Thermal, Calif. – October 30, 2026 – Friday night, October 30, brought a rare treat for 1.15m amateur and junior jumper riders at Desert International Horse Park, as the Grand Prix Stadium hosted a pair of North American League Finals under the lights during the National Sunshine Series 1, presented by Kubota. Sarah Almasri and Carmen de Bonnieres claimed the $10,000 1.15m NAL Junior Jumper Final, and Keely Laughlin piloted her family’s homebred GHF Chicken Man to victory in the $10,000 1.15m NAL Amateur Jumper Final.
Seventeen pairs contested the $10,000 1.15m NAL Junior Jumper Final, and six advanced to the jump-off with clear first rounds over the Guilherme Jorge designed course. Almasri shot to the top of the leaderboard from there, stopping the clock in 33.333 seconds – more than two seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Isabella Van Der Werf and her own Serendepety finished second with a clear effort in 35.598 seconds, and Gal Polak and Clintina took third in 36.120 seconds.
The award for best Halloween costume in the 1.15m junior class went to Sienna Smith, who also finished sixth in the class aboard Noortje van het Houterhof.
For Almasri, the win came just weeks into her partnership with the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, owned by David Bustillos. She has had the mare for about a month, after Bustillos offered her the ride while her regular mount enjoyed a break.
“My first round, I was a little bit scared because she was going so fast,” said Almasri, who trains with her father, Morad Almasri. “Then, after the first two jumps, I felt so confident that I just sat back and turned, and she was doing so good. [In the jump-off] my plan was just to go inside and go really fast. Going around this arena, it feels amazing.”
In the $10,000 1.15m NAL Amateur Jumper Final, it came down to a three-horse jump-off before Laughlin and GHF Chicken Man posted the fastest double-clear effort in 36.857 seconds. Camille O’Brien and Calle Junior were also clear in 37.835 seconds for second place, while Tanya Jarvis and Hubertin de Reile turned in the fastest jump-off time, stopping the clock on 36.132 seconds, but a rail dropped them to third. Dressed as Toy Story’s Jessie, Jarvis also took home the best Halloween costume award in the 1.15m amateur class.
For Laughlin, the win was a family affair. GHF Chicken Man was bred by her mother on the family’s small farm in Carmel, California, where they start all of their horses themselves. Laughlin rode the gelding’s dam, as did her mother.
“When you’re jumping this height, you don’t always get to do it at 7:30 at night under lights in an awesome field,” Laughlin said. “My horse was a little bit like, ‘What’s going on? I’ve never been in an arena like this.’ But he kind of just took all the energy in and jumped his best, and it was really fun.”
In speaking of the 11-year-old Holsteiner stallion, Laughlin continued, “To see him here and winning is really rewarding. He’s just starting to get to these venues, and he loves jumping. He kind of lights up when he does this. He has the biggest heart.”
As for his name, Laughlin shared that it’s a playful nod to the gangster theme of his pedigree: GHF Chicken Man is by the stallion Capone I, and like Al Capone, Chicken Man was a known mobster.
Laughlin hopes to move GHF Chicken Man up to the 1.20m and 1.30m levels next year, and the pair will finish their 2026 season at Santa Anita.
“I’m just so grateful for this NAL competition and the horse park for putting it on,” Laughlin said. “It makes it really fun for us amateurs to do something so special. So, thank you to everyone doing that.”
To learn more about all competition at Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.