Ashlee Bond and Donatello 141 are back on track
A victory in the FEI 5* $116,100 WEF Challenge Cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival has set Ashlee Bond’s mind at rest that her horse Donatello 141 is back on track. “I would say he’s probably like 90-95% fitness-wise,” she said of the 14-year-old bay Westfalian gelding. The pair who have been together for eight years, ended last year on a momentous win in the $1,000,000 MLSJ CSI5* Coachella Cup Grand Prix in California.
“This is his second week showing since he jumped the second week of the desert in December. So I kind of gave him a break,” she said. Ashlee is careful not to give Donatello too much time off. “I’ve learned with him, having him so long, that if I give him too much of a break it takes me a really long time to get him back into shape. I was curious how he was going to come out today and fortunately it worked and I would say he felt like 80-85% in the first round. And then he came back for the jump off, feeling even stronger.”
Ashlee, who rides for Israel, and Donatello took the lead early in the jump off with a time of 35.2 seconds and it was left to Britain’s Ben Maher- ranked fourth in the world – and Enjeu de Grisien to try to catch them. One second dictated the result with Ben’s time of 36.2 proving enough to give him the runners up slot ahead of Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca and Denver de Talma with a time of 36.91.
Donatello’s vacation consisted of turnout and hanging out with Ashlee’s daughter Scottie, who sits on him bareback and without a halter. “He just walks around,” said Ashlee. “And she sits on him in the stall for hours on end.”
Once back in work, Ashlee included a technique gleaned from the Arellanos – a Wellington polo-playing family – in his fitness regime. “I am good friends with Hope Arellano – I’ve known her since she was a baby – and [her father] Julio Arellano. “Years ago me and my dad were always looking at other disciplines and what people do differently.”
Ashlee and her dad – a cutting horse rider and polo – were discussing how fit and fast the polo ponies were. “We asked them, ‘What is their secret?’” she recalled. “And they said they do a lot of trot sets, just 20 minutes, a few times a week. So I started incorporating that a few years ago and I found it really helped. It helps build the top line and with soundness. Overall it is just nice to get them long and low.”
The WEF Challenge win leads Ashlee and Donatello into the Saturday Night Lights class – a hit with spectators as a hotly contested FEI 5* $500,00 Grand Prix in the floodlit International ring at Wellington International. “Donnie is such a fighter and he is just feeling really good,” Ashlee said. “We’re on the right track now and hopefully Saturday he’ll come out feeling 100% fit and ready.”
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