Ashlee Bond (ISR) knows she has something special in Night Wish, and now the rest of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) can see it, too. Three years out from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Bond is beginning to feel confident about her campaign for a spot on the Israeli team after jumping to win on Friday at Wellington International in the $62,500 Adequan® CSI4* WEF Challenge Cup Round 11.
Bond was the last one to advance into the jump-off in the winning round format, coming back on four faults but wiping the slate clean. It did mean she had to jump off first, but she didn’t let the pressure get to her.
“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 was the next fastest—just .03 seconds behind Bond—piloting Keep Me With You N.C., owned by Falkirk Farm. Alise Oken (USA) took third with Forrestal, owned by Hi Hopes Farm.
Bond found her winning horse 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.”
The ride on “Sparky” nowadays is similar to that of Donatello 141, which helps Bond to focus and choose the plan that best suits her horse. She doesn’t get caught up counting strides and trying to beat everyone else, but her natural speed often gets the job done.
“He’s naturally very quick and super careful so I don’t really have to worry about the jumps,” she explained. “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.”
Bond has been moving Night Wish up and down the levels through the WEF season, an approach that is paying off in consistent results.
“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.”
To see full results from the $62,500 Adequan® CSI4* WEF Challenge Cup Round 11, click HERE.
Victoria Colvin and Nick Haness Share Glory in $15,000 International Hunt & Go Derby, Presented by Marshall & Sterling/Great American
It was a dual victory on the grass derby field at Wellington International on Friday for California’s Nick Haness and Loxahatchee local Victoria Colvin in the $15,000 International Hunt & Go, presented by Marshall & Sterling/Great American, during Week 11 of the Winter Equestrian Festival. Haness piloted Golden Road and Colvin was aboard Paradigm, to both end two phases in a 184 and tie for the win after deciding to not jump off in a tie-breaker.
Both entries went early in the order over Ken Krome’s course, putting down stellar scores in the high 80s, followed by handy-round scores in the 90s. Haness, who typically rides several mounts in top hunter classes, only had one horse and made the round count with the John and Stephanie Ingram-owned Golden Road.
“It was different this morning, only having one in the class,” Haness, of Temecula, CA, said. “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.”
Haness returned from California just in time for this week, but today wasn’t the biggest goal of WEF 11, with the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Perfect Products, still to come on Saturday.
“I had no expectations other than getting a nice feel of this horse,” he continued. “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, which Haness attributes to a particular bending line where he chose six strides instead of seven.
“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 shared. “I think I was the only one who galloped up in six, but that horse jumps better off a gallop.”
Colvin scored the second highest handy round score of the day—a 95—with Paradigm, owned by Meredith Lipke.
“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 reflected. “He’s been hanging out at the farm in his grass paddock.”
Saving Paradigm for major classes, WEF 11 made for the perfect occasion, and the course for Friday was a nice step into Saturday.
“The course was really nice,” she said of Krome’s track. “It was similar to yesterday’s course so I knew it a little bit. It was a good first course out on the field for him. It flowed very nicely. There weren’t too many sharp turns so it was nice to let him gallop a little.”
Technically, Haness and Colvin should have jumped off for the win, having finished on a tie, but both riders agreed that the bigger derby was still to come, so they opted to share the win and save the jumps for Saturday.
“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 commented. “Now we are both looking forward to tomorrow.”
To see full results from the $15,000 International Hunt & Go, presented by Marshall & Sterling/Great American, click HERE.
