Del Mar, Calif. – The West Coast’s annual celebration of hunter excellence, the Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West, came to a close on Sunday, concluding a weekend packed with quality competition and camaraderie for young athletes in the hunter discipline. The 3’6” sections kicked off the day with their final phase, tackling Scott Starnes’s handy course in the scenic Grand Prix Grass Field at HITS Del Mar Horse Park. Competitors in the 3’3” classes completed their under saddle phase before taking their turn at the handy course to conclude this year’s championship.
National Champion titles are awarded for a total of eight sections across the two heights, along with Grand Champion titles for the highest-scoring horse in each height.
3’6” Junior Hunter National Grand Champion: Jagerbomb and Violet Tatum
Competing in the 3’6” Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division, Jagerbomb, a 2013 Oldenburg gelding owned by Tatum Equestrian LLC and shown by Violet Tatum (Los Angeles, Calif.), secured his national championship title on Sunday by earning all three judges’ top scores in the handy round. “Jager” and Tatum added that handy win to their win in the classic round on Saturday and third-place finish in the under saddle, proving their mettle as a formidable hunter combination. Their score of 261.0 was the highest out of all competitors in the 3’6” height.
“I was really happy with my rounds this weekend,” said Tatum. “I just wanted to lay down two solid rounds, and I feel like we did that. I really liked the handy course. I liked that the hand gallop was on a different lead than yesterday; it kind of switched it up a little bit. And I also loved the one-stride.”
Tatum trains with Archie Cox, and she and Jager have been partners for almost a year. In that time, the handsome dark bay has become a beloved member of the barn and a star of the show string.
“He has a lot of personality,” said Tatum. “He’s very obnoxious about his food. He’ll attack you with his lips—not trying to be mean. He just wants food and attention all the time. In the warm-up ring, he gets a little nervous about other horses, but in the show ring, he’s super confident and never worries.”
The Reserve Grand Champion title for the 3’6” height went to Fable, a 2012 Warmblood gelding owned by Dalton Equestrian LLC and shown by Ella Dalton (Los Angeles, Calif.) The pair earned their win in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 with a score of 257.8. The pair had a win in the classic and second place in the under saddle on Saturday, and followed it up with a third-place finish in Sunday’s handy round.
3’3” Junior Hunter National Grand Champion: Rosalita and Hazel McLean
After winning the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 classic round on Saturday, Rosalita, a 2013 bay roan Dutch Warmblood mare shown by her owner, Hazel McLean (Vancouver, B.C.), had two strong phases on Sunday, earning fourth in the under saddle and third in the handy. Their final score of 252.2 gave them a decisive win for their section—the largest of the show—and the overall grand championship.
“I came into this week with zero expectations, because this is my first Junior Hunter Finals, and it’s Rosie’s first on the West Coast,” said McLean. “So if I was going to have a good round, that would make my entire week. For me, I think the handy was my favorite because we had an interesting warm-up and I wasn’t sure what to expect. And then we went in, and it was beautiful, and she was amazing.”
Rosie and McLean, who train with Eliza Hunt, entered each other’s lives in the winter of 2024 in Florida.
“I was a bit unsure when I tried her, because I was moving off of a pony, so I was a bit nervous,” said McLean. “But we really clicked, and it’s been amazing ever since. She’s so smooth to ride and she’s the sweetest in the barn. She’s spoiled rotten—she gets so many treats. But she’s got the best demeanor and everyone loves being around her.”
Rosie also won the Small Collection Perpetual Trophy as the top placing mare of the show at either height.
Coming in as Reserve Grand Champion was Exquisite RW, a 2013 KWPN mare owned by KHC Farms, Inc., and shown by Chloe Eynon (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.). The pair won the classic round and placed third in the handy for the Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under section to finish on an overall score of 249.0.
2025 Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West National Champions:
3’6” Large Junior Hunter 16-17
- Fable and Ella Dalton
- Milagro and Zoe Wolf
- Dublin and Katalina Raiszadeh
3’6” Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- Positano and Slate Mellencamp Arroyave
- Lyla and Stella Tinsley
- Phenom and Lily Johnson
3’6” Small Junior Hunter 16-17
- Jagerbomb and Violet Tatum
- Simply Irresistible and Ella Dalton
- Enegren and Laurel Piombo
3’6” Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- Kaastel Hill and Baylee Rowan
- Maui and Addison Cheney
- Diamant De Muze and Reade Conant
3’3” Large Junior Hunter 16-17
- Rosalita and Hazel McLean
- Mister Carrera and Sophia Donald
- St. Somewhere and Shiloh Roseboom
3’3” Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- Chinyero and Charlie Clarke
- Skyhawk and Sienna Smith
- Inkwell and Gianna Amerio
3’3” Small Junior Hunter 16-17
- Delegate and Naomi Ries
- Caradam and Caitlin Fairbanks
- Pool Boy and Claire Bogdanovich
3’3” Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- Exquisite RW and Chloe Eynon
- Lioness and Kate Haydinger
- Einstein and Isabel Dyckerhoff
Full Results | More JHNC Coverage from US Equestrian
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The 2025 Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West was livestreamed on USEF Network. US Equestrian subscribers and members can watch the replay on demand. Learn more here.
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