Leading the victory gallop of the Grand Prix at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON, on October 3rd, Kelley Robinson found herself in a uniquely rewarding position. The win came aboard Blue’s Yer Daddy, the 13-year-old gelding she’d bred and trained herself and whose dam is Esprit de Lys, the mare with whom she’d won team gold at the North American Young Riders Championships 20 years ago.
Esprit de Lys was purchased when Robinson (nee Small) was 16 and the mare became her first 1.40m horse. “Esprit was very special,” Robinson remembers fondly, “but she was a lot of horse for me as a 16-year-old. She was almost impossible to mount, couldn’t be ridden to or from the ring, was very spooky and oftentimes she felt like you were riding a runaway train.
“That being said, she had a heart of gold and she taught me a lot of skills that I use today. She would jump no matter what and try her best to jump clean, no matter how many mistakes I made.”