October 22, 2022 
“Our goal was to find the strongest, fastest people and put them on one team…we [wanted] everyone to be a fricking assassin, so that whoever jumps is going to be great and we’re going to have the best chance.”
That was cutthroat strategy as confessed by Ashlee Bond (ISR) when she and Eugenio Garza (MEX) were putting together their Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) team; the Helios.
Together, their tenacity could send shivers down a competitor’s spine, but the Helios’ merciless recruitment strategy was not born of cold calculations. Instead, a fiery passion for show jumping, and the pursuit of being crowned the greatest team on the North America tour. The $500,000 end of season team bonus might also have a little something do with it.
Tonight, they came one step closer, logging yet another Team Competition win along the MLSJ tour at stage six in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. On the grass at Otomí Club Hipíco was Bliss Heers (USA) and 12-year-old stallion Antidote De Mars, Bond with 11-year-old gelding Donatello 141, and Garza with 14-year-old gelding Victer Finn Dh Z.
If you haven’t been keeping count of their conquests that’s okay, because Garza certainly was, emphatically flashing four fingers after galloping through the timers and securing their fourth win. They might have strategized for success, but seeing it play out in reality is a different story.
“You never think it’s going to go this phenomenally well. Winning four out of six, that’s astronomically good,” said Bond.
Yet there was one person who, from the very beginning, certainly thought it was possible. Upon hearing Bond and Garza’s Helios roster, MLSJ founder Keean White (CAN) thought to bargain for balance.
“I actually remember Keean going, ‘That’s just six really strong riders. Maybe you should choose one that’s not as fast?’ and I was like, ‘No, no,'” laughed Bond.
Luckily, the Helios repetitive wins haven’t made this year’s team challenge any less interesting, and the class in San Miguel was no exception. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
Read The MLSJ Team Event Explained if you need a mid-season refresher.
Bond, Heers and Garza go clear above the cutline
In the initial round, the goal is to make it above the cutline. The top four teams then advance to the jump-off round. The Helios started off strong, all three of their representatives jumping clear. The Crusaders also finished the first round on zero faults, ahead of the Spy Coast Spies on four followed by Eye Candy, also on four.
A shiny zero indicated the Helios were in good form, but the first round isn’t about perfection because in the second round everyone is dealt a fresh scorecard. It was still anybody’s game.
The Crusaders fell in battle
Riding for the Crusaders, Nicolas Pizarro Suarez (MEX) put down an initial clear in the jump-off with Atlantica Du Soleil Z. However, the tides changed when Tanimara Macari (MEX) and Ib Chica had a miscommunication coming out of the double combination. As a result, Macari was swiftly unsaddled. The pair was completely unharmed, but their team suffered elimination this round.
This is where the beauty of the MLSJ Team competition shines through, as all was not lost. The “elimination” put them out of contention for the gold medal round, but they could still jump in the bronze medal match, third place still up for grabs.
Garza had a little help from his friends
Or, better yet, a safety net he wouldn’t end up needing. It’s become standard to tap in the two fastest horses for the jump-off round in hopes to secure a spot in the gold medal round, making a humble second place the worst case scenario.
But Garza underwent back surgery in 2020 because of an old fall that resulted in compression of his spine. While he’s been recovered and jumping at the top level for quite some time now, on Friday his back began to give him trouble.
“I think there’s the strategy of trying to put the fastest horses for round two today. All of them are very fast, and [Garza] was a little broken. So he was like, ‘please put me last. So I if I mess up, we’re second’,” Bond explained.
“I knew it was going to be a tough field and I knew we had to be clear. I really wanted to give Helios a good result and I can always count on Antidote. So I thought okay, just be as smooth as you can,” said Heers.
With the pressure on, Bond and Heers got the job done. They finished the shortened track on a brisk 81.61 seconds combined, securing their sport in the gold medal match and leaving Eye Candy to ride against the Crusaders for bronze.
Spy Coast Spies versus Helios
The Helios had the shimmers of gold in sight, but Jordan Coyle (IRL) was threatening a total solar eclipse with 15-year-old gelding Picador. The notoriously speedy combination has historically clinched victories with his all-or-nothing attitude in the stirrups, and was prepared to give Garza a run for his money in San Miguel.
He put down a blistering time but caught a rail at the penultimate fence on course to add three seconds to his time in the faults converted class. His final tally 42.53 seconds. This left the door open for Garza, who despite his back pain, rose to the occasion for the sake of his team. He and Victer finished on 40.73 seconds, and the Helios burst into cheers.
“I trust Victer. He’s a super fast horse, he’s always game. I was just hoping not to mess it up for the team even though I’m a little bit half broken right now. So yeah, we’re on top again,” said Garza.
“Fortunately he’s amazing even when he’s broken. So he brought it home for us, half broken,” said Bond.
Coach Cook
It wasn’t only the team in the saddle who contributed to Friday’s win. Karl Cook (USA), who was originally slated for the team competition rather than Bond, was unfortunately sidelined because his horse came down with shipping fever. Yet Heers, Garza and Bond had no intention of letting him off the hook completely.
“We’ve been utilizing our ground man quite well, Karl Cook, and he gave us pointers on how we should execute. Just be smooth and do what we do best, and that’s what we did,” said Heers.
“I’m never watching again,” Cook allegedly told Bond.
“It’s awful watching for all of us,” laughed Heers.
“It’s not that we don’t trust our teammates, it’s just we’d rather be in the ring with them,” said Garza.
“It’s so nerve-wracking because we all want each other to do well and we’re all good friends,” said Bond.
Helios leads the overall team standings by over ten points.
Helios were on fire from the very start, taking three wins in a row. They lit the match with a dramatic win in Vancouver (where it was the same trio as San Miguel), then followed up with a win in Traverse City and another in Toronto.
The remaining teams then found a bit of relief in Ottawa and Traverse City II, where Lugano and Eye Candy kicked them from the top spot, but the overall points lead has yet to change hands.
As it stands, the Helios are on top with 47 points and Eye Candy are tied with the Spy Coast Spies for 35 points.
The climb to the top of Mount Major League is far from finished, but Helios is only turning up the heat. Even Garza has no plans to rest anytime soon.
“Being honest with myself I’m probably going to ride tomorrow,” said Garza.
