Sam Walker
Photo Credit: Starting Gate Communications
During his first competition of the fall/winter season, 2019 EC Junior Equestrian of the Year Sam Walker reasserted his dominance with his tried-and-true partner, MarBill Hill Farm’s Coralissa (Com Air x San Patrignano Corrado). The Nobleton, ON, native and 10-year-old Holsteiner mare won the $1,000 Bainbridge 1.40m CSI 3* at the Equestrian Sport Productions Pre-Charity Show, held in Wellington, FL, on Nov. 12. A clear jump-off round completed in 26.96 seconds was enough to edge out Japan’s Shota Ogomori and Sig Hawkeye’s time of 27.06 seconds.
Kathryn Robinson
Kathryn Robinson of Edmonton, AB, made her mark on the winner’s circle at the 2020 Desert Dressage show in Thermal, CA. Riding Forget-Me-Not (Valdez x Olympic Ferro), Carol Robinson’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, she started her winning streak in the CDI-Y Team Competition on Nov. 13 with a score of 65.794%. Two days later, the pair scored 68.733% in the CDI-Y Freestyle for another first-place finish.
The following week, Kathryn and Forget-Me-Not returned to the Desert Dressage grounds. On Nov. 20, they won the CDI-Y Team Competition with 66.588% before scooping up first with 65.580% in the CDI-Y Freestyle on Nov. 22.
Michelle Filsinger
In the Desert Dressage CDI-Am division, Michelle Filsinger, a Canadian living in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, won the Prix St. Georges on Nov. 20 after posting a score of 62.882% riding Bellmeier (Belissimo M x Weltmeyer). The duo came back on Nov. 21 for the Intermediate I, once again claiming first on a score of 63.941% to round out a successful first-ever weekend of FEI competition for Michelle and her 10-year-old Westphalian stallion.
Claire Robinson
Kathryn’s sister and fellow Edmonton resident, Claire, also made a splash at the Desert Dressage show. On Nov. 22, she rode her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Glamour Boy (Bojengel x Jazz), to the winning tune of 65.745% in the CDI-U25 Grand Prix Freestyle.