Harrisburg, Pa. – Top junior equitation athletes took to the Keystone Arena at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show last Sunday to vie for champion honors in the 2025 USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – East. This unique medal final is based on the format used in NCEA varsity competition and challenges riders to demonstrate their skill over a 3’3” equitation course and an under-saddle phase. The top four are brought back for the bracket phase in which they switch horses to determine final placings. All three phases take place in a single day.
This year’s champion is 16-year-old Ivy Bonds (Aiken, S.C.) with Colonel Orange, a 2018 Hanoverian gelding owned by Horse Show Imports LLC. The young horse, known in the barn as “Curt” is a new face in the equitation ring, and he and Bonds built their successful partnership in a short time.
“Curt was imported about six weeks before NCEA finals, which was his third show in America,” said Bonds. “His owner was very kind to lend him to us for finals season since my personal horse is injured. The equitation is completely new to Curt, so I always try to be a few steps ahead of his thought process at home and in the show ring since he is still learning. I do my best to give him confident rides in the show ring so that he can have the best experience possible. Overall, he has handled everything we have asked of him extremely well.”
Bonds, who trains with Cathy and Celia Cram at Highfields LLC, has also had experience catch riding other horses at shows throughout the year, which she said helped her with the bracket phase.
“Going into the final phase, I was definitely a bit nervous, especially since I had to go first, and I didn't get the advantage of watching [the horse] go before,” she said. “After I warmed up, I felt a bit more confident because the horse I was on, Knew Age, was a seasoned equitation horse and stayed with me when I rode up or collected to a jump. He was also great at landing his leads so that was one less thing to worry about in the ring.”
Bonds and Curt performed exceptionally well in the first two phases, placing second in both jumping and flat. Bonds earned the top score in the bracket phase, propelling her to the top of the podium. Her success in the final bodes well for her future as an intercollegiate equestrian.
“I wanted to compete in the NCEA medals to prepare for college riding and strengthen my flatwork skills,” she said. “I recently committed to the University of South Carolina, and I think the NCEA medal is a great way to learn about collegiate riding and get a feel for what it is like. This class is a great way to demonstrate technical flatwork movements in a show setting as well as test your skills on different horses.”
Reserve champion at this year’s East final was Maxima Lanasa (Palm Beach, Fla.) who rode Mi Amor Van’t Eigenlo, Knowlton Equine LLC’s 2012 Belgian Warmblood gelding, to fourth place in the jumping phase and the top score in the flat phase before going on to place second in the bracket phase. Mila Lieberman (Washington, D.C.) finished third with Congrato, a 2011 Hanoverian gelding owned by West Hill, after placing third in all three phases. Brooke Parkinson (Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished fourth overall and earned the top score in the jumping phase with her own Actionable, a 2016 Oldenburg gelding.
The USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – West will take place Nov. 9, 2025. Click here to learn more about the USEF/NCEA Medal program.
US Equestrian members and subscribers can watch all of the 2025 Pennsylvania National Horse Show, including the USEF/NCEA Medal Final, on-demand on USEF Network. Not a member? Join today!