Halie Robinson and Simba de Vinck Make Magic in $100,000 Hunter Spectacular
Robinson and the 8-year-old Simba de Vinck rise to the occasion to claim a long-awaited victory in Traverse City.
Halie Robinson knew her mount Simba de Vinck’s time for a major win was coming, and her belief came to fruition Saturday night of week two of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders, as they topped an impressive 58 entries in the $100,000 USHJA Hunter Spectacular—Central Presented by Frank & Eileen.
Together, the pair captured the highest score of round one, wowing the judges late in the order at the 3’9” fence height, earning a 92. That score secured their position as the final pair to return for the handy round, where the dream became reality.
“I really wanted today to go well,” said Robinson, who hails from Santa Barbara, CA. “I wanted to focus on the feeling out here and give him whatever he needed. One thing I trust about my horse is no matter what the challenge is he’s always going to rise to the occasion. We’ve been the bridesmaid a couple times at big events, which is great, but it is really nice to finally do it.”
Despite being only 8 years old, Simba de Vinck showed the consistency Robinson believed would pave the way for a winning performance in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring. The horse felt a sense of ease jumping around Joe Carnicorn’s decorated derby track, and with each fence Simba showed more of his impressive style and flair.
“I was happy to have the privilege of coming back on top,” Robinson reflected of the often pressure-inducing position. “I didn’t feel like I had too much left to do so I was happy to have that pressure.”
As a rider who performs extremely well under pressure, Robinson knew she simply had to duplicate what had already impressed the judges – Scott Williams, Kristen Chance, Phillip Long, and Andrea Wells – the first time.
“I really liked my first round,” Robinson elaborated. “He jumped consistently and stayed really relaxed the whole time so I wanted to make that my goal for the handy round as well. Every day he’s a little better and better and we know each other more and more. He’s so special and unique that those little details take some time to come together. He’s just incredible.”
The crowd went wild for Robinson and Simba after both rounds, impressed by the Belgian Warmblood gelding’s exuberant jumping style and Robinson’s expert riding.
“He’s a celebrity for sure,” she shared. “I think he’s like riding a hunter with a mix of gymnastics sport involved at the same time. He’s so spectacular. The feeling is so great. [I want to thank] everyone involved with this horse but especially Guillermo [Gonzalez Guajardo] and Luciana [Gonzalez So] for trusting me in this whole process.”
Simba’s owners placed all their trust in Robinson when the opportunity to try the horse arose.
“When we bought him, Lu was out of the country at the time, and we all felt it was worth jumping at the opportunity to own him,” Robinson explained. “We’ve all stayed committed to doing right by the horse and focusing on the development for the long term and not just the near future. I feel like this is really just the beginning for him.”
The rest of Simba’s summer calendar will focus on USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships in Kentucky in August, where Robinson hopes to continue proving what a star the horse already is.
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