44 DECEMBER 2022 THE RIDER Mexico is Magic for Ashlee Bond Major League Show Jump-


ing’s tour in Mexico ended on a high note for Ashlee Bond (ISR) and Donatello 141. Together, they claimed the GNP CSI5* Grand Prix as one of only two clear rounds at Club Hípico La Silla in Monterrey, Mex, on Sun- day.


“Donnie”, an 11-year-old


Westphalian gelding (Diarado x Lamoureux I), was the only horse to jump double-clear over Gregory Bodo’s (FRA) track. It seemed a jump-off may not be in the cards until Darragh Kenny (IRL) went fault-free as the last in the order with Great-Tikila J, an 11-year-old KWPN mare (Carosso VDL x Nabab de Reve). After pulling a rail in the


jump-off, Kenny settled for sec- ond, while Mexico’s Jose Anto-


nio Chedraui Eguia and H-Lucky Retto, a 10-year-old KWPN mare (Bernini x Germus R), took third on three time faults from the first round. Bond was the one to clinch


an all-female sweep of the MLSJ grand prix series in Mexico after her Helios teammate Bliss Heers (USA) won in San Miguel de Al- lende three weeks earlier, and Lillie Keenan (USA) topped the charts last week in Monterrey. The victory was doubly


emotional for Bond as she trav- eled to Mexico for the MLSJ tour without her parents, who are usually by her side at events. “My mom got sick, but she has a very good prognosis,” said Bond. “She’s doing amazing and that’s all I can ask for. It’s re- warding to know that I am good enough to do this on my own.”


A Word From The Winner “In the jump-offs, [Do-


natello 141] knows that it’s game time and he gives you even more than he does in the first round. You can feel he’s even more pumped. I jump four jumps in the warm-up, go in the ring and let him do his thing. I dedicated this win to my


mom. She’s doing fantastic, but life is tough. You have to keep the faith and put your head down and work.” ~ Ashlee Bond (ISR) After three weeks of fabu-


lous competition in Mexico, Major League Show Jumping continues on to California. With the final two weeks of competi- tion at Desert International Horse Park scheduled for December 1- 4 and 8-11, the season peaks in the desert.


Daisy Ford and Gatsby


Do it Again in $25,000 Great Southwest Grand Prix


Katy, TX – Daisy Ford and Gatsby led the grand prix victory gallop for the second week in a row at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, this time after topping the $25,000 Great Southwest Grand Prix on Saturday, No- vember 19 during the Great Southwest Final Chase.


in 37.660 seconds, almost exactly two seconds faster than second- place finisher Alwaleed Alrashid who stopped the clock in 39.653 seconds riding RSH Grand Dessert, owned by Royal Sport Horses. Third place with a time of 40.303 seconds went to Lindsay Bedoya riding Daniel Bedoya’s Quattro.


“I was a little panicked be-


cause, in the rollback to the second to last jump in the jump-off, he slipped behind turning in the in- side turn,” said Ford. I ended up having to slow down for a second to regain stability, so I was a little bit worried about the time there, but he’s just so fast across the ground!”


$25,000 Great Southwest Grand Prix. Photo by Jerry Mohme Photography “I was a little nervous Ashlee Bond & Donatello 141. Photo © Ashley Neuhof / MLSJ Praise for The Foxes of Belair


iconic names are among the owners and breeders revered by Thoroughbred industry professionals and racing fans around the world. As campaigners of many of the 20th century’s top racehorses, their


“Any student or fan of Thoroughbred racing his- tory will be delighted to lay eyes on The Foxes of Belair. Meticulously researched and laid out in in- timate detail, the story of Gallant Fox and Omaha, father and son winners of the American Triple Crown, is unique in the annals of the sport. Jen- nifer Kelly provides an exhaustive treatment of their singular feat that will educate both the ca- sual and dedicated follower of racing.”—Lenny Shulman, author of Head to Head: Conversations with a Generation of Horse Racing Legends Calumet, Claiborne, King Ranch — these


and the Quest for the Triple Crown, Jennifer Kelly examines the racing legacies of Gallant Fox and Omaha and how William Woodward’s service to racing during the 20th century forever changed the landscape of the American Thoroughbred indus- try.


Woodward bred the imported stallion Sir Gallahad III to his mare Marguerite. Their colt, Gallant Fox, became only the second horse in history to win the Preakness Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, and the Belmont Stakes in the same year. In 1935, the farm cemented the Triple Crown as the gold standard for three-year-olds when Gallant Fox’s son, Omaha, duplicated his sire’s trio of victories, a sweep that sealed the farm’s legacy and carved its name in the annals of racing history. In The Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha,


with William Woodward’s childhood memories of grand days at the racetrack, inspiring dreams of breeding a champion or two of his own. During a year working for the American Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Woodward frequented English racetracks, rekindling that childhood dream of breeding and owning champion Thoroughbreds. Woodward turned those dreams into reality, build- ing Belair Stud on his family’s Maryland estate, launching what would become the preeminent Thoroughbred breeding and racing empire in America and chasing racing’s biggest prizes in both the United States and England. The defining moment for Belair came when


prestige has been confirmed by decades of com- petition in the Triple Crown, the most esteemed series in American Thoroughbred racing. Even with these substantial legacies, their success is measured against the benchmark set by one of rac- ing’s earliest dynasties, the historic Belair Stud. The story of this legendary operation began


again,” said Ford, who has owned Gatsby for eight years but just got the gelding back from a year lease in May. “I haven’t done this in a long time, and him being 16, we didn’t know if he would come back week two and still feel as good as he did week one. He did. I gave him off the entire week. This was the only class that he did. He was fantastic. He’s just one in- credible horse!” Ford and Gatsby were


one of 21 entries to contest the first-round course de- signed by Danny Foster, and they were one of eight to ad- vance to the jump-off. “I got lucky that I drew


19 in the order, so I was the last one to go in the jump off,” said Ford, who operates her own business, Ford Farms. “It was a really, really good course. It was technical, and the jumps were big enough. It was kind of an in- teresting jump-off, because you had the ability to go quick and leave some strides out in two areas. There were also three inside turns, and you had to do all three inside turns to win.” Ford left out strides in both places to fly across the finish


whose work has appeared in TwinSpires, Paulick Report, America’s Best Racing, and The Racing Biz. She is the author of Sir Barton and the Mak- ing of the Triple Crown.


About the Author Jennifer S. Kelly is a writer and journalist


Daisy Ford and Gatsby. Photo by Jerry Mohme Photography


Daisy Ford and Gatsby were presented as the winners of the


Daisy Ford and Gatsby. Photo by Jerry Mohme Photography


Subscribe Today and Stay informed! Don’t Miss An Issue of The Rider!


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48