Christian Simonson Wins Freestyle with Indian Rock in First Friday Night Stars of 2026 AGDF
Christian Simonson & Indian Rock. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Wellington, Fla. – January 9, 2026 — At just 23 years old, Christian Simonson is still well inside the eligibility window for under-25 competition. However, he blasted to the top of the leaderboard during the first Friday Night Stars evening of freestyle competition at the 2026 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL. With a new personal best in the IDA Development FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle, he also booked his place to the World Cup™ Final, set for April in Fort Worth, Texas.
He and the powerhouse Indian Rock danced their way to a dazzling 81.445% victory in front of packed grandstands and sold-out International Club during Lloyd Landkamer Memorial week, the first week of the 12-week AGDF circuit. Simonson only began his international career with the 13-year-old Apache x Vivaldi stallion owned by Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite Equestrian in May 2025, and they remain unbeaten in eight starts together.
It was an all-American podium, with Geñay Vaughn and her mother Michelle Vaughn’s 15-year-old Bretton Woods gelding, Gino — last to go in the starting line-up of eight — claiming second place with 75.79%. It was a night for personal bests, with Ashley Holzer pulling off another for her 75.01% performance on her own and Diane Fellows’ 14-year-old San Amour mare, Hawtins San Floriana.
The class doubled as a qualifier for the US Equestrian Open of Dressage, now in its second season. This year it features 24 qualifiers — seven of which are held at AGDF — before the final in California in November. Simonson now sits atop the standings with 40 points, and Vaughn is second with 30.
For Simonson, the chance to ride under the lights at AGDF, to his Joost Peters music medley from the Rocky films, was a dream fulfilled.
“At the end of the test I was shaking my head in absolute disbelief,” said Simonson, who trains with three-time U.S. Olympian Adrienne Lyle. “Since I started riding, I’ve been coming to this show and always hoped that one day I could do Friday Night Stars because it’s the epitome of amazing dressage freestyles in Florida. So, on that last centre line, I was just thinking, ‘Whoa, this is me doing this with the Indian Rock. I can’t believe it.’ It’s weird having a childhood dream come true in real time; this whole show has been surreal.”
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