Meet our team...
KAREN ORIS
breeder, rider & coach
My journey in horses started at a young age, despite coming from a family with no background in the equestrian world. From the very beginning, I knew that horses and showjumping were more than a passion — I wanted to build my career around them.
At just 15, I bought my first horse with the money I earned from a summer job. A year later, I took my first steps into breeding. What started with breeding one horse a year gradually grew into a professional breeding programme, and today we raise between 6 and 10 foals annually at OK Stables.
Building the business from the ground up also meant combining my passion with hard work. Alongside riding and breeding, I started teaching young riders after school. I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed coaching and helping riders develop their skills, confidence and partnership with their horses. That passion for coaching has remained an important part of my career ever since.
Today, I am proud to have built OK Stables in Lille, Belgium into a professional breeding and sport stable. We develop our own homebred horses alongside horses owned by our clients, while coaching riders from different backgrounds and countries at international level.
Some of my most memorable achievements have come with horses bred by ourselves. Among them are competing my homebred 9-year-old gelding Ino Uno D'Or in the 1.55m CSI4* Grand Prix at Sentower Park, and achieving international 2* and 3* victories with my homebred mare Mali D'Or.
Another personal highlight was being named Best Belgian Female Rider in the 2023 Gold & Diamond Grand Prix, earning qualification for the Belgian Championships at the World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Lanaken and at Jumping Mechelen.
As our breeding programme continued to develop, with a strong generation of homebred young horses coming through, I made the strategic decision to dedicate more of my time to producing our own young horses and developing the next generation of sport horses — alongside my coaching programme.
Today, breeding, sport and coaching form the three pillars of my work. Through individual training, competition coaching and clinics abroad, I aim to share my experience and passion for showjumping with riders at every level, from developing young talents to international competitors.
From building my first stable from scratch to developing horses, riders and a breeding programme for the future — the journey continues.
STEF ORIS
stablemanagement & breeding
After retiring from his professional career, Stef chose to dedicate his time and experience to OK Stables, where he now plays an important role behind the scenes.
As the father of Karen, Stef has proudly supported her journey and her ambition to build a career in showjumping. Today, he remains a key part of the team, helping turn that ambition into reality.
Managing our breeding programme and the daily care of the stable, facilities and horses has become a full-time commitment.
Stef oversees the entire breeding process, from the first stages of selecting and monitoring our mares together with the fertility veterinarian, through pregnancy and foaling, to the daily care and development of our foals and young horses.
He follows each horse closely during its early years, ensuring that they receive the right care, handling and preparation before eventually moving to the sport stable, where Karen takes over their further education and development towards a career in showjumping.
Stef's dedication and experience are an essential part of the foundation on which OK Stables is built.
