The eighth week of the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) kicked off on Wednesday, February 27, with a victory for Israel’s Ashlee Bond in the first international event of the week, the $5,000 Lugano Diamonds Welcome CSIO4*, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. In the second section of the $5,000 Lugano Diamonds Welcome CSIO4*, Roberto Teran (COL) and Dena-Sienne took the win under the lights.
Ashlee Bond and Donatello 141. Photo by SportFot
Bond took the early lead in the class, entering as the third rider into the ring and holding the top position right through to the end. Fifty-eight other horse-and-rider combinations also took the field, but none were able to contest Bond’s speed and agility with Little Valley Farms’ Donatello 141.
Time faults were a major aspect of the Steve Stephens-designed course, which Bond attributed to many riders using the round as technical preparation for the following days. Kristen Vanderveen (USA), Erynn Ballard (CAN), and Zoe Conter (BEL) were all close to Bond’s time but suffered unfortunate knockdowns that kept them out of the top positions.
The closest clear round to Bond was laid down by Eve Jobs (USA) and her own 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Limbus x Ulla XV) Limbridge with a time of 64.88 seconds. Coming into third, on a time of 64.90 seconds and no faults, was Georgina Bloomberg (USA) with the Gotham Enterprizes LLC’s 10-year-old Hanoverian mare (Contagio x Elba), Cessna 24.
Bond and the Little Valley Farms’ eight-year-old Westphalian gelding (Diarado x Luna) shaved multiple seconds off the course to cross the timers in an efficient 57.25 seconds while leaving all rails untouched.
Ashlee Bond and Donatello 141 in their presentation ceremony with XX of Lugano Diamonds and ring master Steven Rector. Photo by Sportfot
“I think today most people were just trying to school their horses up for events later this week, but tomorrow’s WEF Challenge is a speed class so I wanted to go ahead and get him in a good forward rhythm today,” Bond explained. “I wasn’t trying to go super fast, but it worked out. I just went out there and had fun and let him do his thing.”
She said that while he is younger, Donatello 141 has always been one of her favorites to compete. “He’s just always been such a consistently good, steady horse. He’s my easiest one of the bunch, so it’s always a pleasure to ride him,” she said.
Bond planned on returning for the second part of the Welcome Wednesday evening with her Nations Cup mount Chela LS to prepare for Saturday night’s competition representing Israel.
“I’ll ride Chela in the night class today so that she has a chance to jump the open water at night, which I don’t think she has done before,” Bond said. “Then we’ll enter her in a 1.45m class on Friday because she is usually better and more rideable if she does two classes in a row. She still has a ton of energy, even at 15!”
While the first part of the $5,000 Lugano Diamonds Welcome was held as a day session, a second $5,000 Lugano Diamonds Welcome was held as a night session under the lights in the International Arena.
Roberto Teran and Dena-Sienne. Photo by Sportfot
Taking the top place in the class was Roberto Teran (COL) riding his own Dena-Sienne, an KWPN mare by Van Gogh x Animo. They completed the course in 63.41 seconds, the fastest of 13 clear rounds in 41 entries. Second place went to Martin Fuchs (SUI) riding Silver Shine, owned by Wilow Grace Farm, with a time of 64.08 seconds, while Alejandro Karolyi (VEN) and Lincourt Gino, owned by Monica Carrera, finished third in 66.93 seconds.
Final Results: $5,000 Lugano Diamonds Welcome- Day Session
1 DONATELLO 141: 2011 Westphalian gelding by Diarado x Luna
ASHLEE BOND (ISR), Little Valley Farms: 0/57.25
2 LIMBRIDGE: 2009 Holsteiner gelding by Limbus x Ulla XV
EVE JOBS (USA), Eve Jobs: 0/64.88
3 CESSNA 24: 2009 Hanoverian mare by Contagio x Elba
GEORGINA BLOOMBERG (USA), Gotham Enterprizes, LLC: 0/64.90
4 AMSTERDAM 27: 2010 Holsteiner gelding by Catoki x Soraya VI
MARIO DESLAURIERS (CAN), Wishing Well Farm LLC: 0/65.44
5 JAMAICA VAN PAEMEL: 2009 Belgian Warmblood mare by Cicero x Fortuna Van Paemel
MARIO DESLAURIERS (CAN), Luja LLC: 0/66.02
6 EXCELLENT B: 2009 KWPN gelding by Berlin x Zamorata
NICOLE WALKER (CAN), Nicole Walker: 0/66.14
7 LORD PIZARRO: 2010 Hanovarian gelding by Lord Pezi x Sally W
ENRIQUE GONZALEZ (MEX), Enrique Gonzalez: 0/66.66
8 LE ROI: 2008 Austrian Warmblood gelding by Leroy x Fleur Du Balou
JUAN PABLO GNECCO (COL), Juan Pablo Gnecco: 0/67.26
9 KAPRICE VAN’T ROOSAKKER: 2010 Belgian Warmblood mare by Echo Van T Spieveld x Electra Van’t Roosakker
KENT FARRINGTON (USA), Tanma Corp & Kent Farrington: 0/67.61
10 C HUNTER: 2007 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Cassini II x Hallig II
LUCAS PORTER (USA), Sleepy P Ranch LLC: 0/67.83
11 PACIFIC DES ESSARTS: 2003 Selle Francais stallion by Diamant De Semilly x Cybele Des Essarts
JENNIFER GATES (USA), Evergate Stable, LLC: 1/68.89
12 QUALITY FZ: 2009 Anglo-European gelding by Quintender x Berlina FZ SPENCER SMITH (USA), Torrey Pines Gut Einhaus: 1/68.97
Final Results: $5,000 Lugano Diamonds Welcome- Night Session
1 DENA-SIENNE: 2008 KWPN mare by Van Gogh x Animo
ROBERTO TERAN TAFUR (COL), Roberto Teran Tafur: 0/63.41
2 SILVER SHINE: 2009 Oldenburg gelding by Califax x Balou du Rouet
MARTIN FUCHS (SUI), Willow Grace Farm: 0/64.08
3 LINCOURT GINO: 2003 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Gino III x Graf Magna
ALEJANDRO KAROLYI (VEN), Monica Carrera: 0/66.93
4 BULL RUN’S ALMIGHTY: 2008 Hanoverian gelding by Caspar x Quidam de Revel
KRISTEN VANDERVEEN (USA), Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC: 0/69.67
5 VDL ELLIOT: 2009 KWPN gelding by Casall x Goodtimes
ALEJANDRO KAROLYI (VEN), Bo Hopson: 0/69.73
6 QUINCY CAR: 2004 Oldenburg stallion by Galiani Car x Amour Parfait
FERNANDO CARDENAS (COL), Fernando Cardenas: 0/72.50
7 FANTASY: 2005 Hanoverian mare by For Pleasure x Acord II
TOMAS YOFRE (ARG), Oakland Ventures LLC: 0/72.90
8 COUNT ME IN: 2007 Hanoverian gelding by Count Grannus x Sherlock Holmes
BETH UNDERHILL (CAN), Sandy Lupton: 0/73.19
9 QUINCY TOO: 2009 Zangersheide gelding
FERNANDO CARDENAS (COL), Fernando Cardenas: 0/73.92
10 HEROS: 2007 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Canadian River x Clinton
AMY MILLAR (CAN), AMMO Investments: 0/74.22
11 UNION DE LA NUTRIA: 2008 Selle Francais gelding by Diamant de Semilly x Kannan
ALBERTO SANCHEZ-COZAR (MEX), Alberto Sanchez-Cozar: 0/74.37
12 SO WHAT HP Z: 2010 Zangersheide mare by Sandro Boy
LUIZ FRANCISCO DE AZEVEDO (BRA), Santa Cecilia Stables: 0/75.05