Simone Pearce is an Australian dressage rider based in Germany, who started her career as a working student and groom in the Netherlands. Her track record is long and impressive, including representing Australia at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
 

About Simone Pearce

• Age: Born in July, 1991

• Lives in: Germany

• From: Australia  🇦🇺

• Occupation: Dressage rider

• Instagram: @simone_alexandra_pearce
  
  

For someone who doesn’t know, who is Simone Pearce?

– I’m an absolute animal-loving horse enthusiast with a huge passion for dressage! I grew up in rural Australia only dreaming of one day getting to experience dressage like I had seen at the Olympics on tv, and I’ve spent the last 12 years working my way up from a working student and groom to now reaching my childhood dream of competing at the Olympics.

How did everything start? When did you first come into contact with horses? 

– I originally started riding when I was just one years old on my family's cattle farm. At that time, it had nothing to do with dressage. I grew up doing cattle mustering, pony club, camping in the bush with my ponies during the summer holidays - a world away from where I am now… But always with a huge love for horses!

When did you begin to focus on dressage?

– I really started to focus on dressage when I came to Europe and sort of “fell into” a job as a working student/groom in the Netherlands. I got to groom on some big shows there and I was so inspired by the amazing riding and the beautifully educated horses that I decided to defer my university studies and start working towards a career in the equestrian industry.

Can you walk us through a typical day in your life?

• I wake up at 06:00. First things first; a coffee and then I take my dog for a walk. 
  
  

• 07:00 I’m in the stable and on my first horse by 7:15. Then, I ride two horses. Usually, I like to train with my most “important” competition horses first.
  
  

• Between 08:30- 9:00 I take a 30-minute break which usually consists of playing with the chihuahuas again. 
  
  

• Between 9:00-12:30 I will ride 4-5 more horses depending on how much training is required. The training intensity varies from day to day and according to what we have coming up. 
  
  

• From 13:30-16:30 I go riding again (usually around four horses, depending on the circumstances). Sometimes we are training, sometimes jogging, or out on the canter track, jumping, in the forest – I really try to mix it up and keep it interesting for the horses. 
  
  

• Then at around 16:30 I usually give a lesson to one of the other girls riding in the stable. 
  
  

• When I’ve finished the work in the stable, I take my dog for a walk again, most times we go down to the other stable to visit my mare and foal. 
  
  

• After that I’m just chilling, having dinner, watching Netflix and maybe doing a bit of online shopping!
  
  

“Today’s failure could be tomorrow’s success.”

– Simone Pearce

What keeps you motivated? 

– Sometimes the industry is really hard, and I feel like I’m still so far from my goals and like I’m never going to catch that extra lucky break. But honestly, it takes just one great training session where I get to teach a horse something new and feel that everything just clicks, and the horse and I are having fun and are unified as one – and I’m full of inspiration and motivation again. I think it’s always the horses that motivate us!

Can you give us your best tips for young riders out there who dream of a successful competitive career in equestrian sports?

– You have to be willing to work hard and be willing to fight and give your all with every opportunity that you get!

What are some of the challenges you have faced and lessons you have learned throughout your career?

– I've been alone here in Europe since I was 18. Throughout life, I’ve always tried to build myself up and find my way to better, more prosperous situations but I often struggle with feeling a lack of support. In an industry with so much money and politics, that can be a really overwhelming feeling to overcome but I always just try to focus on my own journey and not compare myself to others.

Your top goals at the moment?

– On a professional level, I would love to find the perfect dance partner and be able to break into the top 15 in the world! Of course, the Paris Olympics are on everyone’s mind too… On a personal level, I am always aiming to get myself into a position where I can be happy and content and continue on a positive path of self-growth.

As the experienced dressage rider that you are, how do you prepare for a competition? Can you give us your top three tips?

• The more successful you want to be, the more preparation you’ll need. Practice the test and find your weaknesses and try to find the best way to deal with them. I always try to make myself a little “play book” for the things me and my horses find difficult, so that I am equipped to deal with every situation on shows.
  
  

• Don’t get too caught up on the results. Of course, we always want to do our best – and winning is amazing. But we are all on a journey - never at the end result – so take each day as it comes and continue aiming to better yourself. Today's failure could be tomorrow’s success if you are willing to use it and learn from the experience!
  
  

• Have fun!!! That’s why we ride.