Violet Tatum is Victorious in USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – West
In 2024, Violet Tatum made the top 10 of the USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – West, but a minor error in the flat phase kept her from of advancing to the top four and the bracket phase. After that, Tatum made improving her results in the class a goal, and on Sunday, November 9, at Desert International Horse Park, she did just that.
The 17-year-old from Pacific Palisades, Calif., topped a 46-rider field to be crowned the 2025 USEF/NCEA Junior Hunter Seat Medal Final – West champion.
“It feels really good to win this Medal; it’s been a goal of mine since last year,” said Tatum, who rode Kruz, owned by Bridgeport Farms LLC, to the win.
The USEF/NCEA Medal Final is unique in that it is based on the format utilized in National Collegiate Equestrian Association varsity competition and challenges riders to demonstrate their skills over a 3’3” equitation course and through a flat phase. Following these first two phases, the top four are brought back for the bracket phase in which they switch horses to determine final placings.
At the end of Saturday morning’s opening jumping round, judges John French and Steven Rivetts had put Tatum into the top spot with a score of 90.
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