Will Simpson and Carlsson Vom Dach Jump For US

August 15, 2008

For US Olympic show jumping team member Will Simpson, it’s all about the horses. He just plain loves to ride … whether he’s breaking a young horse or riding a successful Grand Prix jumper. No matter how he places at the 2008 Olympic Games, then, at least he’s going to enjoy himself!

Will and his 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Carlsson vom Dach earned their spot on the Olympic show jumping team after jumping three clear rounds out of four at the 2008 USEF Olympic Trials, winning the $100,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier/Zada Enterprises LLC Masters Cup and the WEF Challenge Cup in the process.

Background

A native of Springfield, IL Simpson was one of six kids getting shuttled around by his mother to different activies as they grew up. His sister was taking riding lessons and Will’s mom decided to sign him up as well.

“Anytime she could find where she could get two for the price of one she would load us up and sign us up,” said Will.

Will stuck with it long after his sister

did. He went to the East Coast and worked for Rodney Jenkins for a time before heading to California, where he’s been for the last 25 years. He focuses primarily on riding, training, and selling horses at El Campeon Farms in Thousand Oaks.

“I really enjoy starting young horses,” said Will. “I like the whole process of breaking them and getting them going. I don’t do very much teaching, I teach a little bit, but I think I’ll save teaching fro a few years down the road when I don’t want to ride as much. Right now it doesn’t really matter what I’m riding, young horses or grand prix horses, I just love to ride.”

Career

Will has been active on the California Grand Prix circuit for two decades. Highlights include winning 6 Grand Prix events in 2000-2001, winning a leg of the 2000 Olympic selection trials, and winning a leg of the 2003 trials for the Pan American Games. He won a Grand Prix at the prestigious Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary with El Campeon’s Tosca in 2006. He then spent the late fall in Europe, winning a class at CSI Oldenburg.

In 2007 Simpson kicked off the year winning the $30,000 Ariat Grand Prix at Desert Circuit II with Tosca again, and followed it up with a win at the $50,000 Antares Saddlery Grand Prix in September.

As soon as Carlsson vom Dach came into Will’s life in November, the winning began to snowball. They were the Grand Prix Champions at the Los Angeles National after winning the $50,000 International Grand Prix in November and then kicked off 2008 with a string of dynamite performances at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

“He’s very, very cool,” Will said about his horse. “He’s real personable, he enjoys life. If you walk down the barn aisle he comes running over to see you. He’s not spooky and he’s not afraid of anything. He’s very comfortable in his own skin and happy being a horse on this earth.”

Out Of The Saddle

When he’s not working with his horses, Will enjoys tennis and skiing, although he avoids skiing right now because of the risk of injury.

“I think tennis is really important for your reflexes which helps for show jumping,” said Simpson. “I try to stay really active in all other sports and over the past 5 years I’ve gotten into cooking. I make the best ribs anyone’s ever had. I do it for fundraisers, we have a lot of fun with it.”

Will has two children, Sophie who is 10 and Ty who is 6.

Read this great article from the Ventura County Star on Will Simpson and Carlsson vom Dach. Good read!

Interview With Will Simpson After Olympic Trials And Old Grand Prix Footage