Tales from Tokyo: ‘I tried banking – but dressage is the greatest joy of my life’

Pippa Roome's avatar
By
Published In Features
Dong Seon Kim on Belstaff at the Tokyo Olympics.
Dong Seon Kim on Belstaff at the Tokyo Olympics.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Korean Olympic dressage rider Dong Seon Kim started at his second Olympic Games today – but a year ago, he had given up dressage to work in banking.

“I worked in private equity in Korea for a while, but it wasn’t my thing,” said the 32-year-old rider, who retired from the sport after the Florida spring season in 2020.

Pippa Roome
Pippa Roome
Magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.