Our tastes are similar. I ended up purchasing Ponderosa #1.
I took a 20+ year hiatus from bonsai after I returned from living in Japan due to family commitments. Now that I have the resources to devote to the practice, I don't have the time. Meaning - I do have the time each day but being in my mid-50s, I don't have a timeline to support long tree development processes and still have time to enjoy the finished trees. I wanted at least one 'specimen' western pine, preferably Ponderosa, to enjoy while I spend the rest of my days developing my own trees that other people will likely be the ones enjoying in their mature state.