Brooke O'Malley and Uno! won the IHSA/USHJA 3'3" Hunter Seat Medal Final - West.
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Gladys, Va.—Nov. 20, 2024—Brooke O’Malley made her first trip to the 2024 Marshall+Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships and the Las Vegas National Horse Show a winning one on November 17. The 15-year-old from Los Angeles, California, led through three phases of competition to take home the win in the IHSA/USHJA 3'3" Hunter Seat Medal Final - West.
O’Malley was one of 31 entries to take on the first-round, Archer Bailey-designed course Sunday morning at the South Point Hotel, Casino, & Spa. From there, judges Patricia Griffith and Stacia Madden narrowed the field down to the top 20 to return for round two.
“I really enjoyed the course, and I thought it was set super nicely,” said O’Malley, who trains with Susie Schroer and the team at Meadow Grove Farm. “It was super pretty, and I think the technicality was super fun for me. I really like it when it’s more technical. I’m able to shine a little bit better. We practice a lot of technical courses at home.”
O’Malley’s practice was evident as she earned a first-round score of 89 aboard her own Uno!. From there, the pressure was on as riders returned in reverse order of their standings. For O’Malley, it’s a situation she has been in before, as just this fall, she came back in first place in the THIS National Children’s Medal Final. That time, O’Malley ended up in sixth place, but this time, O’Malley rose to the occasion.
“I was super nervous coming in last on the highest score,” said O’Malley. “I’ve ridden last a couple of times, so I wasn’t as nervous as I think I would have been, but it is a lot more pressure. I just always tell myself that I can do it and I’m able to do it. That helps my nerves settle down. I take big, deep breaths and pat my horse and just go in and have a good canter and go from there.”
O’Malley and Uno! proved consistent in round two, earning a score of 89 to hold onto their lead with a cumulative total of 178. Sitting in second place with a score of 171 was Ava Sabin, of Reno, Nevada, on Kilroy; Lila Badham, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Quadro d’Ag held third with a score of 170, and Rosemary Bilson, of Van Nuys, California, sat in fourth with a score of 169.5 on Que Color.
Brooke O'Malley and Uno! Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
With second through fourth place all sitting within two points of one another, the judges called back the top four for additional testing and O’Malley rose to the occasion, further cementing her lead.
Ultimately finishing in second place was Badham, Sabin took home third place and Bilson rounded out the top four.
“When they first set the test, I was a little bit scared,” O’Malley said. “It was kind of hard, but my horse is pretty adjustable, so he was able to come back super nicely in the first line. We had to add a stride. I was actually able to get my canter back pretty quickly, which allowed me to get the forward seven to the double, which not everybody did. I think that said something that I was able to have a forward canter. I’m super excited [to get the win!]”
IHSA Associate National Steward Amy Daspit was on hand for the award presentation. All contestants were presented prizes from IHSA and other USHJA sponsors, including Essex Classics and Parlanti.
“We are so pleased with the IHSA’s first year as title sponsor of IHSA/USHJA 3’3” Hunter Seat Medal East and West,” said IHSA Executive Director Peter Cashman. “We are thrilled to align the IHSA with these wonderful showcases of talented young riders alongside our membership partner, USHJA. We look forward to expanding our role in 2025!”
The IHSA/USHJA 3’3” Hunter Seat Medal serves as a stepping stone for Equitation riders, providing an opportunity to qualify and compete in a national equitation final at fence heights of 3’3”. The Medal is open to junior riders who have not competed in any of the following National Equitation Finals with fences at 3’6” within the same competition year.
To learn more about the IHSA/USHJA 3'3" Hunter Seat Medal, visit ushja.org/HunterSeatMedal.
Edited USHJA press release.