Ten years ago, Ashlee Bond topped a $1 million grand prix at what is now the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California. In the decade since, the venue has undergone extensive changes, and the caliber of show jumping sport available at the horse park has increased exponentially. However, on Saturday, one thing remained the same as it was back in 2014: Bond’s name atop the leaderboard in a $1 million class. This time, Bond piloted her veteran Olympic mount, Donatello 141, to a thrilling victory in the $1 million MLSJ CSI5* Coachella Cup Grand Prix.

The winning pair was one of 40 entries to take on the class, held in conjunction with Major League Show Jumping. From within the starting field, which included Olympians and top-ranked riders from around the world, 12 horses advanced to jump-off over the short course designed by Olaf Petersen Jr. 

The jump-off provided spectators with a thrilling competition among the who’s who of show jumping.

The very first rider to return, Lucy Davis Kennedy, set the clear time to beat at a quick 41.33 seconds aboard Ben 431, but the next several riders continued to crank things up a notch. When Bond and “Donnie” entered the ring as the eighth to jump off, the time to beat had dropped to 40.91 seconds, courtesy of Colombia’s Mark Bluman and Ubiluc.

Bond and Donatello 141 found a way to shave more than a second off of his time, stopping the clock in a winning 39.33 seconds.

Ultimately finishing in second place with a time of 40.48 seconds were Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25, while Bluman and Ubiluc took third. 

“It’s super surreal,” Bond said after her win. “It hasn’t hit me yet. I feel like big moments like this in your career, it never really sets in. It’s almost too big to kind of feel it. It’s just such a nice end to our year and a reward for my team and my horse. 

“My little Donnie, he’s just such a fighter,” she added. “He gives me so much every time, and I’m just super grateful.”

Watch them jump in the first round, courtesy of Major League Show Jumping powered by ClipMyHorse.TV:

Bond called the win the biggest of her career.

“I won the million here 10 years ago, but it wasn’t an FEI, and it didn’t have this caliber of riders,” she said. “So, a five-star million? I mean, that’s big! It’s very exciting.”

Bond has owned and ridden Donnie for roughly seven years, having now piloted the 13-year-old Westphalian gelding (Diarado—Luna, Lamoureaux I) around two Olympic Games. Following this summer’s Paris Olympics, Bond thought perhaps it was time for the gelding to step down a level—that was until she decided to try having Donnie go barefoot.

“We ended up pulling the shoes right after the Games,” said Bond, who rides for Israel. “This is his third show without shoes. It’s just made him so much happier, and he’s so fresh and sound. His strides gotten bigger, and I just feel like he’s reinvigorated and has this newfound happiness to go around and do his job. He’s just always been super special. I’m just really grateful. You don’t get these horses much in your lifetime, so I’m very blessed to have him.”

See complete results here.