06/19/2026
WDAA Spotlight Series: Robin Johnson & "Cici"
My name is Robin Johnson, and this is my seven-year-old American Warmblood Golden Opportunity, whom I affectionately call “Cici.” We’ve shared a fulfilling journey together for the past seven years. I adopted Cici when she was just two months old. She was an orphan foal, and I still vividly recall bottlefeeding her in my lap. She has been my greatest accomplishment as an equestrian. I’ve dedicated myself to nurturing her from the ground up.
Our Western Dressage journey began by sheer accident when Cici was two and a half years old. She had only been under saddle for about 45 days at the time, and I took her as a fill-in for my injured horse. I didn’t have high expectations, but I simply wanted her to experience the arena. To my surprise, she gave me everything she had, despite her imbalance and inexperience in Dressage arenas or tests. She performed those two intro tests as if she had been doing them her entire life, and we achieved remarkable scores in the mid-60s. That moment solidified my belief that Cici and I would enjoy this discipline for years to come.
As the years passed, we progressed through the levels and achieved numerous year-end grand champions at local shows. Our ultimate goal was to attend the 2025 World Championship Show. We worked tirelessly to ensure our readiness. Again, I didn’t have high expectations for winning anything; I simply wanted to have good rides, decent scores, and a happy horse. However, Cici had other plans. We performed in basic level, level one, freestyles, and some rail classes, where our team work led us to a World Championship in our costume freestyle and three top tens. I am eternally grateful for the heart and bond we share. She continues to teach me daily how to become a better equestrian.
Our journey continues as we embark on our move up to Level Two. I am filled with excitement for the coming year as we both continue to grow and thrive.
