A pair of mares won grand champion honors in the 2023 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship—West on Tuesday in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Evermore, an 8-year-old Holsteiner (Dinken—M-Coriella) owned by Tatum Equestrian LLC and ridden by Eleanor Rudnicki, secured the small junior hunter, 16-17, championship and overall grand championship for the 3’6” height after earning formidable scores of 90 in all three phases. 

“She’s such a great jumper, so I think that was a highlight, just letting her show off,” said Rudnicki, Conroe, Texas, who catch rode Evermore at the championship. “She just moved up to the 3’6” with her owner, Violet Tatum, so she hasn’t done much this year, but she’s always looking to be good and do her best.”

Evermore’s final score of 264 points gave her the overall 3’6” win over Dauphin and Avery Glynn, the large junior hunter, 16-17, champions, who finished second with 257.8 points; and small junior hunter, 16-17, reserve champion Understudy, ridden by Ella Cate Duke, who finished on 257.6 points. Two days earlier, Glynn won the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic—West aboard Kenilworth Sport Horses LLC’s Dalmore

At the 3’3” height, it was another 8-year-old Holsteiner, Verona (Verdi—Venezia IV) owned by Marisa Metzger, who earned the overall championship after winning in the large junior hunter, 16-17, section. She was ridden by Aedan Mooney, Golden, Colorado, who was coming off another 3’3” grand champion win at Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship—East with She’s All That.

“I rode [Verona] for the first time ever on Friday—she’s a catch ride. I got asked to ride her at [Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship—East a few weeks ago,” Mooney said. “She’s super sweet, she’s really cuddly in the barn, and she gives it her all every time, so she’s a very good partner.”

Their final score of 262.2 points put them atop the 3’3” leaderboard ahead of second-place Quirin, who also was reserve champion in the large junior hunter, 16-17, section with Isabella de Bernardo (254.2) and third-place Baldeur, who won the small junior hunter, 16-17, section with Lillian Muzzy (250.2).

“I think it’s a super fun show,” Mooney added. “It’s really the best of the best comes, and you really have to show off and come to ride as well as you can. I think they do a nice job presenting the winners and doing awards presentations. The venues for both East and West are very nice, and I’ve had a lot of fun.”

Watch Evermore’s handy round, courtesy of USEF Network:

Watch Verona’s handy round, courtesy of ClipMyHorse.tv: