Hometown: Wellington, Fla. Birthday: 8/11/1988 Sport/Disciplines: Dressage
Sarah Tubman is a United States Dressage Federation Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalist based at Donato Farms in Wellington, Fla. Tubman grew up in northern Nevada, always riding. She participated in the United States Pony Club and began her FEI career in 2003 in the eventing discipline, finishing third at her first CCI2*-L at 15 years old. Tubman competed at her first CDI1* in 2013. Since then, Tubman has consistently placed in the top 15 at the FEI and national level. She has a particular passion for developing young horses and producing them to their full potential in the sport of dressage.
Tubman began working with First Apple in 2018 and had an instant connection with him. In 2019, the pair had numerous wins. Tubman and First Apple made their international competition debut at Dressage Affair, winning the CDI1* FEI Prix St. Georges and FEI Intermediate I. Soon after, they competed at the Adequan® West Coast Dressage Festival, sweeping the Small Tour classes. Tubman and First Apple made their senior team debut at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games a memorable one by helping the U.S. collect team silver and earning individual gold.
In 2020, Tubman and First Apple stepped up to the Big Tour, highlighted by winning the CDI3* FEI Grand Prix Special at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby. The following year, the duo continued to develop into solid competitors at the top level of the sport.
In 2022, Tubman and First Apple finished in the top five over several weeks at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) to start the season. They headed to Europe for the summer, competing in Achleiten, Austria; Aachen, Germany; and Kronberg, Germany; with finishes in the top 15 and a second-place finish in the Achleiten CDI4* FEI Grand Prix Test being their top placing. Tubman and First Apple returned to the U.S. and won all but one class, where they finished second, during the fall.
In 2023, the pair were in the top eight throughout the AGDF to begin the year. Tubman and First Apple headed to Germany for the summer to compete, earning a third-place finish in the CDI3* FEI Grand Prix Special in Hagen, Germany. They were named to The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team for the FEI Dressage Nations Cup CDIO5* at CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival, where the team finished eighth in a world-class field.