Bond Is The U.S. Star In La Baule

Ashlee Bond earns one of only six double-clear rounds in the Nations Cup, but Switzerland takes the victory.

U.S. rider Ashlee Bond, in her first Meydan FEI Nations Cup appearance, soared over the jumps at La Baule, France, picking up an impressive double-clear round and the 130 Rolex Ranking points they represent.

Although Bond led the U.S. charge with an impressive performance, the team could only manage seventh place after Richard Spooner’s Ace retired in both rounds.

At this first Meydan series competition, May 14-17, Switzerland topped Sweden in a nail-biting jump-off, and the 19-year-old Alexander Zetterman, riding for Sweden on his father’s experienced Isaac, had everyone’s attention after a stunning clear and 4-fault performance in his own first showing in a top-level Nations Cup.

The Meydan Group, developer of the largest equestrian complex in the world in the United Arab Emirates, took on sponsorship of the international Nations Cup’s elite circuit, formerly the Samsung Super League, on the 100th anniversary of team show jumping.

The Arabic word Meydan translates to “the arena,” and the sponsors of the new series hope to incarnate this idea of great and historical competition and achievement by upping the prize money to $280,000 and increasing the team competitors to 10.

La Baule has the honor each spring of opening the top tier Nations Cup show jumping. This year the beautiful venue was in even better form after Rène Pasquier, the president of International Jumping of France, and the city of La Baule built 200 more five-star horse boxes, renovated the warm-up arena and improved the ground in time for a seamless show hosting all 10 teams and allowing each room for a fifth rider.

There are three new chefs d’équipe this year on the tour. Laurent Elias replaces Gilles Bertran de Balanda for the French, Emilio Puricelli is the new team manager for Italy, coming in the stead of Roberto Arioldi, and former Olympic champion Otto Becker was on hand for the German team, taking over for Sönke Sönksen.

Also in La Baule were 2008 Olympic Games gold medalists Eric Lamaze and Hickstead. While riders walked the course, Lamaze guided the ecstatic crowd through an explanation of strategy and possibility.

Everyone fell silent for one minute, though, which was held to honor Belgian international rider Jean-Claude Van Geenberghe, 47, who died suddenly last Saturday of a heart attack, shocking and saddening the equestrian community.

Gearing Up

The United States was first to go after the draw, but that didn’t faze Chef d’Equipe George Morris, who has said many times that they’ve already done it all, started from every position, and that his riders know what to do. Morris did explain that the U.S. team doesn’t have “the luxury of location.”

The riders are chosen by a computer scoring system and must be selected by tours of three shows each. So this first team of Christine McCrea with Vegas, Bond and Cadett 7, Laura Kraut and Cedric, Richard Spooner and Ace, as well as Lauren Hough with Naomi, will continue on to Rome (Italy) and St. Gallen (Switzerland).