Christian Simonson has garnered a well-deserved spotlight in the equestrian world. Part of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the Pan American Games and also the youngest small-tour rider ever at the event, he captured the hearts of the dressage world.

His ascent in the past year, from the Pan Ams to the Nation Cup, has been nothing short of remarkable. And as the new season commences, on a moving note, he recently shared a heartwarming letter of gratitude for the past year with a thrilling recap.

Christian Simonson pens 2023 recap

In a post on Instagram by Christian Simonson, he wrote down a list of stellar successes achieved in 2023. He uploaded a 10-image carousel post and penned in the caption, “2023 A Year I will never forget…” Then, listing each highlight month by month, he began sharing his successful feats in the past year. The journey began in January, when Simonson was honored with the 2023 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy by the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation in Wellington, Florida. Moving on, in February 2023, he highlighted the moment when he and the Danish Warmblood, Son of a Lady, clinched the Small Tour Champions title at the 2023 U.S. Dressage Championships held at Lamplight Equestrian Centre in Wayne, Illinois.

The next achievement pointed out by 22-year-old Christian Simonson was his senior team debut at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup in March. Following this, he highlighted how he and U.S. Olympian Adrienne Lyle’s second Grand Prix horse, Harmony’s Duval, made it to the U25 classes for riders under 25 years old. In April 2023. Following this in May, he achieved a career-high score of 79% in the small tour freestyle, riding a horse named Zee. This was just six months into an already successful 2023, and the rest of the year came with even more incredible achievements.

The blazing victories in the second half of 2023

Past the half-year mark in June, Christian Simonson and Son of a Lady, aka “Sonny,” secured a team bronze at Hof Kasselman’s “Future Champions” in Hagen, Germany. Another notable achievement came in July, securing a third-place finish at CHIO Aachen, Germany, in the FEI Young Rider Musical Freestyle with a score exceeding 75%.

In August, Christian Simonson and Son of a Lady “became U.S. Small Tour champions” at the  Festival of Champions at Lamplight. In October, the duo Simonson and Sonny showcased their incredible bond as part of the Pan-American Team and reached its pinnacle with a gold medal for the team, and Simonson shared how this was a “childhood dream come true.” In August and December, Simonson also added  Gus and Felix to his equestrian family, closing the year on a heartwarming note.

Read more: “FEI Horse Now”: USA Equestrian Champion Christian Simonson Sends Heartfelt Plea to Unite Equine With Forever Home

Concluding his incredible recap, he expressed gratitude with a heartfelt, “From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!” And as the 2024 season commences, the equestrian community awaits another year of success for him.

Watch this story: Best Dressage Horse Whose Movements Could Even Compete With Ballerina’s Elegant Moves