US Pan American Dressage Team Reunites to Share Behind the Scenes of the Gold Medal Win

The U.S. dressage team for the 2023 Pan American Games made their country proud in Santiago, Chile. The dressage portion of the games ran from October 22–23, 2023. The team consisted of Christian Simonson atop Son of a Lady, Anna Marek atop Fire Fly, Codi Harrison on Katholt’s Bossco, and Sarah Tubman on First Apple, who rode towards perfection.

Together, they executed a flawless performance that outshone competitors from Brazil and Canada, securing their well-deserved spot atop the podium. And now, months after the gold win, the team has reunited to share behind the scenes of this proud moment.

U.S. Pan American Games dressage team reunites

In a series of Instagram stories by 22-year-old Christian Simonson he shared snippets of the US Pan American Dressage Team as they attended the Salute Gala and Annual Awards Banquet in Omaha, Nebraska. He wrote in the first story, writing and announcing, “Codi Harrison and myself have been invited to talk about our experience at the Pan American Games!” In the subsequent slide, Simonson took a heartwarming selfie as the team posed together while savoring a meal. The caption of the story read, “TEAM USA ALL TOGETHER.“

The series of stories also showed the young North American YR four-time gold medalist Christian Simonson posing with two awards received for the horses “Sonny” and “Duval”. In the next story, he posed with Taryn Young, the FEI Adult Amateur Dressage Competitor, while the two showed off their gold medals. And lastly, the winning Team USA came up on stage as they received an honor together at the gala. The moment took fans back in time to when the team made it together on the podium in Santiago, Chile.

How the team secured gold at the 2023 Pan American Games

At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Team USA showcased the utmost team spirit. Christian Simonson and Son of a Lady won a personal best in Intermediate I and impressed judges with a score of 74.971%. In the Large Tour rotation, Anna Marek and Fire Fly won the competition and earned a 73.489%.

Read more: Equestrian World Witnessed Longines FEI Jumping World Cup as It Illuminates La Coruña—Don’t Miss the Spectacular Recap

Harrison and Katholt’s Bossco earned 71.957%. Sarah Tubman and First Apple earned a massive 76.872% and helped the team secure the gold. The team earned a total of 450.670, clinching gold, while Brazil took the silver medal with 443.343 and Canada won the bronze with 431.937.

Watch this story: Essential Mistakes to Steer Clear of When Riding a Horse for the First Time