Christian Simonson, on America’s Pan American Games Gold Medal Team, to Compete Fleau de Baian Developed by Adelinde Cornelissen
11 months ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Christian Simonson, on America’s Pan American Games Gold Medal Team, to Compete Fleau de Baian Developed by Adelinde Cornelissen
Dec. 17, 2023
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Christian Simonson, the 2023 FEI Rising Star and on America’s Pan American Games gold medal team, will compete Fleau de Baian, the 13-year-old stallion that Adelinde Cornelissen developed from a youngster to a Dutch team horse.
The 21-year-old Christian described the KWPN stallion (Jazz x Ulft) “as the sweetest stallion ever and has so much try in him I feel extremely honored to ride him.”
Fleau de Baian was bought and is owned by Heidi Humphries, a Florida-based businesswoman who is a major supporter of U.S. dressage.
The horse is in Wellington, Florida, where Christian is based at the training center operated by Adrienne Lyle, his coach.
Christian gives no indication whether he will pursue a place on America’s team for the Olympics in Paris.
“He is doing great in training,” Christian told dressage-news.com.
“We don’t have any expectations at the moment for him but are really excited for the season although what his exact plan is still to be determined.”
Adelinde said: “Never easy to see your best buddy leave the stable… but I have seen Christian Simonson and Fleau work together and they just clicked from the first moment!
“Christian is an amazing young rider with a lot of talent and I am sure we will hear from them again!”
Christian, originally from California but now based in Florida, has been successful as a youth rider on both sides of the Atlantic, competing at some of the world’s top showgrounds such as Aachen and Hagen in Germany as well as the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington.
On Son a Lady, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, he became the U.S. Intermediate 1 champion this year and the pair went on to the American team that won gold at the Pan Ams in Santiago in September.
Adelinde Cornelissen was one of the top riders in the world on the Dutch gelding Jerich Parzival that led the Netherlands to team bronze at the 2012 Olympics, two-time World Cup champion and numerous other championship medal performances.
Fleau de Baian was competed by Adelinde as a seven-year-old in the World Young Horse Championships followed by success at Small Tour and moving up to Grand Prix in 2020. Among 15 Big Tour starts, the pair were selected for the Dutch Nations Cup team last year and results this year included a double victory at the CDI3* in Geesteren, Netherlands in May.
