Christian Simonson on Indian Rock Wins First World Cup Freestyle at TerraNova in Bid to Earn Start at Championship Final in Fort Worth, Texas next April

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

MYAKKA CITY, Florida, Oct. 18, 2025–Christian Simonson and Indian Rock, that the rider describes as “two dudes hanging out” when not competing won his first World Cup Freestyle Sunday in a bid to earn a start at the championship Final in Fort Worth, Texas next April.

The 25-year-old Christian and the KWPN stallion that he began competing early this year after being by Zen Elite Equestrian Center were awarded 81.405% at TerraNova following a win in the Grand Prix a day earlier in only their second international event. “Rocky,” as he’s nicknamed had been ridden by Emmelie Scholtens of the Netherlands team at the last year’s Olympics in Paris.

Benjamin Ebeling, based in Wellington, Florida as are all three placegetters, was runner-up on Bellena on 78.055% that extended his lead to 37 points atop the leaderboard for North America that gets to send three of the 18 riders and horses to start in the Final.

Ben and the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare won the first of 10 North American qualifiers that could help earn him one of three slots assigned to this region in the Final at Fort Worth, Texas next April.

Kevin Kohmann on his two-time World Cup Final mount, 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding Dünensee, placed third on 77.170%.

Ben with 94 points moved into second place with 94 points in the U.S. Open standings behind Anna Marek of the Ocala area in Florida in the lead with 105 points with just one more qualifier remaining ahead of the finale in Thermal, California in mid-November.

Kevin is tied for third in the U.S. Open standings but will skip the final to instead go to Mexico for a €300,000/US$340,000 World Cup event a week before Thermal. Eline Eckroth of Ocala will also not go to Thermal leaving Kristina Harrison-Antell of Los Angeles alone in third place.

He told DRESSAGE-NEWS.com he plans to take Bellena to Thermal for the $200,000 final. The top eight riders after qualifiers that end next week at Tryon, North Carolina split a pot of $50,000.Christian, who is coached by U.S. Olympic and World Equestrian Games silver medalist Adrienne Lyle, said the results here left him “a little speechless” but he thinks throughout competition,”WAS, What is Adrienne Saying.”

Indian Rock, he said, “he’s kind of my best friend, I must say. He’s like, he and I are real bros.We spend so much time together grazing and hanging out, giving him treats and everything. But it feels like it’s just, yeah, kind of two dudes hanging out, would be the best way to put it. But he really is such a cool character. I mean, you could put him anywhere and he’d be like, ‘okay, this is my job, this is what I’m gonna do.’ So I do really feel like we have a special bond together.”

Results:

World Cup Grand Prix FreestyleRankCompetitorScoreEHCMB1.

Christian Simonson (USA)

Indian Rock

81.405%81.12581.07579.25082.65082.9252.

Benjamin Ebeling (USA)

Bellena

78.055%77.15079.00078.22575.42580.4753.

Kevin Kohmann (USA)

Dünensee

77.170%77.42577.07576.87574.10080.3754.

Jennifer Williams (USA)

Babylon Berlin

74.005%74.15075.77572.52571.90075.6755.

Devon Kane (USA)

Vamos

73.790%75.55071.42572.85072.22576.9006.

Patricia Ferrando (VEN)

Honnaisseur SJ

71.690%72.65072.80069.55071.05072.4007.

Erin Nichols (USA)

Elian Royale

71.300%72.37571.42568.75071.00072.9508.

Jodie Kelly-Baxley (USA)

Grayton Beach

70.530%69.87571.25070.05068.45073.025Find details on Equestrian Hub

Christian Simonson on Indian Rock Wins First World Cup Freestyle at TerraNova in Bid to Earn Start at Championship Final in Fort Worth, Texas next April

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