fortunate with our sponsors and horse owners who allows us to keep the extra talented horses a bit longer. This allows us to compete in the sport. But foremost we are a trading stable.
How many horses do you ride a day? Is there one (or more) horse that is a little more special/closer to your heart at the moment?
I normally ride 4-6 horses a day. Managing the stable is also an important part of my everyday work. I don’t have a favourite horse to be honest. I like them all! And they are all very different. But I do have two very good nine-year-old horses which are promising:
Nelson van 't Roosakker, by Zandor Z. We own him together with my father, Tore Skollerud. Nelson is such a fighter, and always want to jump clear.
The other one is owned by Paul van de Bosch, who also owns Dublin van Overis, the horse I rode in Tryon. Nemo is not the easiest horse to ride. He has a lot of power and he is a big horse, which honestly is a bit challenging for me. But then I get even more motivated to make it work!
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Why show jumping?
I started with dressage as a pony rider because my mother (Guri Haarr) did dressage. But i thought it was quite boring and wanted more action. So, I swapped to show jumping and never looked back.
Sounds like show jumping is perfect for you then! Can you describe yourself as a rider with three words?
Hard working, motivated and patient.
Working full time as an equestrian is truly a lifestyle. What keeps you motivated?
I just love to the process of developing a horse. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an older, but unexperienced, horse, a youngster or a “difficult” horse. I’ve had several horses over the past 10 years that I made from scratch and who turned out to be great athletes in the sport. This gives me a lot of motivation! I’m very fortunate to work with my passion.
What do you miss the most with your home country, Norway?
My family, friends, and Norwegian food.
What would you have told yourself 10 years ago?
Don't give up! Keep working for your dreams.
Sounds like you listened to your 10 year-older-yourself at that time! Are there any jumping exercises you swear to when training a horse?
I like to do “in and outs” - this exercise makes the horses more coordinated and clever towards the fences. Playing with poles and cavalettes is also great - Focus on variation and have fun with your horse!
A good horse needs a great mentality and a cleverness regarding the fences. Scoop is also important, but if they are careful and have a good mentality, you never know what they can jump in the end.
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Favourite event destination?
I was in Spruce Meadows when my husband was a part of the Belgian team. The show is very great and quite traditional. I love it!
3 things you always bring with you to the stable?
Food, water and a good mood.
Do you get nervous before competitions? If so, how do you work mentally before competitions?
I don't have a lot of nerves before a competition. I make sure that everything is how I wanted it to be - it’s all in the details. I ride my horses before a class, to feel how they are and I spend a lot of time in the warm up arena.
Favorite TV-show?
I actually prefer movies but Narcos is a good TV-show.
Goals for 2022?
I want to ride a Nations cup. I started this season in Oliva, in January, to prepare my horses for the upcoming season. Things look bright!
Where are you in 10 years?
In 10 years, we are still living in Hechtel Eksel at our farm, building new stables, a new indoor arena, and a house. I hope we’ve had success in the show jumping arena, and that we have won a Nations Cup or a Championship :-)
