The 3 & 4 Year Old Pre-Green Hunters returned to the Equine Tack & Nutritionals Ring 6 Thursday in an effort to take home the tricolor ribbon for Week 5 of the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival. Seven horse-and-rider combinations entered the ring for the division’s under saddle and final over fences class. Returning in top standing, Wellington native Victoria Colvin piloted Melissa Burns’ Cake Walk to the champion title with a total of 31 points across the division.
Victoria Colvin and Cake Walk. Photo © Sportfot
The win was a “cake walk” for the four-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding (Hero’s Tribute x Inka W) and Colvin as the pair captured the win in two of three over fences classes. They placed fifth in the remaining jumping class and also won the under saddle. With all classes completed, the duo took the top spot by more than 10 points above the reserve champion. Steve Gregorio and the Bill Schaub/Aster Hill-owned four-year-old Warmblood gelding, Dominik, received the reserve champion title after rounding out the division with two seconds and a third over fences and second under saddle.
Cake Walk was named for his easy temperament and willing attitude which owner Melissa Burns says was a big selling point.
“I buy and sell a lot of young horses, but I buy them sight unseen,” Burns explained. “So for me, temperament is a huge factor that I look for. This horse looked like he had a good attitude and he moved and jumped well, which were all positive attributes; he really is like a giant dog because he’s extremely affectionate.”
Cake Walk and owner Melissa Burns in their winning presentation. Photo © Sportfot.
Burns purchased the young horse from a farm near Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, at the beginning of the summer of 2018. When it came time for him to show, Colvin was an easy decision to take on the ride. “Tori has shown a couple of horses for me over the years, and my children grew up competing against her in the pony divisions which was always brutal for us because she has been very gifted even from a young age.”