Akiko Yamazaki is a life-long equestrian. As a child growing up in Costa Rica, she competed in Jumping and Eventing. As an adult in the USA, Akiko has focused on Dressage and has competed through the Grand Prix level. Akiko has competed in the US Festival of Champions at the I-1 level and Developing Grand Prix level.

Akiko and her horses with rider Steffen Peters represented the USA in five consecutive Olympics, starting in Beijing 2008, and four World Equestrian Games, starting in Kentucky 2010. Ravel won the World Cup and won the 5* in Aachen in 2009. In 2010 Kentucky WEG, Ravel won the individual bronze medal. In 2015, Legolas won individual and team gold in Toronto Pan Am Games. In 2016, Legolas was part of the bronze medal Olympic team in Rio. In 2021, Suppenkasper was part of the silver medal Olympic team in Tokyo.

Akiko’s daughter, Miki, is an accomplished dressage rider who started as a vaulter. Miki was part of the inaugural FEI Junior World Vaulting Championships in Ermelo in 2015 and she was part of the US junior team that won the bronze medal. Miki has been US Children’s Champion, Pony Reserve Champion, and Young Rider Champion in Dressage and has competed in every division at Lamplight through U25. Miki was part of the Region 7 Gold medal team and also won individual silver in NAYC in 2021. Miki is a rare equestrian athlete who has competed in Aachen in two disciplines.

Akiko’s younger daughter, Emi, is a high performance vaulter. Emi has been US National Champion at bronze and silver female vaulter. Her team won a bronze medal in the 2021 in the FEI Senior Vaulting Championships in Budapest. Now competing as an individual, she placed sixth out of 56 female vaulters in the 2025 Junior World Championships in Austria, the highest placing of a US female junior athlete to date. She was voted USEF Vaulter of the Year in 2025.

Akiko was awarded the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award by the USET Foundation for her support of US Dressage and high performance programs over the years.