Top junior equitation riders took center stage at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Sunday for the 2025 USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – East, where 16-year-old Ivy Bonds (Aiken, S.C.) claimed the championship aboard Colonel Orange, a 2018 Hanoverian gelding owned by Horse Show Imports LLC.
The competition, modeled after the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) format, tested riders across three demanding phases—a 3’3” jumping course, an under-saddle flat class, and a final bracket phase in which the top four competitors switched horses to determine the final standings. All three phases took place over the course of a single day.
Bonds and “Curt,” as Colonel Orange is known in the barn, impressed throughout, finishing second in both the jumping and flat phases before securing the top score in the bracket phase to earn the overall title.
“Curt was imported about six weeks before NCEA Finals, which was only his third show in America,” Bonds said. “His owner was kind enough to lend him to us since my horse is injured. The equitation is completely new to him, so I try to stay a few steps ahead of his thought process and give him confident rides. He’s handled everything we’ve asked of him really well.”
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Training with Cathy and Celia Cram at Highfields LLC, Bonds credited her experience catch riding throughout the year for helping her adapt quickly during the bracket phase.
“Going into the final phase, I was nervous since I had to go first and couldn’t watch the horse go,” she said. “But once I warmed up, I felt confident. The horse, Knew Age, was a seasoned equitation mount who stayed right with me and landed his leads—it made my job a lot easier.”
Bonds, who recently committed to the University of South Carolina, said the NCEA medal experience was invaluable in preparing for collegiate competition. “I wanted to do the NCEA medals to strengthen my flatwork and learn more about college-style riding,” she said. “It’s a great way to test yourself on different horses and demonstrate technical skills in a show environment.”
Reserve Champion honors went to Maxima Lanasa (Palm Beach, Fla.), who piloted Mi Amor Van’t Eigenlo, a 2012 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Knowlton Equine LLC, to fourth in the jumping phase and first in the flat before finishing second overall. Mila Lieberman (Washington, D.C.) and Congrato, a 2011 Hanoverian gelding owned by West Hill, placed third after earning consistent third-place finishes across all phases. Brooke Parkinson (Oklahoma City, Okla.) rounded out the top four aboard her own Actionable, a 2016 Oldenburg gelding, after earning the highest score in the jumping phase.
