Thermal, Calif. – Halie Robinson and Verdad de Milo put the final exclamation point on their exceptional season at Desert Circuit with a win in the $20,000 CWD Young Hunter Championship on Friday, March 13, at Desert International Horse Park.
Halie Robinson and Verdad de Milo. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“It’s a really nice way to culminate the end of the season for the young horses,” said Robinson of the class held in the Main Hunter Ring as part of Desert Circuit 10. “We’ve been doing the 6-and-Under Young Hunter division which offers great consistency for them…The whole timeline here [at DIHP] gives them so much good experience, and then it’s nice to step it up just a little bit at the very end when all the horses are kind of getting the hang of what they’re doing. I have to say, [Verdad de Milo] got the hang of it quite early on, so it was really fun to do him in this class!”
Robinson and Verdad de Milo have been champion or reserve champion every time out in the 3’ Young Hunter 6 & Under division this season, and the 6-year-old American Warmblood rose to the occasion again on Friday. Showing the same consistency he has shown all season, Verdad de Milo earned scores of 88 and 89 in the two-round class to ultimately take home the win with a total score of 177.
Halie Robinson and Verdad de Milo. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Second place with a score of 175.5 (87.5+88) went to Lindsay Stefanko and Nightingale, owned by Proper 12 LLC, and Shauna Pennell and Abbey Road, owned by Leslie Scharf, took home third with a 171.5 (87+84.5) total score.
Robinson began showing her winning mount in November 2025, and she credits Verdad de Milo’s owner and breeder, Katherine Corona, with the horse’s success.
“He’s literally the most perfectly trained horse ever,” said Robinson. “He’s a late turning 6-year-old this year, and he rides like a 12-year-old. You never have to worry about anything with him. He’s just a really great-minded young horse.”
Halie Robinson and Verdad de Milo. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Robinson continued, “There was one time that his fake tail came loose in the round, and no one could believe what a good boy he was. I didn’t even know that it happened, and his owner said, ‘Oh yeah, well I had tarped trained him as a baby, so of course he’s okay with that!’ So, I give full credit to her. She did a great job training him. He developed slowly over time with her. This last year, she wanted him to go to a little bit more of a real hunter program to really start his show record. On the off weeks, he actually goes home back to her farm just to turn out. So, it’s been a really fun partnership so far. He’s the best homebred I’ve ever met before.”
For full results from the $20,000 CWD Young Hunter Championship, click here.