Profiles

Living the Dressage Dream: Catching Up With Brittney Simpson

The Vancouver Island native is stirring it up with a new Grand Prix partner while she continues to train the next generation of riders.

Brittney (right) with her young student Alison Campbell-Wright, both celebrating wins at a CDI in Calgary. (Brittney Eastgate Simpson photo)

By: Alison King | March 5, 2025

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. living the dressage dream: catching up with brittney simpson by: alison king. it’s been a minute since a rider from canada’s west coast found themselves in the top 10 of the fei’s world cup dressage standings for the north american league. brittney simpson is delighted to make that distinction. simpson, 39, operates eastgate dressage in saanichton, british columbia, a scenic location on vancouver island. this winter, however, you’re just as likely to find her in sunny california as she pursues her world cup dreams. after a very successful start to the 2025 cdi season, simpson is currently ranked fifth in the north american league standings and 4th among canadians in the overall world rankings. the top three in the nal standings earn a ticket to the fei world cup finals, scheduled this year for april 2-6 in basel, switzerland. we caught up with brittney to learn more about her path from 4-h to the cdi ring. advertisement scroll to continue with content tell us about how you first got involved with dressage. my journey in the equestrian world began on my grandparents’ farm, where my passion for horses was ignited through experiences in 4-h and over 200 standardbred race horses owned by my grandfather. my fascination with dressage took root at the age of 14 when i had the opportunity to assist an fel rider at the bc dressage championships – an experience that left an indelible mark on me. how did that lead you to the fei ring yourself, and eventually a career coaching others to the top levels? at 17 i had the opportunity to purchase a five-year-old warmblood named azaria, with the encouragement of [vancouver island ec coach] roanne tyson, who emphasized the value of this opportunity. she literally told me to beg, borrow or steal to buy this horse! the seller was kind enough to include her tack and allowed me to pay in installments to make it happen. azaria opened the doors to competing at the fei young riders level, and my determination to continue up the levels blossomed from there. i also developed a passion for coaching young fei riders and working with them to develop their horses. it’s a big step from national shows to representing canada in cdis, and a big commitment of time and resources as well. what does it take to make that leap? i took over a junior student’s horse, hickory, and developed her to small tour in california, eventually entering the cdi ring. in 2023, i purchased gio (katsevo goldfinch), my current grand prix horse, through a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with fellow canadian pia fortmuller. with gio i’m now aiming for the world cup. winter training with clients in california, surrounded by others in the top of the sport, helps refine my riding while allowing me to pass along that knowledge to students. however, the logistics aren’t easy. the world cup qualifiers are spread far apart and i spend long periods away from family and students. i teach up to 34 online lessons a week to maintain connections with students while away, and fly home monthly to teach, school horses, and spend time with family and friends. is living in bc a barrier to competing at this level? it doesn’t make it easier, that’s for sure. my coach, jaimey irwin, is based in ontario. luckily, he’s willing to travel regularly to bc and also provides online coaching. he pushes me and my clients to reach our full potential and has significantly improved my performance by focusing on suppleness, straightness, and self-carriage. locally, we are really limited by the number of cdis in the province. the shows are spread far apart, which increases time and travel commitments. travel logistics are challenging for those of us living on the island, requiring ferry trips with the horses and even more time away from home. it can be tough, but bc riders are tough, too, and we’re used to it. tell us about your short- and long-term goals. my personal short-term goals are to qualify for the cdi-w division and the us equestrian open, and make the shortlist for team canada. long-term, my goal is to represent canada at a major international event. (in mid-february, brittney and gio earned 2nd place in the grand prix kur qualifier and 3rd in the grand prix freestyle at the cdi-w del mar.). currently i’m coaching six students who are aiming for the north american youth championship [nayc] in the children and junior divisions this year. the addition of the fei childrens division to the championship has been a game-changer for developing the next generation of riders, so of course another major goal of mine is for them to be prepared, perform to the best of their ability, and have an incredible experience! &&>

It’s been a minute since a rider from Canada’s West Coast found themselves in the top 10 of the FEI’s World Cup Dressage standings for the North American League. Brittney Simpson is delighted to make that distinction.

Simpson, 39, operates Eastgate Dressage in Saanichton, British Columbia, a scenic location on Vancouver Island. This winter, however, you’re just as likely to find her in sunny California as she pursues her World Cup dreams. After a very successful start to the 2025 CDI season, Simpson is currently ranked fifth in the North American League standings and 4th among Canadians in the overall World Rankings. The top three in the NAL standings earn a ticket to the FEI World Cup finals, scheduled this year for April 2-6 in Basel, Switzerland.

We caught up with Brittney to learn more about her path from 4-H to the CDI ring.

Scroll to continue with content

Tell us about how you first got involved with dressage.

My journey in the equestrian world began on my grandparents’ farm, where my passion for horses was ignited through experiences in 4-H and over 200 Standardbred race horses owned by my grandfather.

My fascination with dressage took root at the age of 14 when I had the opportunity to assist an FEl rider at the BC Dressage Championships – an experience that left an indelible mark on me.

A woman with a bay horse and a black dog.

Brittney and pals. (Brittney Eastgate Simpson photo)

How did that lead you to the FEI ring yourself, and eventually a career coaching others to the top levels?

At 17 I had the opportunity to purchase a five-year-old warmblood named Azaria, with the encouragement of [Vancouver Island EC coach] Roanne Tyson, who emphasized the value of this opportunity. She literally told me to beg, borrow or steal to buy this horse! The seller was kind enough to include her tack and allowed me to pay in installments to make it happen.

Azaria opened the doors to competing at the FEI Young Riders level, and my determination to continue up the levels blossomed from there. I also developed a passion for coaching young FEI riders and working with them to develop their horses.

It’s a big step from national shows to representing Canada in CDIs, and a big commitment of time and resources as well. What does it take to make that leap?

I took over a junior student’s horse, Hickory, and developed her to Small Tour in California, eventually entering the CDI ring. In 2023, I purchased Gio (Katsevo Goldfinch), my current Grand Prix horse, through a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with fellow Canadian Pia Fortmuller. With Gio I’m now aiming for the World Cup.

Winter training with clients in California, surrounded by others in the top of the sport, helps refine my riding while allowing me to pass along that knowledge to students. However, the logistics aren’t easy. The World Cup qualifiers are spread far apart and I spend long periods away from family and students. I teach up to 34 online lessons a week to maintain connections with students while away, and fly home monthly to teach, school horses, and spend time with family and friends.

Is living in BC a barrier to competing at this level?

It doesn’t make it easier, that’s for sure. My coach, Jaimey Irwin, is based in Ontario. Luckily, he’s willing to travel regularly to BC and also provides online coaching. He pushes me and my clients to reach our full potential and has significantly improved my performance by focusing on suppleness, straightness, and self-carriage.

Locally, we are really limited by the number of CDIs in the province. The shows are spread far apart, which increases time and travel commitments. Travel logistics are challenging for those of us living on the island, requiring ferry trips with the horses and even more time away from home. It can be tough, but BC riders are tough, too, and we’re used to it.

Tell us about your short- and long-term goals

My personal short-term goals are to qualify for the CDI-W division and the US Equestrian Open, and make the shortlist for Team Canada. Long-term, my goal is to represent Canada at a major international event. (In mid-February, Brittney and Gio earned 2nd place in the Grand Prix Kur qualifier and 3rd in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the CDI-W Del Mar.)

Currently I’m coaching six students who are aiming for the North American Youth Championship [NAYC] in the Children and Junior divisions this year. The addition of the FEI Childrens division to the championship has been a game-changer for developing the next generation of riders, so of course another major goal of mine is for them to be prepared, perform to the best of their ability, and have an incredible experience!