Thermal, Calif. - A total of 70 combinations entered the Grand Prix Stadium at Desert International Horse Park on Sunday, November 8, to contest the 2026 USEF/NCEA Hunter Seat Medal Final – West. AJ Felix (Woodland, Calif.) and Early Moon du Favril, emerged victorious with a final round score of 88.
The competition featured courses designed by Scott Starnes (USA). In phase one, athletes navigated a course set to 3’3” in height, challenging combinations to demonstrate rideability and consistency throughout the track.
Phase two saw the top 14 athletes return for a flat phase. Judges Wendy Peralta and Anne Braswell asked athletes to demonstrate basic classical dressage movements such as a shoulder in, haunches in, and leg yield. The flat and fences phases counted equally to determine the top four combinations to move forward on to the final bracket phase.
Following the flat and fences phases, Felix sat at the top of the leaderboard with the 2014 Selle Francais gelding (Vagabond de la Pomme x Olivine de Crann) owned by Greenley Achuck.
In the bracket phase, the first and fourth place athletes competed on each other’s mounts, while the third and second place athletes did the same. Felix faced Brooke O’Malley (Los Angeles, Calif.) in the first bracket, while Georgia Bass (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) competed against Naomi Ries (Medina, Wash.). Ries advanced with a score of 85, and Felix earned a score of 80 to join her in the championship bracket.
In the final face off, Felix earned a winning score of 88 aboard S&L Playtime, a 2017 Zangersheide gelding (Calvados Z x Uthopya) owned by Norgan, Inc. Ries delivered a strong performance to secure reserve champion with a score of 82. Bass took third, and O’Malley finished fourth.
“I loved the ride off,” said Felix. “That was one of my favorite parts. I think it really tests everyone, and it really goes to show how different everyone’s horse is. The first horse I sat on was the polar opposite ride of my own horse. It was really tricky, and it took a lot of getting used to, especially in such a short amount of time. It really showcases everyone’s ability to adapt very quickly and use that last-minute thinking.”
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