The show was on in Las Vegas April 18 as the world’s top FEI dressage and show jumping riders took to the arena in an entertaining competition featuring the sport of reining. The Rolex FEI World Cup played host to the International Reining Celebrity Challenge at the Thomas & Mack Arena. After early mornings and late nights of practicing sliding stops, rollbacks, spins and lead changes, six of the world’s top equestrians stepped up to the challenge in the FEI discipline of reining. By the time the competitors were finished, Team U.S.A. had won the event with a score of 413.5. Least important to all competitors was the score. They all repeated how much they enjoyed their time on the back of a reining horse.

“The horses were unbelievable,” Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson said. “I’m ready to go back to the barn right now to see if there is anything left to ride.”

First in the arena was Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil and American Quarter Horse Sir Pine By Boomer. The Olympic Gold Medalist in jumping marked a 118.5 after nearly bringing the crowd to its feet with his final sliding stop. Pessoa, who rolled into the barn area only minutes prior to the competition, learned his reining pattern en route to the Thomas & Mack Arena.

Following Pessoa, U.S.A.’s Will Simpson, fresh off a Gold Medal win in Beijing in show jumping, kicked the energy level up several notches marking the second-highest score in the competition with a 144.5. Simpson was aboard the American Quarter Horse Arapaho Sailor