The U.S. anthem rang out for Christian Simonson after his winning ride in Saturday’s Mission Control CDI3* Grand Prix Special. He steered the 16-year-old Fleau De Baian to 71.255% in the duo’s second-ever CDI Special, eclipsing their previous best of 70%, set when they won during Week 5 of the 12-week Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.

Christian Simonson & Fleau De Baian. (Photo: ©Centre Line Media)

Of the 10 starters, it was Endel Ots who got closest to Simonson. He and Zen Elite’s Bohemian, who were traveling reserves for the U.S. team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, scored 69.681% for second place. They were the winners of Thursday’s qualifying Grand Prix at this, their first CDI show in 19 months. Michael Klimke (GER) steered the youngest horse in the field, 10-year-old Harmony’s Dante’s Peak (Dante Weltino x Desperados), to third with 68.915%.

Trying Hard

Christian Simonson and Fleau De Baian (Photo: ©Centre Line Media)

“Today ‘Felix’ let me ride him, gave me his back, and tried really hard,” said the 23-year-old Simonson, who only rode his first senior international big tour test in May of 2023. “I think the highlights today were the lateral work and the trot work, and maybe the extensions and the piaffe/passage. He let me keep asking for more and more.”

After a mistake in the one-time changes on the diagonal, which garnered threes and fours from the judges, Simonson refocused Felix to ensure the pirouette-changes-pirouette sequence on the centerline remained fault-free and powerful.

“I knew because of the mistake that I had to make up a lot of points there, so I thought, ‘Okay, let’s try to get eights on everything here for the double coefficient,’” said Simonson, who first stepped into the CDI ring with Fleau De Baian nine months ago. “I’ve learned a lot from this horse, and he’s taught me a lot, too. He was basically my first senior grand prix horse. He’s telling me a lot about how to school lines, and we’ve grown a lot in the piaffe/passage work. With Adrienne [Lyle] I’ve learned how to make it all fun and bouncy.”

Good Boy

Fleau De Baian is by Jazz out of the Ulft mare Fidora, and is a full brother to Dutch rider Adelinde Cornelissen’s Olympic horse, Parzival. Cornelissen also produced Fleau De Baian from young horse classes to grand prix before he was sold to Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite Equestrian. He has been combining competition and ridden work with breeding duties since moving stateside.

“Luckily, he’s a very good stallion,” said Simonson. “His funny quirk is that when you’re hand-walking him, he’ll scream loudly. He’s not naughty, just very, very loud. But, for the most part, he’s a good boy, and he’s so well maintained by the Zen team.

“I’m grateful to be able to ride these two amazing stallions, Fleau De Biain and Indian Rock, and for Adrienne’s training,” added Simonson, who is ranked ninth in the world. “And being here in Wellington is special because I’ve competed here so much as a junior, young rider and in U25. It still feels weird to be a ‘senior’ rider. The success here is a reflection of all the hard work that everyone puts in.”

Simonson is hoping to contest the 2026 USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship, which takes place in May. It is a goal for many U.S. riders, and it also represents a major opportunity for combinations to shine in front of selectors ahead of August’s World Championships in Aachen, Germany.

Click here for results from the Mission Control CDI3* Grand Prix Special.

AGDF 8, Mary Anne McPhail Memorial Week, wraps up on Sunday, February 29, a day with qualifiers in both the Buffalo Wild Wings Prix St. Georges Future Challenge for emerging small tour horses and the La Donaira Lusitanos Future Challenge for five- and six-year-olds. AGDF, which hosts seven weeks of international competition and weekly national shows over three months, runs through March 29. For more information, results, and to watch the free live stream from the International Arena, visit www.wellingtoninternational.com.