Wellington, FL – Sept. 26, 2021 – The ESP Florida State Fall show was a very successful week for Ashlee Bond, who represents Israel and hails from Hidden Hills, CA, as she claimed wins in the three jumper classes with the greatest prize money offerings of the week. On Sunday, Bond’s highlight triumph of the week came aboard Lazy, owned by Stephex Stables and Aurora Farms LLC, as they topped the field in the $25,000 Nutrena Grand Prix after mastering two courses by designer Héctor J Loyola (PUR). Earlier in the week, Bond took first place in the $10,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Open Stake riding Boheme De Fleyres as well as the $5,000 Wanderers Club 1.35 Stake on Hylanderhofs Chica Bella Rosa.
The final show in the ESP Summer Series will be the Rita & Irish Flynn Memorial, held from October 1-3, 2021. Immediately following, the seven-event ESP Fall Series will begin on October 7 with ESP October. The ESP Fall Series will run through the ESP Pre-Charity CSI3* show, which will conclude on November 21 ahead of the ESP Holiday Series. To view the ESP Fall Prize List, please click HERE.
“I have a very good string here this week. Boheme de Fleyres and Lazy are both the more experienced horses, then Hylanderhofs Chica Bella Rosa is a new 8-year-old, and Ionesco Sitte is a 7-year-old,” commented Bond. “This week was great. This is our home base now with our farm only 15 minutes from here, so it is very convenient. We love having such nice facilities close by. I’m really fortunate, and the horses feel great.”
Thirty-two entries took on Loyola’s track around the grass Derby Field on Sunday morning for a shot at the lion’s share of the prize money in the $25,000 Nutrena Grand Prix. After the first round of riding, the pack was whittled down to only 10 that would return for the jump-off. As the second to tackle the abridged pattern, Bond and Lazy were the pathfinders with the first double-clear effort, and a speedy one at that in 45.51 seconds to set the standard. The rest of the contenders races around the field, but none could come within two seconds of Bond and Lazy’s quick time, confirming the early leaders as the class winners.
“The last class Lazy jumped was the 5* grand prix in Toronto about a month ago, and I literally had not jumped a fence until today, so she came right out and did her job,” praised Bond about her winning mount. “I have had her now for two years. She has the biggest heart and is such a trier and very careful. She is so scopey and has all the right things. The rideability took a while to get there, but now we understand each other and she has become one of the ones I don’t really have to think on anymore and can trust.”
The $25,000 Nutrena Grand Prix finished with five double-clear performances. Behind Bond, Luiz Francesco de Azevedo (BRA) and Collin, owned by Santa Cecilia Stables, jumped to second place in a time of 47.52 seconds. One week ago, the pair earned the victory in the $25,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix. The final podium spot went to Kim Farnlinger (CAN) on Sher-Al Farm Inc.’s Ibalius SMH with a jump-off time of 48.52 seconds.
Click HERE for the full results of the $25,000 Nutrena Grand Prix.
On Friday, the $10,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Open Stake showcased 26 entries, of which only six made it into the jump-off portion of the class. The second in the overall order and the first to try the abridged track, Bond and Boheme De Fleyres, owned by Ashlee Bond Show Jumping, set a quick standard of 45.37 seconds without lowering any jumps to emerge as the frontrunners. As the class progressed, a small number of entries joined Bond in the jump-off, but none could come close to the leaders’ time. With a clear time of 47.83 seconds, more than two seconds slower, Jad Dana (LEB) and Fleur-de-Lis’ Cherie, owned by Kathleen Gannon-Ledsome, nabbed the second-place spot. Four more seconds back as the final double-clear partnership, Kyle Dewar (CAN) and Joan K. Burke’s Tybo VD Tojopehoeve Z rounded out the top three in 51.44 seconds.
The $5,000 Wanderers Club 1.35 Stake kicked off competition in the Derby Field on Thursday and was Bond’s first win of the week. Riding Hylanderhofs Chica Bella Rosa, owned by Aurora Farms LLC, Bond sped to victory by more than a second. Up against seven other pairs in the jump-off, Bond and Hylanderhofs Chica Bella Rosa finished as the fastest double-clear duo in a time of 36.66 seconds. Isabel Roth, CA, rode Two Socks Farm LLC’s E’ Diostra Il Palazzetto to a fault-free effort in 37.80 seconds for second place, followed by Bond again in third place. This time the Israeli rider piloted Ionesco Sitte, owned by Aurora Farms LLC and Ashlee Bond Show Jumping, to a time of 37.65 seconds without any faults for the final podium spot, just milliseconds off the runner-up team’s pace.
Sophia Ahearn of Wellington, FL, and Esperanza Imports LLC’s Quick Bob concluded a successful week with the victory in the $2,500 Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Equiline. The duo topped a 9-horse jump-off in the class thanks to a penalty-free time of 39.828 seconds, just fractions of a second faster than second place, to solidify their second win of the weekend after earning the blue ribbon in one of the 1.30m division’s classes on Friday. With two first-prize finishes to their name, the partnership easily claimed the overall championship title.
In Sunday’s $2,500 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Equiline, six pairs advanced to the jump-off over the 1.20m fences. Riding to a fast and clear time of 35.63 seconds, more than three full seconds ahead of the next-closest competitors, Quintyn Baeumler of Campbellville, Ontario, piloted Haydn, owned by Zimmerli Show Jumping LLC, to first prize. Sunday’s victory combined with a fourth-place finish earlier in the week secured the championship honors for the pair in the division, as well.
The $1,500 Low Child/Adult Classic, presented by CCTV Agent, on Sunday was championed by Athena Lekkas of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, riding her own Karthago Di Cabra. Twenty-one combinations took on the first round, and nine advanced to the shorter jump-off course. In the end, Lekkas and her mount edged out the competition by two seconds for the win, tripping the timers without faults in 41.29 seconds. Thanks to the 10 points earned toward the division standings with their win, Athena and Karthago Di Cabra tied for the reserve championship.
Competing over 1.15m fences, more than half of the horses and riders in the $1,500 M&S Child/Adult Classic qualified for the jump-off. Owner-rider Laurie Sharma of Wellington, FL, and Equine Couture’s Centucky ran away with the class, crossing the finish line in 43.36 seconds without any faults to conclude the contest as the clear victors. The next-best pair was almost two seconds slower. The duo was awarded reserve championship honors, a tie with another partnership, thanks to Sunday’s win and a sixth-place result on Friday.
