LAS VEGAS — Following three rounds of competition at the Marshall+Sterling/USHJA National Championships, Violet Tatum emerged victorious in the West Coast Equestrian Junior/Amateur Medal Final, presented by the California Professional Horsemen’s Association Foundation and held at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas.
The WCE Medal Final kicked off on Friday morning, November 14, with a power-and-speed format jumper course. From there, the 21 entries that completed the opening round returned on Saturday to jump round two, before the field was narrowed down to the top 10 for a final, deciding round.
Violet Tatum and Kruz. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
After the first round of competition, Tatum and Kruz, owned by Bridgeport Farms, LLC, sat in fourth place with a score of 82, but by the end of the second round, they had moved their way up the ranks to take the lead going into the third round.
“I’d say it was a good amount of pressure, but I know my horse so well,” said Tatum of coming back on top. “I’ve done so many rounds on him like this before. I was very confident in him.”
Her confidence was well-placed, as Tatum and Kruz had no problem at all holding on to their lead.
With the mounting pressure released and the scores finalized, the biggest thing on Tatum’s mind was gratitude for her partner. “I’m really just relieved because I stayed on top and didn’t make a mistake to cost me the win,” she said. “[Kruz] was so perfect. I was just really happy with how he was.”
Violet Tatum rode Kruz to the win in the WCE Junior/Amateur Medal Final, presented by the CPHA Foundation. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Judged by Alan Lohman and Richard Slocum, riders were evaluated on the essential skills of show jumping, including technical merit and execution of an efficient time-saving pace and track. Exhibitors had to show their ability to meet the specific challenges of each course. The final round course, designed by Archer Bailey, featured a jump-off style course made up of just a few fences but maximum difficulty.
“I thought the course was a good amount of difficulty,” said Tatum. “I liked how the jump off was nice and short, just like a jump off. The only fence that I was a little bit hesitant about was just the black-and-white in-and-out. It was just a little shiny with the lights. The horses kind of peeked at it.”
For 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Kruz, the tricky combination posed no issue. The horse and rider are clearly close. After their round, Tatum took her time to make sure he was comfortable and gave him a kiss and several pats before turning her attention to her prizes. She first started riding the bay gelding in 2024.
“I rode him in his first ever equitation class. It’s been really fun watching him develop into such a nice horse,” she said. “He’s very slow, with a big stride. It just makes everything look so nice and smooth.”
Throughout the award ceremony, Kruz lifted his lip in a smile as they tied a wreath of red flowers around his neck and placed the winning cooler over his back. According to Tatum, he normally only “smiles” for sugar, but on Saturday night she said, “This time I think he was just doing it for fun.”
Reserve champion went to Olivia Aul and her own Iggy Pop. For the full results of the WCE Medal Final, 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.