Mill Spring, North Carolina, USA – July 13, 2024 – Capping off an evening of Saturday Night Lights festivities presented by Stuller Power Solutions and a thrilling display of show jumping with course design by Guilherme Jorge (BRA), Ashlee Bond (ISR) stepped to the top of the podium of the $65,000 Buckley Fence Grand Prix CSI 2*. Bond, paired with Aurora Farms’ Elka De La Pomme (Cartoon Z x Kannan), dominated the ten-horse jump off with a final time of 36.09 seconds.
Last year’s Summer 5 Grand Prix winner, Nicolas Gamboa (COL), returned with NKH LLC’s NKH Mr. Darcy (Darco x Chepetto), the 2013 Holsteiner gelding, to claim reserve honors in a time of 36.13 seconds.
Representing the home nation, Doug Payne (USA) piloted Quintessence (Unknown x Unknown), the 2011 Holsteiner gelding of Payne Equestrian, to mark 38.95 seconds on the clock for third.
Bond provided insight into Elka De La Pomme’s development over the team’s two year partnership. “She’s been a fighter since the day I got her – super careful, and all the quality. I just had to channel it in the right direction, because she always wanted to go so fast,” Bond said of the 2014 Hanoverian mare.
Bond expressed her delight for Elka De La Pomme’s performance under the Tryon Stadium lights. Known as “Tater” around the barn, Bond noted that the mare is “just learning to put it all together, go fast in a jump off, and keep her head about her. I’m really proud of her today. I felt like it just all came together at the right time.”
Despite the extremely small margin between Bond’s and Gamboa’s jump off times, the Israeli rider explained that she did not dwell for long on her competitors’ jump off rides. “When I go into a jump off, I just do what I feel my horse and I are ready for. If that ends up being the win, great! If not, it’s what I felt was right for us in that moment,” she detailed.
With the Saturday Night Grand Prix being Bond’s last class before departing to the Paris Olympics, she now has her sights set on her upcoming performance with Donatello 141. “Donnie will fly out with Brittini Raflowitz and Jessie Stanek, my manager, on July 21st. We’ll have nine days of just doing what we do and getting ready, but keeping it all the same. It’s just another horse show – we’ve fortunately done an Olympics before, so we kind of know what to expect.”
Bond has used her time at Tryon International to prepare for Paris, looking to repeat the same success she had in previous Olympic competition. “Tryon is always great! This was the exact prep I did before the Tokyo Olympics,” she recapped. “I won the 3* Grand Prix, and then went [to Tokyo] and had a very good showing. So if this is a good omen, I’m all for it!”
Fans can look forward to seeing Bond back for the Tryon Fall Series. “I’ll be back for the Major League Show Jumping 5* in the fall,” Bond said. “I love it here – I think it’s great for young horses and older horses, with good footing and a big venue. You can go trail riding on the Cross-Country courses, which I think is amazing for all ages.”
Bond extended her gratitude for those supporting both her and her equine partners. “I’m grateful for my team! It takes a village, and I wouldn’t be here without my family and my team. They’re outside of the ring, but they’re just as important,” she asserted.
Final Results – $65,000 Buckley Fence Grand Prix CSI 2*
1) Ashlee Bond (ISR) & Elka De La Pomme – 0 / 0 – 36.09
2) Nicolas Gamboa (COL) & NKH Mr. Darcy – 0 / 0 – 36.13
3) Doug Payne (USA) & Quintessence– 0 / 0 – 38.95
Source: Press release from TIEC – Tryon International Equestrian Center
Photos: © Tryon International / Madison Ibach for Tryon International / Leyla Caynak for Natalie Suto Photography / Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
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Categories: CSI 2*, English, Jumper News Israel
