In the world of show jumping, riders must find the balance between tight, efficient lines and a ground-covering stride that can beat the clock. That tension was certainly present in the $5,000 1.40m Speed at the Marshall+Sterling/USHJA National Championships on November 12, 2025, in Las Vegas.
Winner Jamie Sailor relied on her ride, Magic Mike’s, massive stride and brute speed, while second place Gabriel Rodrigues Honorio showed off a breathtakingly tight turn between the first two fences aboard the lithe Castelissimo. Rodrigues Honorio and Castelissimo, owned by Hybrid Horsemanship, was the only pair in the class to dive through the small gap and pull off the rollback.
Sailor and Magic Mike, owned by Elizabeth “Lumpy” Kilham, laid down a blindingly fast round to finish with 55.707 seconds on the clock, a whopping four seconds ahead of the rest of the competitors. With second place going to Rodrigues Honorio, Sailor also finished in third place with Lest Best.
Sailor started catch riding Magic Mike in March of 2025 and has so far competed in fewer than 10 shows with the 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.
“I’m just lucky to ride him because he’s such a good guy, and he always wants to try his best,” Sailor said. “He’s a big boy and luckily, he’s fast across the ground. So, I don’t have to go too crazy with him, but I’m just getting to learning more of his speed basically and a little just getting to know him. He really listens to me, and I enjoy working with him a lot. Like I said, we’re just getting to know each other more and more, but I’m excited for the future.”
The pair has big plans for the next few months, both here in Las Vegas and beyond. Later on this week, spectators can expect to see Sailor and Magic Mike in the $50,000 1.40m Grand Prix.
For full results of the $5,000 1.40m Speed, click here.
For more information about the Marshall+Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships, visit ushja.org/NationalChampionships, and to learn more about all competitions hosted by Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.