Home/Olympics

A U.S. dressage champion is taking his time to show gratitude in the true spirit of the game. Continuing his brilliance, the 21-year-old played a crucial part in the American Equestrian Dressage team’s gold triumph at the Pan American games 2023. In a recent incident, Simonson took to Instagram to thank one of his equestrian fellows for a special favor.

Christian Simonson didn’t only contribute to the team’s gold during the event. He also achieved his personal-best score in the Intermediate I. After sharing a special note for his teammates for the Pan American triumph earlier, USA’s star has now paid gratitude to another equestrian dressage star for the special favor.

Christian Simonson thanks fellow equestrian star

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

While Simonson is currently getting the timely rest, he recently shared an update on his Instagram story. Simonson thanked one of his fellow teammates, Kattie Duerhammer, for a special favor. Duerhammer had shared a story on her Instagram, a picture of 3 equines having lunch, captioning, “Boys are happy and enjoying their lunch provided by @duttacorp!”.

Interestingly, one of the 3 equines, Gus, belongs to Christian Simonson. He was quick to repost the story, thanking Duerhammer for the favor. He wrote, “THANK YOU! @KATIE DUERRHAMMER FOR MAKING SURE GUS MAKES IT SAFE TO FLORIDA.” Simonson recently rode Gus, Son of a lady, to gold in the Pan American Games at Santiago.

Simonson was at his absolute best during the event. He combined perfectly with the 2012 Danish Warmblood gelding. The pair were accurate, highly impressing the judges to receive a score of 74.971%, Simonson’s personal best. Similar to Simonson, the whole US dressage team didn’t do anything wrong during the Pan-American triumph.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

U.S dressage team dominates Pan American Games

All 4 combinations of the US Dressage team gelded well together, and so did they with the horses. The first combination of Anna Marek and Fire Fly set the tone high with an impressive 73.489% score. Later, Simonson’s heroics were followed by a great performance from Harrison. In the final round, Tubman and First Apple surpassed Simonson’s score with a magnificent 76.872% score.

READ MORE: As Pan American Games Unfold, Equestrian Teams Discover a New Spectator in Their Midst

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The US Dressage team eventually clinched the gold with a team score of 459.670. Brazil settled with a silver at 443.343 followed by Canada with 431.937 for the bronze medal. With this spectacular win, the U.S.A. team also sealed their spot for the 2024 Olympics. How excited are you to watch this team shine at the Olympics? Let us know in the comments.

Watch this Story ??USA Equestrian Dominates Santiago with Stellar Cross-Country Performance