Hometown: Ventura, Calif. Birthday: 8/26/2002 Sport/Disciplines: Dressage

Christian Simonson started riding at the age of six and competing at national dressage shows at the age of 13. He moved up the levels and began competing in FEI competitions in 2016, which was the start of an illustrious youth career. 

Simonson attended four FEI North American Youth Championships, earning junior team gold and individual silver with Herzkonig in 2017, young rider team silver with FRH Rassolini in 2018, and young rider team gold, individual golds with Zeaball Diawind in 2021. Simonson rode Zeaball Diawind to the Horseware Ireland/USEF Young Rider Dressage National Championship title at the 2021 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions.  

Simonson went on to compete three times at Future Champions CDIY in Hagen, Germany, from 2021 through 2023, as part of the U.S. Dressage Young Rider European Tour, helping collect team bronze in 2021 with Zeaball Diawind and in 2023 with Son of a Lady. Also, Simonson rode in the CDIY division at the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in 2022 and 2023, finishing third in the FEI Young Riders Freestyle both times with Son of a Lady. 

In 2023, Simonson made his senior team debut at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ USA, winning team silver and individual gold in the FEI Intermediate I Freestyle with Son of a Lady. Later, the pair won the Neue Schule/USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions. 

Simonson made his senior team debut for the U.S. Dressage Team at the 2023 Pan American Games Santiago with Son of a Lady, where the combination helped the team secure gold medal honors. Following the Pan American Games, Simonson turned his focus to developing himself as a rider at the Grand Prix level, competing with Son of a Lady in FEI U25 competition, which included a string of nine consecutive wins.  

In late 2024, it was announced Simonson would take over the ride on Dutch Olympic mount, Indian Rock, purchased by Zen Elite Equestrian Center, to help jumpstart his career as a professional athlete. Together, the pair began to amass strong international results at the Grand Prix level, which included numerous wins on their journey to qualify for the 2026 FEI Dressage World Cup Final hosted in Ft. Worth, Texas.  

The pair qualified as the top North American combination for the 2026 FEI Dressage World Cup Final after an impressive start to their 2026 campaign, which  saw the pair finish in on the podium in both classes at the FEI Dressage World Cup Final – the best finish for any U.S. combination at the event in nearly a decade. 

Simonson competed both Grand Prix mounts, Indian Rock and Fleau de Baian at the 2026 USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship in Ocala, Fla., where both horses finished with strong scores in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. With Fleau de Baian, the pair won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle to conclude the championships and was subsequently named to the U.S. Dressage Team Short List for the 2026 FEI Dressage World Championships in Aachen, Germany, with both Indian Rock and Fleau de Baian.  

With Fleau de Baian, Simonson was named to the U.S. Dressage Team for the FEI Dressage Nations Cup Hagen CDIO4*, where the pair helped the team earn third overall for bronze, while also finishing on the podium individually in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO4*.