Leah Curley

If the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the Stanley Cup playoffs of the Canadian Road Horse scene, as Dale Salisbury describes it, Robin U Blind is its MVP. The ten-year-old gelding swept all three classes in 2024, including the Canadian wagon championship, which judges speed, precision and elegance across three gaits: Jog, Road Gait and Drive On.

And he’s a beauty. A horse that’s all heart Standing 16 hands tall in his stall, Robin (Robbie, at home) is a big, handsome bay. Hitched up and in motion, he is absolute poetry. If that weren’t enough, he is also the friendliest, most affectionate fellow you’ll ever meet.

“He loves everybody, ” says Dale’s father Howard Salisbury, talking about the connection essential to a successful equestrian relationship.

“When you look at your horse and he looks back at you, that’s your connection. Robbie connects with everyone. He looks forward to people coming into thebarn. He’s all heart.”

Location, location, location.

Howard attributes much of Robbie’s success to their location. “We train from Maple Terrace up to Stukely Road. Going up and down the hills builds muscle and a lot of wind.”

There’s no doubt Robbie is buff, and it draws envious questions from competitors at shows, who generally train on flat tracks. Grace and speed are the results of all that muscle, but while Robin U Blind would likely do well on the racetrack, the Salisburys have no intention of exposing him to that kind of physical or emotional stress.

“He’s a pet,” says Howard. He may steal the show, but he also steals hearts.