Robina Youngman - Robbie to her friends, is the look alike mum of Victoria's rising dressage star Emma Youngman.  I have had the pleasure of quite a few friendly conversations with Robbie, and have marvelled at her positive input and active support - always smiling, one cannot underestimate this contribution to Emma's success.

I was delighted when Robbie agreed to help me deliver the 'first' of our Cyberhorse - The Virtual Equestrian - Rider Profiles.

I would like to add that Emma's attitudes, dedication and ability are not so difficult to understand, once you have spent some time with Robbie.  She is indeed inspirational, her strength and determination have enabled her to cope with the loss of her husband (Emma and Harry's dad) when she was in her early thirties, take over the running of a 9000 acre sheep and cattle property and successfully rear her two young children as a sole parent - no mean feat.  Well done Robbie!!

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My Profile on Emma
By her Mother, Robbie Youngman  (The very end of 1999)

Emma and her brother Harry (two years older) grew up on the family's property, 45 km's south west of Hamilton in Victoria's western district.   Emma was a very bright child and was able to read from the age of  3.  She loved her horse books and began to read about horse riding activities, her first ambitions for Olympic selection came from these books, in fact much of her riding tuition has came from books!  Emma has a great capacity to take in knowledge and store the important points and necessary detail.

Emma was given her first pony at aged three (her age, not the pony's!), she was a little young to do anything much except for the endless laps around the meathouse - I think the pony eventually bucked her off.   School holidays and weekends usually involved horse riding, pony club and showing.

The tyranny of distance meant that formal education was completed at several boarding schools to year 12, in 1985.  Emma started work for a travel agent in Hamilton. She then moved to Melbourne and worked as a receptionist for a sports marketing firm who were involved in horse racing and football.  Although Emma is quite shy she is also very independent and found little difficulty making friends and fitting in with others - she has the very endearing quality of being able to make good of all situations.

In 1989 I chartered an aircraft in order to attend a bull sale,  this was the point when Emma knew that she wanted to learn to fly.  I guess it was not surprising... before Emma's father died, he used to fly everywhere with young Harry and Emma, and interestingly her grandfather flew in World War 1 for the Royal Flying Corps. He was also one of the founding directors of Ansett Airways - so there has been a pretty strong family link with aviation!

Emma gained her commercial pilots licence in 1991 and commenced work in Wagga, flying freight around the Riverina.  Her aptitude for homemaking was well and truly put to the test, as her work meant 15 moves around New South Wales and Sydney.  She started work with her current employer, Kendall Airlines in 1994 and was first based in Adelaide.  In 1995 she transferred to Melbourne and moved to Mount Macedon.

Emma has been most fortunate as her boss at Kendall Airlines Max Langshaw, was a competitive cyclist, having represented Australia at World Championships and Commonwealth Games level.  He understands Emma's goals, and is extremely supportive of her equestrian endeavours.

The move to Mount Macedon enabled Emma to re-acquaint herself with Mary Hanna - they first met in 1989 when we purchased a young horse - Hollybrook Anton - from her.  Anton was bred by Berni Saunders and was by her anglo arab stallion Amman Nial, out of a Flaneur line warmblood mare.   On this horse Emma hoped to take riding more seriously.

Mary and Emma seemed to strike up an understanding, she decided to 'get into' dressage by purchasing a Medium level schoolmaster - Kia McOhl. 

Our family has always been very close and at this point, Emma's dressage became a family interest.  Major decisions and acquisitions were made after careful consideration by all of us.

In 1995 Jahnus was purchased from Clemens Dierks.  Jahnus was then 4 years old -  a lovely horse imported from New Zealand.  He is by Jaguar - a warmblood stallion originally standing at Belcam Stud in Queensland, and later exported to New Zealand.   Emma has trained the horse on from his early start with Judy Dierks, and they have progressed successfully through the ranks and won various championships at Medium level.  Jahnus won the Australian Warmblood Horse Association's -  National Warmblood Dressage Horse competition at the 1997 Victorian Gala Weekend at Werribee Park. We were enormously proud of them, and very excited that we can now start to plan to have a Youngman on the Australian Olympic Dressage Team - perhaps not in 2000, but god willing - 2004.

In the period from 1995 to 1999 Emma drew upon her great ability to learn, and embarked upon a learning curve to improve her dressage knowledge, training skills and competition experience. Her determination to succeed enabled 1998 to become a real milestone - Emma and Jahnus had their first start at Grand Prix - and they did it together!

Kia McOhl was sold,  Emma hates to sell her horses, but in this case we were delighted that he went to a loving home in Dubbo, New South Wales. 

Emma was keen to learn as much as she could, as quickly as she could,  and she took very seriously the words of Kyra Kyrklund, who - when visiting Australia, said to Emma, "there is nothing like an established older horse to help you to learn the correct way of doing the movements", and so, Korsakow was purchased.  He arrived in Macedon from Belgium in February in 1997. "Kossy" was at Prix St. George level and was able to help Emma with the finer points of FEI training and test riding.   Over the next twelve months, the combination were very successful and placed well at the 1998 Victorian Final of the FEI International Challenge.  From this success they qualified for the Australasian Final which was held in Queensland, but unfortunately Emma's work commitments prevented them from taking part.

In 1998, we decided that Emma should take advantage of an invitation by Kyra Kyrklund, to make the trip to Sweden to look at a young black stallion that was owned and ridden by one of her pupils, Pernille Andre.  Rasputin (born 1992) had won the 1997 and 1998 Swedish Young Horse Championships - known as the Breeders' Trophy.  For Emma, their meeting was love at first sight, and  Rasputin arrived in December 1998. The following season was a very successful  campaign, with 20 wins from 22 starts at Medium level.  Emma has done a wonderful job with Rasputin - they get on so well, and finished off 1999 with wins at Prix St. Georges and Intermediate 1.  Rasputin was included - with Emma and Jahnus, on the National Talent Squad. Other recent highlights for us with Rasputin were Master Classes with European riders Michael Klimke and Kyra Kyrklund.  Michael's session was conducted as part of the AEA Dressage with the Stars event held at Werribee Park in December, 1999.  Michael seemed to genuinely enjoy his ride on Rasputin and commented very favourably on the horse's potential and talent.   Kyra Kyklund also rode Rasputin for her Master class at Equitana Asia Pacific and complemented Emma on the horse's progress under her training.  It was wonderful to hear such positive comments from two well respected international experts.

Korsakow was sold in August 1998 and Australia's Nancy French has the ride - so it was back to Sweden.  Emma has a real love affair going with Sweden and her 'romance' continues with the arrival (in November 1999) of the Grand Prix stallion - Magritte.  He is an older horse and a fantastic athlete - so Emma's learning curve continues as she 'moves up the gears'  towards her 'full on' campaign for the 2004 Olympic Games.

Emma acknowledges that she has been very fortunate to be able to work with Mary Hanna as well as having the opportunity to ride wonderful horses.  There have been many other people who have helped Emma along the way, in particular Clemens Dierks and Harry Boldt.  I know that one of her favourite forms of relaxation is to meet up with these compatible people, and party. She is very strict when flying, though!

To 'round off'  the practical skills that will be necessary to become one of the world's leading dressage riders, Emma plans to implement the advise of fitness and dietary experts, and also that of a sport psychologist, to ensure that she gives herself every opportunity to succeed.  Emma is extremely focussed and will enjoy exploring these relatively new avenues of improving her physical and mental performance.

Emma is passionate about dressage and flying - she says " for me it seems to go back to the thrill of being transported by something that allows you to be there - by the grace of god!!"

Emma also likes to play golf, take holidays, more friends ... and parties ... oh yes,  Emma is extravagant in all things.

Harry, his wife Melinda, the twins Charlie and Sam and I are all very proud of Emma.  Her achievements are a great source of pleasure for all of us and we are behind her all the way to 2004.