Alex Maida stepped up to the plate in the U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Search West and hit a home run.

Throughout the four phases of competition, held during the L.A. International, Burbank, Calif., Sept. 21-25, Maida remained at the top of the judge’s picks.

“We were looking for the right combination of effectiveness, education and style,” said Ray Texel, who judged with Leo Conroy.

“The winner demonstrated a beautiful style, and she rode with the motion the whole way. She was the most consistent throughout,” added Conroy.

Maida, a high school senior from Danville, Calif., has been riding most of her life, and she has been with her trainers, Duncan and Gry McFarlane, for her entire show career. “Gry and Duncan have really supported me,” said Maida, “and Susie Schroer helped me at the finals as well.”

After the three phases of flat work, gymnastics and show jumping, the judges selected Hannah Selleck, Megan Edrick and Natalie Rae Medlock to join Maida in the final ride-off. After a break, the riders returned to compete over a shortened course, first on their own horse and then on each of the other horses.

When Texel addressed the top four riders at the conclusion of the class, he was complimentary of their abilities and level of education. “You can make the course work for you or against you. For sure you top four made it work for you, and your horses all finished better. You showed your level of education,” he said.

Edrick, a sophomore at the University of California at Irvine, had been in the top four before. “It happens fast,” she said. “You have to really focus. I ride a lot of horses every day and show almost every weekend so I felt prepared.”

Selleck, the youngest of the group, was thrilled with her finish. The high school junior has worked hard to achieve her successes. “Four years ago when I rode in my first USEF Finals it was disastrous. It slowly got better,” she said with a laugh. “I went off course the next year, and last year I finally completed. When I found out I was in the top four [here] I was so excited, and now I am also qualified for the Maclay.”

Medlock has spent much of her junior career riding whatever horses she could. Although she usually had a horse of her own, she knew that time in the saddle was one of the best teachers. She has emerged as a top junior catch rider on the southern California circuit and has a reputation for giving the most difficult horses a positive ride.

“I like to just get on and go,” said Medlock, who is taking a year off between high school and college. “It is really fun riding different horses, and I really liked the top four part of this class the best.”

Maida had also done the finals before but hadn’t done well. “My goal for this year was to shoot for the top four,” she said.

She shot all the way to the top and plans to ride that wave to the national equitation finals on the East Coast this fall. “I am really excited, and my mom was here to watch me,” she said. “When I won we both started crying.”

All four riders have aspirations to join the professional ranks and eventually compete in grand prix classes. “All of you took some shots, which is the intensity you need to in the grand prix to get it right,” Texel told the top four riders. “You should be proud of yourselves as riders. Carry the momentum and keep going.”