Ashlee Bond discusses show jumping and calming her nerves

Some of the top equestrian athletes in the world were in Los Angeles last weekend as part of the Longines Grand Prix show jumping competition at the Los Angeles Convention Center. On Saturday, beginning equestrian rider Hannah Mitchell, the 14-year-old daughter of Times assistant sports editor Houston Mitchell, sat down with show jumper Ashlee Bond for an interview.

Q. Do you remember your first horse when you were a kid?

Bond: His name was Shemp, he was orange, he was a Shetland pony and he used to take off with me out the gate when I was getting lessons. He would run back to the barn. I was 3 and he was so tiny, but he was my first. Well, him and Patches. I can’t remember which came first. But Patches was great, and he was 13 and medium pony size. He had this pocket inside his mouth where he could store food, like a chipmunk. It was really weird.

When did you know that equestrian was something you wanted to compete in?

I started competing when I was 6. And then I went to pony finals when I was 8. Around that time, I knew that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

What advice would you give to young girls who want to become show jumpers?

Anybody can do it. Don’t be afraid. There are local barns everywhere where you can go ride. There they have horses you can ride, you don’t need to buy a horse, you can just go ride what they have. If you really want it, just work at it and don’t give up.

What advice would you give to young girls looking to buy their first horse?

To make sure that you find the right horse for you. There can be a really special horse, but if it’s not your ride, then it won’t go nearly as well as if you got a horse that is specifically your type of horse. I would say that even once you get older, you can ride more types, but you still have that one type that is your perfect match. And get with someone who knows what they are doing and your skill level.

What is your ultimate goal in this sport?

It has changed so much over the years. I have ridden on teams for the U.S. and competed in World Cup finals. My goal was the Olympics, which is something down the line I still hope to one day do, since longevity is real in this sport. That would allow me to someday go have kids and come back and do this.

Do you do anything special to calm your nerves before competing?

I don’t usually get nervous, but if I do….. My dad ever since I was little said “Don’t look at it as being nervous, look at it as adrenaline.” So that has more of a positive connotation than nervous, which people look at as a bad thing. Instead, he said “Focus on it, and use it to let you focus on your plan and what you are going to do in the ring.” Any time I start to feel my heart start to race, I just take a deep breath and focus on what my track is and what my plan is. How many strides here and what angle to jump this jump. Just keep focusing on that and it calms everything.