Steph Simpson and Tsetserleg. Photograph by Amy Dragoo.
It wasn’t a high-stakes worldwide competitors or a ultimate bid for a championship title, however for the individuals who know him finest, the Open Novice run on the New Jersey Horse Trials would possibly go down as some of the significant moments within the legendary profession of Tsetserleg TSF.
Now 18, the diminutive black Trakehner gelding—recognized merely as “Thomas”—has spent practically a decade on the pinnacle of eventing. With Boyd Martin within the irons, he represented the U.S. on the World Equestrian Video games, the Pan American Video games, and the Tokyo Olympics. He tackled the world’s hardest tracks: Kentucky, Badminton, Burghley, Luhmühlen. However at New Jersey this weekend, the reins had been handed—actually and symbolically—to another person: longtime #supergroom and rider Stephanie Simpson.
“I used to be actually making an attempt to fly below the radar,” Steph admitted. I advised her that once I was watching, there was no such factor. “However then entries went dwell and I used to be like, ‘Oh god, they’re right here!’”
For years, Steph has been Thomas’s regular fixed—the one who managed his day-to-day care, stored him match at dwelling, and stayed quietly within the background whereas he shined on the world stage. Her relationship with Thomas started when each she and the horse arrived at Windurra practically on the similar time. Since then, their bond has been unshakable.
“It’s been no secret that Stephanie and Thomas have had a singular connection,” Boyd mentioned. “She’s been proper by his facet via epic championships—the Pan Ams, the WEGs, the Olympics—and five-stars at Badminton, Burghley, Luhmühlen, and Kentucky. She at all times dreamed of what it could really feel wish to experience him in a present.”
Stephanie Simpson and Tsetserleg in Tokyo. Photograph by way of Stephanie Simpson.
That dream grew to become actuality because of the blessing Thomas’s longtime proprietor, Christine Turner (who owns Thomas alongside her husband, Thomas, and her daughter, Tommie), who noticed the chance as a becoming thank-you to the one that’s devoted a lot of her life to the horse.
“Steph rides him on a regular basis and loves that horse a lot,” Chris mentioned. “She’s executed a lot for him—this was the least I might do. And I feel she’s going to go down as having the bottom dressage rating within the historical past of Thomas!”
Chris has been with Thomas very practically for the reason that starting — he was bred within the U.S. by the late Tim Holekamp — and at this level in his prolonged profession, she’s persevering with to benefit from the experience. She’s trusted Boyd’s judgment all through his profession, and after his spring marketing campaign and a visit to Luhmühlen that didn’t occur attributable to opposing schedules, it grew to become clear that it could be the right time to let Steph have a spin.
“He’ll provide you with every part he has, even when it’s getting arduous,” Boyd mentioned. “All of us got here up with the concept it could be particular for each Thomas and Steph to go to a present collectively—one thing enjoyable and light-weight.”
Even so, Steph wasn’t taking something with no consideration. Although she’s ridden Thomas on the flat and helped with conditioning work for years, it had been fairly awhile since she’d jumped him. And in true Thomas style, he approached the Novice fences with a little bit of skepticism.
Steph and Tsetserleg throughout present leaping at HPNJ. Photograph by Amy Dragoo.
“The primary day we went cross nation education, he checked out me like, ‘Are we presupposed to be doing this?’” she laughed. “After which on the occasion, in warm-up, I actually jumped two logs and mentioned, ‘Okay, we’re going with that.’ The primary few fences on the right track, he was like, ‘Certainly this will get extra complicated quickly.’ However by fence ten, he was cruising.”
The dressage section showcased the prowess that’s at all times made Thomas a crowd favourite—albeit with a number of confused moments as he recalibrated to the less complicated calls for of the extent. “The toughest factor for him is the simplest actions,” Steph mentioned. “Like a canter-trot transition—he’s pondering, is it a flying change? A stroll? I’m like, ‘No buddy, we’re in kindergarten once more.’ But when I give him half a good experience, he does the remainder.”
Whereas she might have earned Thomas’s lowest dressage rating, the clock wasn’t fairly as beneficiant. “I threw in a few courtesy circles as a result of we had been going approach too quick,” she mentioned wryly. “However by the tip, he was actually with me. It was truly a superb studying expertise for each of us. If we exit once more, I feel he’ll be a bit extra relaxed, rather less satisfied that he’s operating a four-star.”
Chris, watching from afar, couldn’t assist however mirror on the journey they’ve all shared. “I’ve gotten to see the world with my horse,” she mentioned. “How many individuals can say that? I by no means imagined I’d go to the Olympics as a horse proprietor—it’s been unbelievable. He by no means fairly acquired his massive win, and I’ve at all times felt that. However he helped Boyd get to all these championships and end sturdy, and that meant every part.”
For Steph, the experience marked a deeply private full-circle second. “He doesn’t owe me something,” she mentioned. “That is simply one thing enjoyable for him—one thing simpler on his physique that retains him blissful. And when he tells us he’s over it, we’ll hear. However for now, he’s nonetheless Thomas.”
Photograph by Amy Dragoo.
If Boyd had been there, she suspects it wouldn’t have gone fairly so easily. “He would’ve embarrassed the hell out of me and made me bounce stuff I didn’t need to!” she joked. “It was the right storm that he wasn’t.”
However in fact, there was nothing stormy in regards to the day—only a quiet (okay, perhaps not ALL THE WAY quiet), joyful lap round a Novice course with a horse who has given his individuals every part. And hopefully, a number of extra of these moments are nonetheless to return.
