Simone's Story
On her way to Olympic representation in Tokyo, Simone Alexandra Pearce defied the odds, rising through the international dressage ranks since moving to Europe in 2010.
Prior to training at Gestut Sprehe, Simone enjoyed stints throughout Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Denmark, where she continued to build the skills and expertise necessary for a prospective Olympic campaign.
In 2018, Simone broke her collarbone and six ribs when a horse collapsed on her whilst sustaining an aortic tear. The injury left Simone to restart much of her training and progression, and seriously jeopardised her equestrian career.
In 2020, Simone broke the Australian record in the Grand Prix (76.261 per cent) and Special (77.894 per cvent) events while competing at the 2020 CDI Achleiten, signifying the improving performances that primed the then 29-year-old for Tokyo 2020.
Simone made her Olympic debut in Tokyo and was also the youngest member of the Australian equestrian team at these Games, aged 30. Riding the black stallion Destano, she placed 36th in the Individual competition and 13th in the teams event.
In 2022, Simone moved to a Bavarian stables, where she took the ride on well-credentialled stallion Fiderdance. With him she finished 22nd in the Special at the 2022 world championships in Herning, Denmark, and seventh in the Kur – freestyle with music – at the 2023 World Cup Finals in Omaha, Nebraska.
As she prepares for her second Olympics, Simone said she is driven by self-belief – along with large dollops of determination, ambition and energy.
“I think my life is like a lesson to every little girl out there,” Simone said. “You don’t need money, you don’t need someone special behind you, if you really go for it everything is possible.”
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