Robin has over 45 years experience with horses and has been riding since the age of 5.  Robin spent most of her early years of riding hunters and then moved on to open jumpers. For the last 25 years, Robin’s passion has been on the development and training of dressage horses. 

Robin is a FEI level competitor and is a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist.  In 2013, Robin graduated from the USDF L Judging Training Program with Distinction and is currently licensed with the  USEF  as a ‘r’ dressage judge. In 2020,  Robin is also an approved young horse trainer by the American Hanoverian Society (AHS).  Robin has also won a USDF Horse of the Year Award and has held other national rankings. Robin has placed at many regional shows and has achieved many other high point show awards and WPDA and TREA year-end awards.  Robin has ridden with many national level clinicians including Laura Graves, Steffan Peters, Jane Savoie, Linda Zang, Walter Zettl, Betsy Steiner, Janet Foy, Jeremy Steinberg, Dolly Hannon “S”.  Robin has been a student of Michael Bragdell of Hilltop Farm, Inc. for the last several years as his training philosophies have been instrumental towards the development of dressage horses at Timber Ridge.

Robin enjoys breeding, training, and showing young horses. Robin has experience showing horses in hand and preparing stallions, mares and foals for AHS  and ISR/Oldenburg breed inspections. Robin has successfully bred, raised, and trained her Hanoverian gelding “Willie B Irish” up to the I-1 level  and other horses to the FEI Level.

Scott Minerva is farm’s Operational Manager and ensures that everything is in tip top shape. Let me publicly brag here about our other farm assistants who take pride in their work to ensure the health and happiness of our equines.

Here are a few of the latest achievements:

2020
Accepted into the USEF “R” Judges Program

Achieved Gold Medal aboard Witness Hilltop

TREA Year-end Champion at Grand Prix

2019
Completed requirements to apply for USEF “R” Judges Training Program

2018
          Participated in the USDF Sport Horse Judging Seminar, DG Bar Ranch, California

2017

           Successfully passed the USEF “r” Judges Training Program

WPDA  Year-End Reserve Champion at I-1 with Willie B Irish

2016   

WPDA Year-End Champion at Training Level with O’Pierre

WPDA Year-End Reserve Champion at PSG with Willie B Irish

WPDA Year-End Reserve Champion at I-1 with Willie B Irish

WPDA Year-End Champion Southworth Memorial Musical Freestyle Award

O’Pierre – 2016 Reserve National Champion- FEI Five Year Old – ISR Oldenburg and ranked 20th overall in the Nation. Training Levels scores as high as 78%

Willie B Irish – 2016 AHS ranked 31st in PSG and 15th at I-1

2015   

Accepted into the USEF “r” Dressage Judges Training Program

              Willie B Irish – Fifth Place – Regional Championships- 4th Level Musical Freestyle

              O’Pierre – Participated in FEI Test for Four Year Olds

2014    

WPDA Year-End Champion at PSG and Musical Freestyle Levels 1-4  (Fourth Level)

               BLM Championship – 3rd Place 4th Level Musical Freestyle

               WPDA Summer Sizzler  – High Point – PSG

               WPDA High Point Champion at 4th level on both days of the recognized June Show

               Obtained all riding scores needed to apply for USEF “r” dressage judge (5 scores of 65% or more at 4th level or higher)

Participant in the Edgar Hotz Memorial Judges Roundtable, NJ

2013      

Robin Birk and Westin Moon served as demo horse and rider for a nationally printed article in the December 2013 Equine Journal .
This article written by Natalie DeFee Mendik called “Steps to the Top”, won American Horse Publications’ annual Editorial and Graphics Awards as best instructional article in its circulation class.

WPDA Year-End Champion – Training Level

             NODA July Show high point champion at Training Level and High Point Hanoverian of the Show

             USDF L Judging Program – Graduated with Distinction

             Earned USDF University Certificate for continuing education

2012     

WPDA Year-End Reserve Champion – Pre St. Georges

             Earned USDF Silver Medal

             Earned USDF Training Level Certificate of Performance for Westin Moon

2010     

BLM Championships – 10th at Training Level, 6th at Third Level, and 4th at Fourth Level

             WPDA Year-End Champion at Training Level and Reserve Champion at 4th Level.
             
             USDF Horse of the Year Champion – Appaloosa – Training Level

2009     

WPDA Year-End Reserve Champion at 2nd and 3rd Levels

             USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award and Second Level Certificate of Performance for Willie B Irish

             Earned USDF Bronze Medal

2008     

WPDA Year-End Champion at 1st and 2nd Levels

Selected as a demo rider for the USDF Adult Series Clinic with Jane Savoie at Hilltop

2006    

Rode Willie B Irish in the USEF Markel Young Horse Championship Qualifier Series (FEI 4-year old Young Horse Tests) and finished 30th nationally

2007     

WPDA Year-End Champion at 1st Level

             USDF First Level Rider Performance Award and First Level Certificate of Performance for Willie B Irish

2004     

Selected as a Demo rider for the USDF Adult Series Clinic with Walter Zettl at Lake Erie College

             Dressage Sport Horse Breeding (DSHB) – Horse of the Year (HOY) – Willie B Irish is Ranked 17th nationally – 2 year old colt/geldings. Qualified for the Regional DSHB Championships

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Contact Robin Birk and let her bring out the best in your equine partner and improve your riding abilities!