Steph Simpson and Tsetserleg. Photo by Amy Dragoo.
It wasn’t a high-stakes international competition or a final bid for a championship title, but for the people who know him best, the Open Novice run at the New Jersey Horse Trials might go down as one of the most meaningful moments in the legendary career of Tsetserleg TSF.
Now 18, the diminutive black Trakehner gelding—known simply as “Thomas”—has spent nearly a decade at the pinnacle of eventing. With Boyd Martin in the irons, he represented the U.S. at the World Equestrian Games, the Pan American Games, and the Tokyo Olympics. He tackled the world’s toughest tracks: Kentucky, Badminton, Burghley, Luhmühlen. But at New Jersey this weekend, the reins were passed—literally and symbolically—to someone else: longtime #supergroom and rider Stephanie Simpson.
“I was really trying to fly under the radar,” Steph admitted. I told her that when I was watching, there was no such thing. “But then entries went live and I was like, ‘Oh god, they’re here!’”
For years, Steph has been Thomas’s steady constant—the one who managed his day-to-day care, kept him fit at home, and stayed quietly in the background while he shined on the world stage. Her relationship with Thomas began when both she and the horse arrived at Windurra nearly at the same time. Since then, their bond has been unshakable.
“It’s been no secret that Stephanie and Thomas have had a unique connection,” Boyd said. “She’s been right by his side through epic championships—the Pan Ams, the WEGs, the Olympics—and five-stars at Badminton, Burghley, Luhmühlen, and Kentucky. She always dreamed of what it would feel like to ride him in a show.”
Stephanie Simpson and Tsetserleg in Tokyo. Photo via Stephanie Simpson.
That dream became reality thanks to the blessing Thomas’s longtime owner, Christine Turner (who owns Thomas alongside her husband, Thomas, and her daughter, Tommie), who saw the opportunity as a fitting thank-you to the person who’s devoted so much of her life to the horse.
“Steph rides him all the time and loves that horse so much,” Chris said. “She’s done so much for him—this was the least I could do. And I think she’s going to go down as having the lowest dressage score in the history of Thomas!”
Chris has been with Thomas very nearly since the beginning — he was bred in the U.S. by the late Tim Holekamp — and at this point in his lengthy career, she’s continuing to enjoy the ride. She’s trusted Boyd’s judgment throughout his career, and after his spring campaign and a trip to Luhmühlen that didn’t happen due to opposing schedules, it became clear that it might be the perfect time to let Steph have a spin.
“He’ll give you everything he has, even when it’s getting hard,” Boyd said. “We all came up with the idea that it would be special for both Thomas and Steph to go to a show together—something fun and light.”
Even so, Steph wasn’t taking anything for granted. Though she’s ridden Thomas on the flat and helped with conditioning work for years, it had been quite awhile since she’d jumped him. And in true Thomas fashion, he approached the Novice fences with a bit of skepticism.
Steph and Tsetserleg during show jumping at HPNJ. Photo by Amy Dragoo.
“The first day we went cross country schooling, he looked at me like, ‘Are we supposed to be doing this?’” she laughed. “And then at the event, in warm-up, I literally jumped two logs and said, ‘Okay, we’re going with that.’ The first few fences on course, he was like, ‘Surely this gets more complex soon.’ But by fence ten, he was cruising.”
The dressage phase showcased the prowess that’s always made Thomas a crowd favorite—albeit with a few confused moments as he recalibrated to the simpler demands of the level. “The hardest thing for him is the easiest movements,” Steph said. “Like a canter-trot transition—he’s thinking, is it a flying change? A walk? I’m like, ‘No buddy, we’re in kindergarten again.’ But if I give him half a decent ride, he does the rest.”
While she may have earned Thomas’s lowest dressage score, the clock wasn’t quite as generous. “I threw in a couple of courtesy circles because we were going way too fast,” she said wryly. “But by the end, he was really with me. It was actually a good learning experience for both of us. If we go out again, I think he’ll be a little more relaxed, a little less convinced that he’s running a four-star.”
Chris, watching from afar, couldn’t help but reflect on the journey they’ve all shared. “I’ve gotten to see the world with my horse,” she said. “How many people can say that? I never imagined I’d go to the Olympics as a horse owner—it’s been incredible. He never quite got his big win, and I’ve always felt that. But he helped Boyd get to all those championships and finish strong, and that meant everything.”
For Steph, the ride marked a deeply personal full-circle moment. “He doesn’t owe me anything,” she said. “This is just something fun for him—something easier on his body that keeps him happy. And when he tells us he’s over it, we’ll listen. But for now, he’s still Thomas.”
Photo by Amy Dragoo.
If Boyd had been there, she suspects it wouldn’t have gone quite so smoothly. “He would’ve embarrassed the hell out of me and made me jump stuff I didn’t want to!” she joked. “It was the perfect storm that he wasn’t.”
But in truth, there was nothing stormy about the day—just a quiet (ok, maybe not ALL THE WAY quiet), joyful lap around a Novice course with a horse who has given his people everything. And with any luck, a few more of those moments are still to come.
