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42 SIDELINES MAY 2011 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE H O R S E S H O W

Story and photo by Erin Gilmore

To fnd out if the Simpson family is grounded, just ask Will where he keeps his Olympic medal. He has to think for a minute before admitting that it’s somewhere amongst the family collection of awards hanging from his bedpost. That themedal is a symbol of themost signifcant win of his career to date doesn’t give it special distinction among other trinkets. A victory is a victory, and in the Simpson family, awards are appreciated, not fawned over.

Between the two of them, Will Simpson and Nicole Shahinian-Simpson have represented the United States Equestrian Team more times than they can count. They’ve contested Nations Cup, Super League, World Cup, World Equestrian Games and of course, the Olympic games. But the couple agrees that their biggest accomplishment are their two children; Sophie and Ty. Grand Prix show jumping is only all consuming if you make it that way, they believe. And while the family splits their year between Southern California and Wellington, Florida, both parents work hard to “keep it real” for their kids.

“We go home together as a family at the end of the day,” says Nicki. “We either cook dinner or go out to eat or BBQ. Our kids are really part of our time, full time.”

In Their Footsteps

Will and Nickki are two of the more accomplished international grand prix riders that the United States has in its arsenal; his biggest moment was winning the aforementioned medal in 2008, hers was topping the 2010 WEG Trials last winter.

He’s originally from Illinois, while she hails from New Jersey, and the two riders had distinctly different childhoods. Nicki grew up in a barn, with trainers for parents. Apro catch rider by the time she turned 13, she went on to win both the Medal and Maclay Finals in 1992, and knew early on that with horses in her blood, she’d become a trainer, too. Will, on the other hand, didn’t swing a leg over a horse until the age of 11. “My parents were very much hands on and they exposed my brother, my two sisters and I to everything,” he explains. “I pole vaulted, we all could ride a unicycle; we did everything. Horses were just another thing we were exposed to. But horses were what stuck with me.” The children are a fairly accurate representation of their parents; Sophie has always had an intense passion for horses, and at the age of 13 is already a talented young rider and an integral part of the Simpson family business. Nine-year-old Ty is a big fan of the sport, and is always in the stands to cheer his parents on when they go in the big classes. A Simpson father-son tradition became famous after the Hong Kong Olympics, Will’s trademark tip of the hat was originally begun to acknowledge Ty when he was

in the stands. After Will clinched the US Olympic victory in Hong Kong, he tipped his hat to every corner of the stands that were bursting with thousands of spectators. Will couldn’t see Ty, but he wanted to make sure that he knew his dad was thinking of him at that moment.

Appreciating the Ride

If it’s a given that family comes frst, horses are a very close second. Nicki’s formal background supports Will’s intuitive relationship with each horse in their program, and both riders are also talented coaches who passionately dedicate themselves to growing the sport.

“My most comfortable place in life is on a horse,” says Nicki. “Because I was able to ride so many different types of horses and had to fgure it out, I can quickly adjust to a horse. Will always comments on my discipline of riding and skill. But he can get inside a horse’s head and really has a very civilized, horseman’s approach to each one. He works with the horses on the ground, and that has strengthened us.”

“There’s so much we’re learning about how a horse operates,” Will explains. “Basically, with just a little bit of communication, we can get them so that they are trying to work things out and they’re on our side. They’re really trying to follow our lead.

“It’s such an incredible privilege to be on these creatures,” adds Will. “And some people miss it. They miss the whole thing. They put on their iPod and groan about riding 5 horses. But I get reminded quite often by my family how lucky I am to be doing this, and I never forget it, not for one minute.”

Will Simpson and Nicole Shahinian-Simpson