WELLINGTON, Fla.--Ashlee Bond of Israel on Night Wish won the $62,500, CSI4* WEF Challenge Cup Round 11 on Friday, March 21 at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Ashlee Bond on Night Wish (Photo by Sportfot)Bond was the last one to advance into the jump-off in the winning round format, coming back on four faults, but with the winning round format wiping the slate clean.
It did mean she had to jump off first, but she finished clean in 41.40.a time that turned out to be uncatchable.
“At WEF you never think you’re going to win going first, no matter how fast you think you are,” said the California native now based in Wellington. “Anyone behind you can win. It was a really nice and pleasant surprise and a big win for this horse. I’m really excited.”
Ireland’s Jordan Coyle on Keep Me With You N.C placed second, just .03 seconds behind Bond in 41.43, and Alise Oken on Forestal was third in 44.21.
BOND FOUND Night Wish two years ago through the same connection that found her Olympic mount from Tokyo and Paris, Donatello 141.
“It was definitely not smooth sailing; he had a rearing issue and he was quite opinionated,” Bond said of her start with Night Wish. “I worked with Leo Rauscher and he spent two weeks with him and completely turned this horse around. Now he’s a machine. I’m really proud of the work because this was almost a lost cause. The fact that we’re here a year after he did his first 1.40m is really special.”
“He’s naturally very quick and super careful so I don’t really have to worry about the jumps,” she said. “I let him dictate that forward rhythm today, I didn’t push him. His stride is not huge so in the lines I was able to ride up where most people were slowing down. Overall, I was able to keep a faster clip around the whole thing, and he turns so well and is really game.”
“He feels confident and I think today prepared us really nicely for Sunday,” said Bond, who thinks the best is yet to come for Night Wish, who is only 9 this year. “His ability is the most I’ve ever felt on a horse. I just have to be smart about picking and choosing the classes. My goal is for him to do the FEI World Championships next year at Aachen, and LA is my end goal. I think this horse has a good shot at jumping clear every day. I’m working backwards from three years to today.”
Victoria Colvin on Paradigm and Nick Haness on Golden Road tied for the win in the $15,000 International Hunt & Go Derby.
Victoria Colvin on Paradigm (Photo by Sportfot)The Derby, held on the grass derby field at Wellington International had both Haness and Colvin end the two phases with identical scores of 184 and tie for the win after deciding to not jump off in a tie-breaker.
“It was different this morning, only having one in the class,” sais Haness of Temecula, Calif. “It’s been a relaxed week but an exciting week because I love riding over here. This is a fun part of the season for the horses to showcase them on this beautiful field.”
“I had no expectations other than getting a nice feel of this horse,” he said. “I know him pretty well but I haven’t been here in about five weeks so my goal today was to get out and get prepared for tomorrow’s bigger derby. He was awesome for me today so that was really exciting.”
His handy round score was the highest of the day at 96.
“I took a chance in the handy and went for the leave-out on a more forward, galloping pace which I think led to my co-win with the handiness points,” he said. “I think I was the only one who galloped up in six, but that horse jumps better off a gallop.”
Colvin of Loxanatchee, Fla., scored the second highest handy round score of the day, 95.
“I have not shown him since the WCHR Spectacular so this was our preparation for tomorrow, but it’s still a big enough derby,” Colvin said. “He’s been hanging out at the farm in his grass paddock.”
“If there wasn’t a derby tomorrow I think both of us would have done the jump-off but these horses are jumping a lot so we are saving their legs for tomorrow,” Colvin said. “Now we are both looking forward to tomorrow.”
