“I’m so proud of [Love Story]!” said Sailor of the Oldenburg gelding, owned by KHC Farms, Inc. “He’s only 8, and we’ve had a pretty good year. But for him to come out here and win this is a big deal for him. I’m really, really proud of him.”

Jamie Sailor and Love Story topped the $25,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Open. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

On their way to the win, Sailor and Love Story were one of 31 entries to compete over the Skip Bailey-designed Hunt and Go course. Love Story’s performance earned the gelding scores of 90 in the Classic phase and 92 in the Handy phase from judges Chance Arakelian and Mark Jungherr. That total score of 182 held up atop the leaderboard by a large margin, giving “Romeo” and Sailor the win. Second place with a score of 173 (89+84) went to Nicole Bourgois and Stout, owned by Hilary Sosne. Rounding out the top three with a 172.5 (87+85.5) total score were Alex Heimann and Krista Blew’s Ideal.

For the win, Sailor was also named the Leading Professional National Hunter Derby Rider.

Jamie Sailor and Love Story. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

“Being a hunt and go format, I knew I just wanted to keep him calm and relaxed,” said Sailor, who hails from Moorpark, California, in Zone 10. “He’s very handy. So, the first [phase] I really wanted to show off just a nice smooth pace because he has a beautiful canter. I tried to be just a little more conservative and just show off the big stride but not really put a lot of pressure on him. Then when I got to the handy part, I was able to kind of turn and burn with the slow canter, and he just followed me so beautifully.”

For Sailor, the win only adds to her already great experience at a horse show that she says she looks forward to each year.

“Las Vegas is my favorite show!” said Sailor, who has now earned numerous wins in both the hunter and jumper rings at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center. “I think it’s just such a different atmosphere. It’s indoors, which we don’t really get to experience in the West Coast at all really. The footing has always been amazing, and the jumps are beautiful. I think it’s really important to come here and see where you’re at in your riding and see where these horses are. So, like I said, for him to come out here and shine is a huge deal for me.”

The $25,000 USHJA National Hunt and Go Derby – Open marks the first of three $25,000 National Hunt and Go Derby classes offered throughout the week including the $25,000 National Hunt and Go Derby – Junior/Amateur and the $25,000 2’6” Hunt and Go Derby – Junior/Amateur. For a complete competition schedule and results from Tuesday’s derby, head to dihp.showgroundslive.com.

The Marshall+Sterling/USHJA National Championships are proudly hosted by Desert International Horse Park. To learn more about all DIHP events, visit deserthorsepark.com.

Clyman was one of 38 junior riders to take on the course designed by Anderson Lima and set in DIHP’s Jumper 2 ring. While 15 of those riders ultimately turned in fast jump-off rounds, none of them were nearly as fast as Clyman and “Lucky.”

The pair stopped the jump-off timers in 26.850 seconds to take the win by more than two-and-a-half seconds. Second place with a time of 29.420 seconds went to Isabel Moment and her own Kitting des Hausseurs, and Isabella van der Werf rounded out the top three after riding to a time of 30.707 seconds with Serendepety.

“I felt really good about my first round,” said Clyman, who trains with Kristina Gratton. “Then, for my jump off, when we were walking the course, we saw a couple of really tidy turns. I was really scared to do them, but she was like, ‘You just have to trust him and be really confident in the ride.’  So, that’s what I did! [Lucky Charm] made two really, really nice inside turns that were super quick.”

Clyman has only been partnered with Lucky Charm since August, but she and the 14-year-old Rheinlander gelding looked like a veteran duo on Sunday.

“He was my coach’s horse for a while; he did the grand prix with her,” explained Clyman. “A couple years ago, he had an injury. So, he was coming back from that for a while. Then, in the last couple of months, I was looking to move up a little bit. He was coming back from the injury, and he was doing really well. So, my coach was like, ‘Maybe we’ll just try him.’ We’ve had our bumps, but he was so super today! I’m really happy with our ride.”

Now, heading into the winter season, Clyman hopes to eventually move up to the 1.20ms and to be successful there.

In the $10,000 Core Specialty Insurance 1.15m Amateur Mini Prix, Rootman and The Best of Dancer, owned by Heather Archer, topped a 31-horse field for the win.

The amateur class came down to an even more closely contested race against the clock than the juniors, with all of the top three finishing less than half a second apart. Rootman and his 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse mount blazed through the finish in a winning 31.213 seconds, but Mia James and Kaiser van het Lambroeck  were hot on Rootman’s heels, finishing in 31.376 seconds for second place. Third with a time of 31.696 seconds went to Diane Doolittle and De La Vega.

The year-end final – held as part of National Sunshine Series 2, presented by Frank & Eileen – drew a field of 70 riders to Desert International Horse Park for a shot at the win. Each of those entries took on the first-round course, designed for the Grand Prix Stadium by Colm Quinn, and at the end of the opening round, the top 20 percent were invited back for the flat phase.

AJ Felix and Early Moon Du Favril. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

By the end of the flat phase, Felix already sat in first place aboard Early Moon Du Favril, a different horse than Felix initially thought he would be competing on.

“As of last night, I was supposed to ride [another horse], and this morning it got vetted [to be sold],” explained Felix, who trains with Chelsea Brittner and Jenn Serek. “I don’t own any of my own horses, so I just ride whatever sale horses we get…So, I had to do a last-minute horse switch, but I was lucky enough to ride ‘Earl’ earlier this week in the [CPHA Style of Riding Championship – South].”

AJ Felix in his winning presentation. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

In speaking of the 12-year-old Selle Français gelding, owned by Greenley Achuck, Felix continued, “I don’t know the horse well. He’s never done the equitation before, so these are his first two weeks in the equitation.”

Felix’s ability to quickly adapt to different horses served him well as he headed into the next portion of the class: the bracket phase. For this final phase, the top four riders all compete aboard horses other than their own, with the current front-runner going up against the current fourth place and second place also facing off.

AJ Felix and Early Moon Du Favril. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

In the first bracket, Felix and Brooke O’Malley went up against one another, both aboard Pennywise, ridden in the first round by Georgia Bass. A score of 80 from Felix bested O’Malley’s score of 76 and helped the Woodland, California-native advance to the final bracket. Competing out of the second bracket, Bass and Naomi Ries faced off aboard Jelly Roll, ridden in the first round by eventual fifth-place finisher Francesca Solaka. With a score of 85, Ries narrowly edged out Bass’s score of 84 to advance to ride against Felix.

“I loved the ride off,” said Felix. “That was one of my favorite parts. I think it really, really tests everyone, and it really goes to show how different everyone’s horse is. The first horse I sat on was the polar opposite ride of my own horse. It was really tricky, and it took a lot of getting used to, especially in such a short amount of time. It really showcases everyone’s ability to adapt very quickly and use that last-minute thinking.”

Naomi Ries finished in second place. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Felix’s last-minute thinking helped him earn a score of 88 aboard S&L Playtime. That score would best Reis’s score of 82, giving Felix the win and Reis the second-place honor. Bass took home third, and O’Malley finished in fourth place.

“I am so beyond thankful to Stacy and Greenley Achuck, the owners of this amazing horse,” concluded Felix. “I’m so grateful for the ride. They have blessed me with this amazing opportunity, and I wouldn’t be here without them and Chelsea and Jenn, and honestly, just such a great team behind me. It’s just so nice to have such an amazing team.”

For complete results of the 2026 USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – West, click here, and to learn more about all competition at Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com. 

“It means so much to me,” said Morrow. “This is my last year, so it means a lot to me to get to win it and ride it on such a special horse. He’s so amazing, so it just means the world to me.”

Taylor Morrow will receive a brand-new CWD saddle as the winner of the 2026 Onondarka Medal Final. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

For more than 60 years, the Onondarka Medal Final has provided riders ages 12 and under with an esteemed equitation final of their own and served as an identifier of talent from an early age. This year, the first round of the class was held on Saturday, November 7, and all 28 entries then returned for round two on Sunday morning. At the conclusion of the second round, the top 12 were invited back for a third round before the field was further narrowed to the top eight for additional testing.

At the end of the day on Saturday, Morrow and Qualisy, owned by Monarch Farms LLC, sat in sixth place.

Taylor Morrow and Qualisy. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“The first round, I was a little disappointed with myself,” said Morrow, who trains with Pegasus Show Stable. “I feel like I could have ridden better – just a little more on stride. Going into today, I thought, ‘It’s a new round. The winner from yesterday, they won yesterday, but I can still have a good round today.’ So, I just went in with a fresh mind, and I definitely rewatched my video a lot to see what I could have done better to maybe get a better score.”

The fresh mindset paid off, and by the end of Sunday’s three rounds of competition, Morrow had climbed to the top of the leaderboard, with her test in particular helping her move up the ranks.

Second place went to Jane Aker and Jersey. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“The test was super fun,” said Morrow. “There were a lot of inside turn opportunities. I loved getting to do the little rollback to jump number eight and then bending over to jump one from the second round. Then, I feel like the halt and the counter canter was a really good test. I love that because, last year, I moved down from second to third because I had a little ‘tranter’ in my counter canter. It was a really nice kind of redo at it, and I feel like he jumped everything amazing.”

With Morrow taking the win, second place went to Jane Aker aboard her own Jersey. Hadley Cogorno rounded out the top three riding Clarissa Explains It All, owned by Roundup Ranch LLC.

The full group of 2026 Onondarka Medal Final participants. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Morrow now next looks forward to contesting more 3’3” equitation classes and continuing to learn and improve with Qualisy and all of her horses.“I just want to be super consistent in the eq, and I really do want to work on getting all my strides and just trusting my horses,” concluded Morrow.

For complete results from the 2026 Onondarka Medal Final, presented by CWD, click here, and to learn more about the class, visit onondarka.com/onondarka-medal-class.

The results of the class came down to a nine-horse jump-off over a track set in the Grand Prix Stadium by course designer Colm Quinn. Ireland’s James Chawke and One Edition were the fourth pair to return, and they set the early time to beat at a quick 39.66 seconds. Zazou Hoffman and Bloom du Plessis were the very next duo in the ring, and they kept things interesting by stopping the clock at 39.68 seconds – just two hundredths of a second off Chawke’s time.

Shawn Casady and Cool Quarz. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Two entries later, Casady and Cool Quarz, owned by Morning Star Sporthorses, cruised through the timers and straight to the top of the leaderboard with a time of 38.72 seconds. That time held up for the win, while second place with a time of 39.29 seconds went to the penultimate pair to jump, Kaitlin Campbell and Cosm Questa VD Heffinck, owned by Mirasol Equestrian. Chawke and One Edition, owned by Vanessa Mannix, held on to third place, and Hoffman and Bloom du Plessis took home fourth.

“[Cool Quarz]’s foot speed naturally isn’t really the fastest, but he has a big stride,” said Casady. “I have to be really tight. I just try to stay inside everybody else’s footprints.”

Shawn Casady, Kaitlin Campbell and James Chawke topped the podium. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

In speaking of the 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding, known as “Frank” in the barn, Casady continued, “Frank has a really, really high sense of empathy. He really listens to your breathing, your mood; he’s sensitive. He’s a finesse ride, and he has a massive stride, so I can do all the leave-outs. He has 1.60m scope all day long, and he’s just a little guy. I’m not a big guy either. So, I think we have a good match together.”

Casady first got the ride on Frank in the fall of 2023, riding the horse for Karrie Rufer while Rufer was out of the saddle for the birth of her first child. After some time apart, Casady and Cool Quarz reunited again, and Casady said, “We just kind of spent the summer getting back to where we left off, and it feels good! We have a couple of CSI5*s coming up. It’s a lot of jumping to try to do all of them; so, I’ll pick and choose over the next couple months. Hopefully by then I’ll have an idea of what we’ll want to shoot for in the summer, and then I’ll use the end of circuit to project toward that.”

Shawn Casady and Cool Quarz topped the $117,000 CSI3* Frank & Eileen Grand Prix. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

For now though, Casady is happy to be back at Desert International Horse Park for the start of the new season.

“It’s like a big reunion,” concluded Casady, “Everybody gets to hang out, and it’s always fun. What I’ve noticed is everybody’s happy to be here. Everybody was looking forward to it, and I think everybody’s having a good time.”

For complete results from the $117,000 CSI3* Frank & Eileen Grand Prix, click here, and head to DesertHorsePark.com to learn more about all competition at Desert International Horse Park.

At the conclusion of Friday afternoon’s opening round in the Grand Prix Stadium, all riders who earned a score of 75 or higher, with no rails or time faults, were invited back for the second, “jump-off” round under the lights. Among those 27 returning riders Alario set in second place.“Today was a busy day,” said Alario, who rides out of his family’s Estancia Farms. “I had a lot of rounds going all over the place. I was a little bit stressed because I had three rings going at one time, but I was able to walk this course, focus, get in my corner and it was a great round. I was super happy with [Bellingham].”

Nico Alario and Bellingham. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Alario continued, “I really liked coming back in second place. Coming back in first, there’s definitely a lot more pressure. I was really excited to put a little bit of pressure on whoever was leading, and it gave me some excitement going into it.”

Putting pressure on was exactly what Alario did as he and Bellingham laid down a seamless round over the jumper-style course.

Nico Alario topped the 2026 CPHA Style of Riding Championship – South. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“I was really excited because I thought the course would really fit my horse,” explained Alario. “So, I was going in there, and I was like, ‘I think he’s going to lay a really good round down.’ He’s a little horse, but he has a huge stride; it was more of a galloping jump-off. Obviously, you don’t want to go too fast in the equitation, but the time allowed was really tight. Honestly, I let him be him, and he got down every line just how I wanted him to. It was great.”

With Alario’s jump-off round earning him the win, second place went to Ripley Ehrlich aboard Iron Man van de Kalevallei, owned by Woodacres Stables LLC. Sabine Close took home third with her own Iceman. For full results of the CPHA Style of Riding Championship – South, click here.

Nico Alario and Bellingham. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

For Alario, the partnership with his winning mount, Bellingham, is a new one. Alario picked up the catch ride on the 11-year-old Westphalian in August, shortly after the gelding arrived in Europe, and Alario has since been piloting him through his first equitation classes.

“He’s really come a long way,” said Alario. “I really love riding him. He’s super easy, and I’m super grateful [to Olivia Dawson-Grove] for the opportunity to ride him.”

Second place went to Ripley Ehrlich aboard Iron Man van de Kalevallei. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

With one major win under his belt, Alario next has his sights set on the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final – West, to be held during Desert Holiday 1, December 2-6, at DIHP.

“We’re going to go home, take a little break, have Thanksgiving, and then we’ll be back in December!” concluded Alario.

To learn more about all upcoming competitions at Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.

First up was the $15,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Open, sponsored by FOBI. Taking home the top spot, out of 53 entries, was Dustin Goodwin aboard Homecoming, owned by Melanie Kuechle. Goodwin expertly showcased Homecoming’s handiness and ability throughout the course, earning the only scores in the 90s — two impressive marks of 92 — for a combined score of 184.

Dustin Goodwin and Homecoming. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“This is the third derby he’s done,” said Goodwin. “The last one was last week out on the grass. His blood came up a little bit, but he still got a ribbon out there. He was 12th last week and was very good. This week, I was kind of hoping what happened would happen, which is he just thought, ‘This is so easy,’ and could take a big breath. He just stepped around and stayed so nice and quiet and rideable — just relaxed. I’m trying to teach him to be relaxed, and he was so, so, so good.”

After arriving in the U.S. and only just beginning his hunter career this summer, Homecoming has already made impressive strides, and Goodwin is thrilled with the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding’s rapid progress.

Dustin Goodwin and Homecoming were presented as the winners of the $15,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Open, sponsored by FOBI. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“[Homecoming] was a junior jumper in Europe, so he had a whole other life,” said Goodwin. “He’s naturally very much a hunter, but I think that means he’s been told to go a little bit, so we’re just letting him realize that he can just melt around and be his natural self. You always have that little come-down period where they have to learn that they’re no longer being chased around the course. He’s been so sweet and brave. He’s a lovely, lovely horse. We’re looking to move up to the 3’6” greens next and then, when he feels confident, we’ll maybe step into some international derbies, hopefully.”

Finishing almost 10 points behind Goodwin was Niki MacLeod and Ironman Equine’s Street Style. Their overall score of 174.15 (86.15+88) earned them reserve honors, while third place went to Hope Glynn and Poseidon, owned by K & L Phillips, with a total score of 173.75 (86.50+87.25).

The win in the $15,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Junior/Amateur, sponsored by Andalusia Country Club, went to Soleil Teubner Boughton and Crown Calido. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

In the $15,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derby – Junior/Amateur, sponsored by Andalusia Country Club, there were 68 combinations vying for the first place prize. Right at the halfway point, at 35th in the order of go, Soleil Teubner Boughton rode her partner of 13 years, Crown Calido, to scores of 87 and 87.75 for the win with an overall score of 174.75.

“I’ve had [Crown Calido] since he was 2,” said Boughton of her 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding. “He was in a field. He’s 15 now. He’s my heart horse. He’s been a part of everything I’ve done in the last 13 years. He’s recently really come into his own and matured in a totally different way. He’s always been pretty special, but I feel like in the last two years he’s really settled into his job. He likes it. He’s so careful. His expression — you see him going around — he just has the cutest face. He loves his job. He’s the sweetest.

“This is my favorite show,” continued Boughton. “I’m always so excited to come back down to the desert. This course was super fun. It felt like there were some interesting options that really allowed us to kind of show off choices and horses’ capabilities. I was shocked by how many people were in the class. We went about halfway through. I didn’t even imagine that we would still be on top at the end. He’s such a special horse. It’s pretty amazing to have this result with him after a 13-year partnership.”

Soleil Teubner Boughton and Crown Calido. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Less than a point away and finishing in second place was Lauren Kay, who piloted her own Newsflash to a combined score of 174.35 (86.50+87.85). Rounding out the top three was Kyra Shahroody and Tom Rattigan’s Wroyal Jester with a total score of 172.35 (86.25+86.10).

For Boughton, Friday’s win was about more than another victory in the show ring; it was a reflection of both the support system that helped her return to the sport as well as the remarkable journey she continues to share with her longtime partner.

“I’m so incredibly grateful to my trainer, Teal Orlin of Oakwood Farm, and her assistant, Missy Froley,” said Boughton. “I had an injury a number of years back and Teal really brought me back. I wouldn’t be where I am or have the confidence that I do if it weren’t for her.

“For [Crown Calido], we just want to make sure he’s happy and continues loving his life,” continued Boughton. “I do the 3’3” AOs and derbies with him — he’s had a really spectacular year. This is the third derby win for him this year. He’s been super consistent. We’re just going to keep him here. We want to keep him going and happy as long as we possibly can.”

For full results from both $15,000 USHJA National Hunt & Go Derbies, head to https://dihp.showgroundslive.com.

The class – held as part of National Sunshine Series 2, presented by Frank & Eileen – drew a field of 32 entries to take on the course designed by Kevin Holowack and set on DIHP’s Grass Field.

Nicole Bourgeouis and Mc Queen. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

At the end of the first round, Bourgeois and Mc Queen sat in fifth place – but just three points off the lead held by Jamie Sailor and Kartesio.

“It was a pretty tight squeeze; we were all within a couple of points,” said Bourgeois of her position coming back for the handy round. “To be honest, that’s almost a better spot to be in because it makes you be a little more bold in the handy. I was trying to make up a couple of points since I was behind, and it really paid off.”

Nicole Bourgeois and Mc Queen were presented as the winners of the $75,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Southwest Regional Championship. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

A hard inside turn in particular caught the attention of the judges and helped Bourgeois earn a second-round total score from the two judging panels of 188.30. While the top four horses and riders that qualified to come back for the handy round all returned after Bourgeois and Mc Queen, not one of them would come within even 10 points of Mc Queen’s impressive second-round score. So, with a total score 365.80, Mc Queen’s win was secured.

Sailor and Kartesio, owned by Horses of Olympia LLC, held onto second place with a total score of 358.10, and Lindsay Stefanko and Abbey Lane Farm Inc.’s In Theory finished in third on a 354.15 score.

Second place went to Jamie Sailor and Kartesio. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“[Mc Queen and I] have been together for about four years now,” said Bourgeois of the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. “So, I think that really helps. We’re both pretty comfortable with each other. We know each other very well. Her owners, Barb and Randy, were here today, which was awesome. They got to experience her win!”

Bourgeois continued, “Both [Mc Queen and I] absolutely love this grass field here. We were successful during the circuit at this very place last year. I think it helps that we live in Oregon, so we have lots of green grass. So, my horses really love it out here.”

Being from the Pacific Northwest, Bourgeois also loves being in the desert for each winter season.

“We are so thankful for Desert International Horse Park and how they continuously upgrade and update,” she said. “This footing is amazing. We’re so lucky to have such a large grass ring with great footing. The horses jump amazing; the jumps are gorgeous, and I feel like they really try hard with the hunter side of things. I’m very thankful for that.”

McQueen now heads home for a well-earned break before returning for the Desert Circuit, where she is expected to start back surrounding Desert Circuit 5’ WCHR week before also targeting the USHJA International Hunter Derby in Week 9 and the $100,000 WCHR Hunter Spectacular during in Week 10.

For complete results from the $75,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Southwest Regional Championship, dihp.showgroundslive.

The one-round class saw 29 international entries contest Colm Quinn’s speed track. Early and eighth in the order-of-go were Zoe Brown, riding for Australia, and Immer Fortuna, owned by Sophia Siegel. With three clear rounds already on the board, they bested the leading time by one second — a mark that held through the remaining 21 trips, despite nine additional clear rounds. They claimed the blue ribbon with a time of 55.68 seconds.

Zoe Brown and Immer Fortuna. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“Immer Fortuna is naturally a very fast horse,” said Brown. “I try not to go too fast — just do the numbers and turn a little bit tighter in certain places but also take my time and not get too ahead of myself. He was really quick from the beginning, and I didn’t really pull rein anywhere.

“I started riding [Immer Fortuna] for the first time this summer at Spruce Meadows,” continued Brown. “We had a great summer. He had a little bit of time off to recover after the summer, and now we’re back here gearing up for a bigger fall. He’s kicked it off in the right way. The plan is to sell him, so we are showcasing his abilities. He’s an incredible horse. This is now our second FEI win together, so we’ll just continue as long as I am able to.”

Zoe Brown and Immer Fortuna. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Coming off Saturday’s $100,000 Kubota Grand Prix victory, Canada’s Kyle King and Replay Touch V/D Stapelheyde, owned by the Chess Group, continued their strong form during week two of the National Sunshine Series. The pair were the final combination to produce a clear round before Brown, ultimately finishing second in a time of 56.94 seconds.

Rounding out the top three in Friday’s class were Michelle Berry (USA) and Alora Sporthorses LLC’s Tilly in 57.74 seconds.

Zoe Brown and Immer Fortuna. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Of this week’s CSI3* competition, Brown is especially appreciative of the expanded FEI schedule debuting at National Sunshine Series 2.

“With FEI here [at DIHP], we now have a great schedule,” said Brown. “After this, we head to Santa Anita, and we’re back again for Desert Holiday. There are so many weeks of FEI — so many opportunities to get in the ring and get experience. For a young rider like me, that’s really everything. It’s so great to have it here in California.”

Second place went to Kyle King and Replay Touch V/D Stapelheyde. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

For full results of the $32,000 BRAINJAVA CSI3* Speed Stake, click here, and to learn more about all competition at Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.

This year marks the first time DIHP’s National Sunshine Series 2, presented by Frank & Eileen, has offered FEI classes, and the show’s CSI3* has attracted a strong field of entries, including 57 horses in Thursday afternoon’s featured class.

Karl Cook and Heroes Kervec. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Of those 57 horse-and-rider combinations, nine found their way around the first-round, Colm Quinn-designed track without fault. Eight entries ultimately elected to return for the jump-off in the Grand Prix Stadium, but none of them would catch Cook and Heroes Kervec, who stopped the timers in 35.09 seconds for the win.

Kaitlin Campbell (ISR) came extremely close to Cook’s time on two occasions, and she ultimately finished in both second and third place on her two entries, Cloud and Cosm Questa VD Heffinck, respectively. With Cloud, owned by SWS Training & Sales, Campbell crossed the finish in 35.51 seconds, and with Cosm Questa VD Heffinck, owned by Mirasol Equestrian, she nearly mirrored that time, finishing in 35.75 seconds.

Rob and Sandy Meadows, Catherine Harvey and Jeremy Smith presented Karl Cook as the winner of the $62,500 Western Alliance Bank CSI3* Welcome. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

“[Heroes Kervec] is a great horse,” said Cook of the 9-year-old Selle Français gelding that has been owned by Signe Ostby for roughly the past three years. “He stayed in Europe for a bit [after we bought him]. We brought him over at the very end of his seven-year-old year. He’s really come into his own now. We jumped our first 1.45m class in April this year, and then we had two classes of little mistakes. Then after that, he’s just been clear round after clear round after clear round. We’ve been taking it slow, staying at 1.45m, 1.50m, and I think that’s a good place for us to be. He just keeps getting faster, and it’s a great thing. It’s always inspiring when you see horses just from show to show just kind of progressively get better.”

In speaking of being back at DIHP, Cook drew similar parallels between Heroes Kervec’s progress and the continual facility improvement projects at DIHP.

“A little bit like Heroes, each time you come here, it’s getting better and better. It’s never stable. They just keep stepping up the game and improving themselves. It’s inspiring,” said Cook.

Karl Cook and Heroes Kervec. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo

Cook plans to next return to DIHP for Desert Holiday, running December 2-13 – and he plans for Heroes Kervec to also be along with him.

“It’s the right next step, under the lights, a bigger atmosphere,” said Cook. “I think it’s the right step for him without going too much.”

For full results from the $62,000 Western Alliance Bank CSI3* Welcome, click here. National Sunshine Series 2, presented by Frank & Eileen, continues through Sunday, November 8, with featured highlights including Saturday night’s $117,000 Frank & Eileen CSI3* Grand Prix. To view the full competition schedule and learn more about Desert International Horse Park, visit deserthorsepark.com.