Rosie and Proteus. Photo by Mary Phelps

At the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Summer Kickoff show last May, Rosie Simoes had just finished her Advanced Placement exams at school, organized the Region 2 Young Rider Fundraiser Table (and sent all contributors a personal thank you note), competed her horse Proteus in the Young Rider Team Test, went to her senior prom, and came back the next day to ride the Young Rider Individual. For Rosie who helps her mom Julie Julian manage their Flying Dutchman Farm in Barrington, Illinois it’s all in a day’s work. At the North American Junior Young Riders’, Rosie and Proteus (by Blue Hors Don Schufro) had a stellar week with her teammates and in competition achieving 7th place finish in the individual, leading her team to a fourth place finish. Her best test was in the Freestyle where she placed 5th. For the 5 ft. tall 18-year-old High School Graduate, Simoes and Proteus are also graduating to the Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’, a USEF program developed to assist and encourage U.S. Young Riders in making the transition to Senior Grand Prix competitor. Rosie and Proteus are yet another example of the US Young Rider Dressage program have participated in the development of their dressage mounts to Grand Prix from scratch, with a little (well really a lot) help from her Mom. “I have had the honor of growing up along side him as my mother and I purchased him as an unbroken three-year-old from Oak Hill Ranch in Louisiana,” said Rosie. “Even though he towers over me at 18h while I am 5 ft. tall, he is the sweetest boy and my best friend! I can’t wait to continue my journey with him, the next step being to move up to Brentina Cup and the Grand Prix.”

Simoes’s earliest memories of being in a horse show were as a three year old. It was a costume class I did with my friend, and I remember dressing up as mermaids with her… It was so fun!” A recently graduated senior in high school, Rosie plans to attend a local community college so she can stay close to her horses.