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Wednesday, March 24 2021 / Published in Weekly Feature

Christian Simonson: Riding High and Flying the Skies

By Ruby Tevis

Portraits by Melissa Fuller

When Christian Simonson puts his mind to something, he’s sure to achieve it. An exceptional student, avid mountain biker and young pilot, Christian succeeds in many areas, but his biggest passion is the sport of dressage. As the son of his Dutch equestrian mother, the multitalented 18-year-old and dual Dutch-U.S. citizen has built an impressive record in the sport, from North American Youth Championship (NAYC) medals to topping national ranking lists with not just one, but two FEI horses.

Christian enjoyed an adventurous childhood, growing up surfing and sailing with his parents and sister in Ventura, California. Horses were introduced into Christian’s life early, following his mother’s interest in riding. At 6 years old, he was exposed to dressage but mostly enjoyed competing in jumping and equitation classes.

“It wasn’t until I had my first lesson with Dr. Gail Hoff Carmona that I became interested in dressage,” Christian said. “After taking a few lessons with Gail and realizing how intense and technical dressage was, even at a young age, I was hooked. It reminded me of a lot of sailing or other fast-paced technical activities where you’re constantly intellectually challenged.”

Christian credits Gail and her emphasis on a correct seat and hands with his early development as a dressage rider. “She taught me on a lunge line for hours and hours how to sit properly and move my body correctly in the saddle. I wasn’t able to use the reins until I perfected walk, trot and canter transitions using only my body,” Christian said. Gail’s perspective as both a judge and a rider gave Christian valuable insight as he prepared to enter national competition.

Shining Down Centerline

At 13 years old, Christian had an early start showing at the NAYC as part of the Region 7 Team competing in Parker, Colorado, in 2016. While he didn’t medal his first year in the Junior division, Christian did win the Mary E. Seddon award for the rider with the most classical seat and hands. Christian returned to NAYC in 2017, this time in Saugerties, New York, to medal team gold and individual silver. 

As Christian approached his eligibility for the Young Rider division, he was offered a new partner — FRH Rassolini. The handsome Hanoverian stallion had just finished an impressive showing in the international Grand Prix ring with Christian’s trainer, Jan Ebeling. “Purchasing FRH Rassolini was a huge stepping stone for me in both learning and experience,” Christian said.

“I knew that Jan would be able to teach me a lot in the Young Rider level on a fantastic horse like Rasso,” Christian said. “Our team and individual tests in Old Salem, New York, are always in my mind as some of the best times with Rasso and his goofball personality. Together we took home a Young Rider team silver at NAYC in 2018 and won the Great American Insurance Group Region 7 Triple Champion Young Rider/Prix St. Georges for FEI, USDF and CDS!”

Unfortunately, during the 2018 winter season in Wellington, Christian’s partnership with 

Rassolini came to an end. “After coming out strong at the beginning of the season, Rasso suffered a career-ending injury during competition,” Christian said, “and we had to make the difficult decision to retire him.”

A Fresh Start

With no horse to ride and an uncertain future, Christian was ready to shake things up. “I was introduced to Adrienne Lyle by a mutual friend and we decided to make a training change,” he said. “After watching Adrienne compete through the 2018 season on Salvino, I was very impressed by her technical riding and command of such an expressive stallion.”

Christian’s awe of the Olympian was only strengthened when he took a tour of her facility in Wellington. “When I first arrived at her barn, we discussed her training program. Her methods emphasized her amazing attention to detail with every horse and her continuous drive to become a better rider and horsewoman,” he said. “Also, the team environment she created was so inviting that I knew I’d found the right trainer and barn.”

Christian knew he couldn’t stay horseless for long, so he and Adrienne began the search for his next competition horse. “Realizing that I no longer had any horses to compete, we decided to purchase Zeaball Diawind, who was then a scrawny 7-year-old but with an amazing temperament and movement,” he said. “We then purchased Hemmingway as a confirmed Prix St. Georges competitor.”

The decision to take on two top horses paid off for Christian, who landed first with Zeaball and second with Hemmingway on the ranking list for the 2020 USEF Young Rider National Championships. However, due to COVID-19, Christian made the difficult decision to stay home and sit out the 2020 Festival of Champions.

“While I was really looking forward to competing with my two boys at the Festival of Champions in the Young Riders division, we decided not to go. At that time, Florida was one of the worst-hit states in terms of cases and quarantine rules were emerging about Floridians not being able to enter Illinois without a 14-day mandatory quarantine period,” Christian explained. “It would have been an amazing time, and my first championship in a while, but I’m happy we played it safe and stayed home. It gave me the ability to train more and learn so much more during the summer from Adrienne.”

The Future and Flying

With the pandemic causing uncertainties in plans, Christian is taking this time to focus on his personal growth and education. While he’d love to make the 2021 NAYC and European Young Rider team, he said the most important goal is to continue to learn from Adrienne and improve on all of his horses.

Education has always been important to Christian. As he prepares to graduate from high school, he’s looking ahead toward college. “This year, after much discussion with my parents, I’ve decided to apply to a couple of select colleges and universities in the United States. While horses are still my main priority, many top-tier colleges now offer online classes and flexible schedules — especially during the pandemic. This flexibility could give me the ability to ride and finish my education at the same time,” he said.

Christian enjoys challenging himself, and his passion for learning also led him to pursue a private pilot’s license. “I began flying in 2017 and really wanted to get my student license because my dad’s been a private pilot all his life,” Christian said. “When I was living in California full time, I was fortunate enough to have a local, regional airport that was only 10 minutes away from my house and 20 minutes from the barn. This proximity gave me the ability to fly on weekends and allowed me to obtain my student license!”

Mountain biking is another of Christian’s hobbies, and now that he spends his summers with Adrienne at TYL Dressage in Colorado, he’s able to get out and explore nature on two wheels. “I really enjoy biking as a fast-paced and technical workout,” he said. “During the summer in Colorado, I’d ride once or twice a week in the foothills enjoying amazing views and all the natural beauty that Colorado has to offer.”

As Christian prepares for another winter season in Wellington, he’s reminded of his zest for dressage every day. In the future, he hopes to compete in the U25 Grand Prix, and bring along Zeaball as well as his 6-year-old prospect Sky-Man. Ultimately, Christian dreams of competing internationally and enjoying a fulfilling career doing what he loves the most.

“I want to train professionally,” he said. “I’m really lucky to be able to be in a sport that I’m so passionate about and enjoy so much. Being with Adrienne, I’ve seen just a glimpse of what it’s like to be a professional athlete and I find it incredible, yet tough in the best way. Horses are great companions, they teach us a lot about life and ourselves. Horses give you a feeling unlike any other animal when they do exactly what you ask of them and put their trust in you. It’s so rewarding.”

Photos by Melissa Fuller, msfullerphotography.com

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Tagged under: dressage, student pilot, young-rider

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Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II CDI W & USEF National Level 5 dressage competition, hosted October 19-22, 2023 at TerraNova Equestrian Center in beautiful Myakka City, Florida. Conveniently located near Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota, TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s premier equestrian destination.

Discover TerraNova’s peaceful showgrounds and luxury facilities for a world-class competition experience. TerraNova Dressage II is managed by Thomas Baur and Monica Fitzgerald and has quickly become a favorite venue amongst dressage competitors. 
National Judges:
Cindi Wylie
Anne Cizadlo

CDI Judges:
William Warren (4* / USA)
Elke Ebert (5* / GER)
Agniezka Majewska (4* / POL)
Debbie Rodrigurz (3* / USA)
Christof Umbach (5* / LUX)

View full prize list: https://www.terranovaequestrian.com/terranova-dressage-ii-cdi4 Enter CDI: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/165165 Enter USEF: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/184795 Closing date: October 12th – enter now!

#showterranova
HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with Intern HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with International-level dressage rider Amelia Newcomb. Who is committed to making dressage accessible to anyone who wants to learn and improve in the sport. With a mantra of “Dressage for All,” Amelia, her husband, Germán Schneider, and the rest of her team at Amelia Newcomb Dressage believe that anyone and everyone can learn to love their ride. 
With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers around the globe, Amelia is able to share her joy and 
enthusiasm for the sport with more equestrians than she ever dreamed of through her online training 
platform. Amelia’s curriculum breaks riding down into a simple, proven system that anyone can follow 
and get results, regardless of age, discipline or location.“My goal is to make good dressage training accessible to everyone who is interested in learning. One way I do that is by producing quality videos to educate and encourage dressage students along their dressage journey,” Amelia said. “The transformations that my students get are insane and my business is changing the entire sport of dressage and the way people learn to ride.”
While Amelia is a talented USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist today, she knows the struggles 
associated with trying to make your way in the sport without abundant educational resources. “I grew up in Colorado, where there weren’t that many dressage resources available. I was so hungry for knowledge, I would go to big shows just to watch the big-named trainers work,” Amelia said. “That’s why, when given the opportunity to share what I’ve learned along the way, I decided to go for it and start my YouTube channel.” 
➡️Catch the full story at the link in our bio!! 
⬇️For more information, visit amelianewcombdressage.com and on Instagram 
amelicanewcombdressage

📸Photos by Lindsey Long, lindseylong.com
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Sho The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Show is happening now! Don’t miss another second by streaming it live! 🐴

📹👀HOW TO VIEW THE LIVE STREAM
The WPCSA will again be streaming footage live from the ring at the American National Show next week. You will need two free passes to get to the feed this year.

1️⃣�The first is a USEF fan membership which you can get through this site:
Join or Renew | US Equestrian (usef.org)

2️⃣ Once you become a fan member, you will need to log in to the USEF Network on ClipMyHorse. A video demonstrating how to do this can be found here:
Existing USEF Fan - Watch the USEF Network - YouTube 

📸Pictured- Grand Champion Section B under UK judge. 
Owner-Barbara Chappell
Handler-Paul Maye /Maye Show Ponies Fairfield, VA
A note from our editor. It's here!! The October is A note from our editor.
It's here!! The October issue of Sidelines Magazine! So happy to have the fabulous Amelia Newcomb  on our cover. Amelia is a dressage rider with over 100,000 students! You read that right! Amelia has a very popular YouTube Channel where riders from around the word can learn and improve on their dressage - and it's not just dressage riders who are benefitting from Amelia Newcombe Dressage on Your Tube but riders of all disciplines - don't miss her story! Thanks to Sidelines photographer Lindsey Long for the beautiful photos. This issue has so many great stories! Catch up with eventer Zachary Brandt Equestrian (make sure to see how much he loves his dogs), and meet show jumper Katherine Anne Brewer and her horse Super Bunny, artist Samantha Dawn, equestrian Megan Smith who teaches Pilates 4 Equestrians; and Ela Ladwig a dressage rider and trainer who's multi talented because she's also a talented artist also. We have an amazing story on hunter-jumper rider Lisa Mooney who has a story you don't want to miss!! We also have a story on Tyler Held who's passion for eventing has taken her on quite the journey, and we catch up with Jimmy Toon in our Unbridled column. This issue also features our Save The Date section where you can check out show dates for this year and next from horse shows around the country! So get out your calendar!! And don't miss our great columnists, hunter-jumper with Rob R.L. Jacobs, eventing with Liz Halliday Eventing and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. And check out the photos of riders at the 2023 The Hampton Classic Horse Show also! It's another great issue! Make sure to subscribe to Sidelines also - one year for $14.95 and the magazine is delivered right to your house or barn!! 
Enjoy the October issue: https://sidelinesmagazine.com/app/#/reader/50029/1767167

Link in Bio!!!
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