Thermal, Calif. – October 30, 2026 – The USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships – West, presented by Frank & Eileen, concluded on Friday, October 30, with the naming of the 2’6” and 3’ champions at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California.
Taking home the 2’6” Low Adult Amateur Hunter overall championship title were Ashley Miller and Ivanhoe de Frevent, while Kaitlin Perry and Dream Boy M earned the 3’3” Amateur Owner Hunter overall championship. At the conclusion of competition, Thursday’s 3’ Adult Amateur Hunter champions, Maya Varga and Watermark, were also presented with the coveted overall grand champion title.
Ashley Miller and Ivanhoe de Frevent. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Miller, who calls Carmichael, California, home in Zone 10, and her own Ivanhoe de Frevent finished second and sixth over fences, as well as fourth on the flat, to earn the 2’6” Low Adult Amateur Hunter 50 & Over division tricolor before also taking the overall honor. The 2’6” 18-35 championship went to Kendahl Awni and Cornet de Prinz, and Martha Price and Oktoberfest took home the 2’6” 36-49 title.
Ashley Miller and Ivanhoe de Frevent. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“This is my first time doing anything like this,” Miller said. “I’m just amazed that I’m even here. My rounds were so good today. Ivan did everything I wanted him to. We won a championship back in February and then reserve champion in July, so I just thought, ‘I qualified, I should go!’ So I took some days off work, and here I am!”
The reserve spot went to Zone 10’s Awni, of Los Angeles, California, and her own Cornet de Prinz. The Manhattan Club, owned and ridden by Angela Caldwell, of Queen Creek, Arizona, in Zone 8, was awarded the American Quarter Horse High Score Award, presented by AQHA with Judy Canfield Power and Rick and Lori Bucholz, after finishing the Handy Round in third place and seventh in the overall standings.
Kaitlin Perry and Dream Boy M. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Aboard Dream Boy M, Perry claimed the Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3″ overall championships and the 18-35 title after taking top honors in both the classic and handy over fences rounds.
“I’m so happy!” said Perry, who hails from Sacramento, California. “I’m 32; I’ve been an amateur for quite some time, and it’s just so fun over the years how much more attention USHJA is putting on the amateurs with the Gladstone, with the Hunter Championships, how much swag and how many ribbons we got today. It’s really, really special to be able to have a little bit more pressure and be able to go out there and compete and be rewarded with the swag that we were rewarded with today.”
Kaitlin Perry and Dream Boy M. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
For Perry, Dream Boy M was a new mount for her, but the gelding has a special place in the Perry family.
“He’s my mom’s horse; I actually never really ride him,” explained Perry. “She unfortunately got hurt a couple of weeks ago, and we weren’t sure if we were going to have him do it or not, but I’m really, really happy that I had the opportunity to show him today. He really is perfect; I think we kind of all say that. He’s 19 this year; he did a lot of 1.60m when he was young, and then we just kind of took all the pressure off when [my mom, Kassy Perry] got him, and they have the most special relationship. He takes such good care of her, so I’m just so lucky I got to ride him.
Soleil Teubner Boughton and Copper Canyon. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
After finishing all three phases in second place, Soleil Teubner Boughton, of Lafayette, California, in Zone 10, and her own Copper Canyon were named the reserve overall champion, as well as the 36+ age group champion.
For full results from the USHJA Amateur Hunter Championship competition, click here.
Held for the first time in 2025, the USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships – West, presented by Frank & Eileen, give amateur hunter riders a national final spanning the 2’6” Low Adult Amateur Hunters through the 3’6” Amateur Owner Hunters. Each championship features three phases including a classic round, a handy and an under saddle. Riders qualify for the championship by earning champion or reserve at a USEF-licensed Channel I or Channel II competition, or if their horse ranks in the top 10 of their Zone Horse of the Year standings. For more information about the USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships, visit ushja.org/AmateurChampionships. To learn more about all competition at Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.