Olympic medallist Will Simpson of the US waves after winning the gold medal in the Equestrian Team Jumping competition in Hong Kong August 18, 2008. USA won the gold, Canada the silver and Norway the bronze. AFP PHOTO/MIKE CLARKE (Photo credit should read MIKE CLARKE/AFP/Getty Images)
AFP/Getty Images

Will Simpson wins gold at

Olympics

T.O. man realizes a dream

Photo by Kin Cheung
AP

Will Simpson rides Carlsson vom Dach in Olympic competition Monday.

Photo by Kin Cheung
AP

Will Simpson on Carlsson vom Dach acknowledges the crowd after winning the gold medal in the equestrian team show jumping competition at the Beijing Olympics in Hong Kong on Monday.

Olympics 2008

Check our special site for coverage of the summer games and our local athletes that are competing.There were no chest bumps on the course at the Olympic equestrian venue.No climbing over the rail to chase after Thousand Oaks' Will Simpson, 49, after his gold-medal-clinching ride.Winning the first jump-off in Olympic Games history, the United States broke a tie with Canada to win the team show jumping title in Hong Kong on Monday."Our sport doesn't have that impromptu response," said Eva Gonda, daughter of the owners of Thousand Oaks-based El Campeon Farms. Simpson rides out of El Campeon."Maybe it should."The United States and Canada ended the two rounds of regulation competition tied with 20 penalties. After the first two rides in the jump-off, Canada had one penalty point, while the Americans had two clear rides.Simpson's perfect ride in 38.45 seconds — the third-fastest time in the jump-off — sealed the victory. There was no reason for the third Canadian rider — nine-time Olympian Ian Millar — to mount his horse.Other members of the gold-medal team were McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and Beezie Madden.Individually, Simpson tied for 18th with 16 penalty points, fourth among the Americans — one point behind Madden."He's over the moon," said Gonda, who traveled with Simpson and groomsman Rogelio Solis to Hong Kong."To be a gold medalist transcends whatever one does in a career," Gonda said. "He will always be a gold medalist. No one can take that away from him."Winning the title outright was special for the U.S. team, which was declared the 2004 Olympic champion after Germany was disqualified because one of its horses tested positive for a banned substance."It was great that the team achieved it without controversy," said Gonda. "It was good for the sport. It is emblematic of a great team when they support each other and pull through when needed."Ward proclaimed the victory as "probably the greatest day for North America in the history of the sport," he told EquiSearch.com.The Olympic Games proved to be a perfect end to a remarkable year for Simpson.Primarily riding Carlsson vom Dach, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding purchased by El Campeon Farms in March 2007, Simpson won the 2008 Zada Enterprises Masters Cup, the LLC Masters Cup and the WEF Challenge, and was second in the Samsung Super League in Rome.Throughout the equestrian competition, the Thousand Oaks office of El Campeon Farms has been flooded with phone calls from veterinarians and equestrians throughout Ventura County asking for scheduled Olympic start times."Most of my day on Friday was spent e-mailing schedules," said breeding and barn manager Michelle Sulkoske.Sulkoske was awake in the early hours of Monday watching the team final."I was a little choked up watching him," she said. "I know he was happy to make it clear with a good time in the jump-off. It was a dream come true for him."Simpson has never failed to show his appreciation of work behind the scenes by El Campeon employees to make sure that care and transportation of horses to and from venues throughout the country and Europe are completed without a hitch."We've all gone through this, from buying the horse to going through the trials," said Sulkoske. "I know it's a dream come true for Rogelio, who has been a groomsman for 12 years."We're all a team."Deep down, Sulkoske said, employees and friends alike knew that Simpson would have a successful Olympics."He's very good at what he does," she said. Simpson's horse, Carlsson vom Dach, "is not the easiest to get around."On the sport's biggest stage, they proved to be the perfect pair for a perfect ride.