North American League West Coast Finals Winners Named at National Sunshine Series
The North American League West Coast Finals made their successful Desert International Horse Park debut during National Sunshine Series 1, held October 29 – November 2, 2025.
Riders qualified for the finals by competing in NAL classes held throughout the year at horse shows across the U.S. and Canada, and this weekend, six of those riders rose to the top to be crowned West Coast champions.
$10,000 NAL 1.15m Junior Jumper Final
Friday night, October 31, might have marked 14-year-old Ellington Vasan’s first time jumping under the lights, but one would have never guessed that watching her expertly maneuver Secret Fernhill to the win in the $10,000 NAL 1.15m Junior Jumper Final.
The duo was one of four entries to navigate the Guilherme Jorge-designed course without fault to advance to the jump-off round. There, Vasan kept her turns tight to take the win by more than two seconds, crossing the finish in 32.247 seconds. Second place with a time of 34.633 seconds went to Ripley Ehrlich and Hermes, and Lillian Loftin and Champs Elysees rounded out the top three on a time of 35.556 seconds.
“This is a very meaningful win for me and Secret Fernhill because it marks the last class that I’ll do on this horse before he goes on to teach the next set of kids, which will be both my younger siblings,” said Vasan of the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, owned by EV Equestrian LLC, that will next be ridden by Vasan’s 12-year-old brother and 7-year-old sister.
“The first round, I walked it, and I was really excited,” continued Vasan, who trains with Olivia Dawson Grove and the team at Dawson Grove Farm. “It’s a nice experience to be under the lights, and it’s interesting to see how my horse, who is usually so reliable, got pretty strong and was pretty excited to be under the lights. It’s so interesting when you think about how a horse could usually be quiet and then gets excited when there’s all the people watching, and it’s dark. It’s a very intense environment for them.”
For Vasan – who has big riding goals for the future – that opportunity to jump in DIHP’s Grand Prix Stadium in a nighttime atmosphere was one of her favorite parts of the NAL Finals experience.
“The only way to practice riding under the lights is by riding under the lights!” concluded Vasan. “It’s great experience. If I want to jump grand prix classes when I’m older, I’ve got this under my belt and can remember what this was like and use that. I can remember what mental prep I did and how I set myself up for success.”
For full results of the $10,000 NAL 1.15m Junior Jumper Final, click here.
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