Aboard 3P Equine Partners LLC’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Halie Robinson has likely amassed enough blue ribbons to get tangled up in them. During Desert Holiday 2, Robinson and Tangled Up In Blue added two more first-place ribbons to their collection on their way to taking home the High Performance Hunter division championship.
Robinson’s tricolor victory comes amidst a week of particularly top-tier hunter competition, as Desert Holiday 2 marks the first World Championship Hunter Rider Week of the 2024-2025 Desert International Horse Park season.
“She was great today!” said Robinson of Tangled Up In Blue after the pair earned a win with a score of 89 and the championship on Thursday, December 12. “She’s so natural with all of it. I feel like I know her now like the back of my hand. I always just try to not mess up on her because she does everything right. She’s so easy; you could ride her with your eyes closed. There’s nothing that phases her. She knows how to do it herself.”
Robinson has had the ride on “Piper” for roughly a year and a half, and for her, the mare’s care and happiness are top priorities.
“She felt great today. I’m so thankful to the people who take care of her, because with her being a little bit older, it’s always amazing to me, every single day, she feels like she’s getting younger,” said Robinson. “For me, that’s really nice because I just want all of them to be enjoying their jobs and feeling good and all of that. It’s always a treat when she gets to go out and feel that great.”
One part of Robinson’s keys to success and Piper’s happiness is incorporating variety. On Friday, December 13, Robinson and Tangled Up In Blue will switch into equitation mode to contest the $20,000 DIHP Pro Equitation Challenge, presented by Core Specialty.
“It’s my favorite thing in the world; I think it’s Piper’s favorite also,” said Robinson of the equitation. “She likes to keep things interesting, and I love doing the equitation with the pro classes that they have here. She won the $50,000 class last year, which was a blast under the lights. She’s so good at it. We just put her in a pelham and go for it. She’s so smart and so scopey, and she’s so brave. She has all the qualities to make a great horse at any job. I really think there’s nothing she can’t do.”
Robinson continued, “Obviously, in the hunters, we do the same thing over and over again, and I think it keeps her interested. The most important thing for me since she is a little bit older is just that she enjoys her job every day, and I think that’s a great way to do it, to keep it interesting.”
Finishing as the reserve champions in the High Performance Hunters behind Robinson and Tangled Up In Blue were Joie Gatlin and Oslo.
In the Green Hunter 3’9” division, the championship went to Tara Metzner and Saint, owned by Tammy Williams. Metzner and 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding swept three of the division’s over fences classes before taking home the championship honor. Finishing as the reserve champions were Nick Haness and Mardi Gras.
Haness also earned tricolors in the Green Hunters 3’6” and the Green Conformation Hunters aboard Clear As Day, owned by Balmoral Farm. The 8-year-old Westphalian gelding dominated the Green Conformation Hunters, winning three out of the four over fences classes and also taking home wins in the under saddle and the model. Finishing as the reserve champions were Geoffrey Hesslink and Chapel Hill, owned by Colleen Harp.
WCHR competition continues through Sunday, December 15, at the Desert International Horse Park. For a full schedule, click here.
