Thermal, Calif. – November 1, 2026 – Forty athletes from across Zones 8, 9 and 10 took on the 2026 Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships – West, held October 29 – November 1, during National Sunshine Series 1 at Desert International Horse Park. At the end of the three days of competition, the individual gold medals were awarded to Jamie Barge on Ross Vita and Natasha Ferrara on Tailormade Chazetta Blue in the 1.30/1.35m and the 1.40/1.45m, respectively.
Jamie Barge and Ross Vita. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
The team gold medals, presented on Friday, October 30, were awarded to the following teams:
- 30/1.35m Team Gold – Wendy Brownlee, Camryn Chalmers, Erin Prutow and Jialin Xu
- 40/1.45m Team Gold – Laura Hite, Jan Humphrey, Darcy Hurley and Danielle Morrow
“It’s been such a fun week. I love doing this team and individual competition,” said Barge. “I did it last year with my other mare, and I was just really happy with Rossi. She just jumped so good this week. She was clear the first day. The second day, we had a light rub in the combination and that was our one four-fault score. Today, she felt super jumping around. She loves to go fast, and she’s really fast when she’s clear. So, the jump-off was really fun to do with her.”
The 1.30/1.35m team podium was topped by the team of Wendy Brownlee, Camryn Chalmers, Erin Prutow and Jialin Xu. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
That jump-off ultimately decided all three of the 1.30/1.35m individual podium positions, as, at the end of Sunday’s $15,000 Platinum 1.30/1.35m Individual Final, five riders sat tied on four faults from their cumulative scores throughout the week.
With Barge blazing through the timers in 30.432 seconds, she took home the win, while second place in 31.446 seconds went to Honor Coulter and Clark. Rounding out the podium positions were Chalmers and Golden Cygano Jap.
Standing on the 1.30/1.35m individual podium were Jamie Barge, Honor Coulter and Camryn Chalmers. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“It was a very tough track, but I think it was a really good course for an individual final,” said Barge of the track set by Guilherme Jorge. “The course designer did an amazing job. There was a bending line that was seven and a half. I planned to do eight because it was kind of into the rail, and it was a tall vertical and it made the horses want to shift right. Then, you couldn’t shift right in that turn because you had to stay out since the triple combination came up next out of that turn. I thought that was very clever the way that he asked that question in the course. I think my mare answered it well, and I’m very happy with her.”
Barge has been partnered with her 9-year-old Westphalian mare for roughly two years, and she felt that the Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships – West would be the ideal fit for “Rossi.”
“It’s a good experience for the horses to be able to do championship-type format at a smaller height when they’re young and coming up so that if they do ride for the team later, they don’t have to start at 1.50m in the development tour,” concluded Barge. “USEF and USHJA have done a good job of creating programs for young riders and young horses to kind of bring them along so that if they ever get to that stage, it’s not a shock like, ‘Oh, this is how it’s done!’”
Natasha Ferrara on Tailormade Chazetta Blue. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
As the 1.40/1.45m individual gold medalist, Ferrara echoed similar sentiments.
“I actually chose to do [this championship] from the beginning of the year,” explained Ferrara. “I thought that was going to be my goal. [Tailormade Chazetta Blue] started at the beginning of the year just starting the 1.40m, and so for her to come here with not too much show mileage and just get out there and know the game and perform like she knew people were watching her is really cool.”
Ferrara and “Bluey” were the only pair to jump clear all week, including in Sunday’s $25,000 Platinum 1.40/1.45m Individual Final. Finishing as the silver medalists were Allison Kroff on T-Quick Hurricane Z, and Jan Humphrey took the bronze on Replica PR.
Natasha Ferrara, Allison Kroff and Jan Humphrey topped the 1.40/1.45m individual podium. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“I actually bought Bluey when she was five coming six, and I bought her straight off a video – never tried her but just saw something special in her,” explained Ferrara. “The very first day that I ever rode her in quarantine, I knew that this was going to be my horse and that she had a lot of untapped ability. I competed her just until she was about 7 and then she got injured, but I was pregnant, so I gave her two full years off. She came back as a 9-year-old last year. She just came back like nothing ever happened. She’s the smartest horse that I’ve ever had with the most heart. I feel like she speaks English. She and I are just on the same page all the time. For her to do this and go clear all three days was just the proudest moment for her career so far. I’m really excited to step her into the grand prix now.”
For full results from the 2026 Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships – West, visit dihp.showgroundslive.com, and for more information on all competition at Desert International Horse Park, head to deserthorsepark.com.
Laura Hite, Jan Humphrey, Darcy Hurley and Danielle Morrow earned team gold in the 1.40/1.45m competition. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
The Platinum Jumper Championships are part of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program. The Program serves as the entry point for the Show Jumping Athlete Pathway, a joint USHJA-US Equestrian effort that identifies and nurtures jumping athletes as they advance through the sport to enhance future success for Olympic and international teams representing the United States. For more information about the Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships Program, visit ushja.org/PlatinumJumper.