Cheetham Captures IHSA/USHJA 3'3'' Hunter Seat Medal Final - West at the Marshall+Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships

Las Vegas, Nev.—Nov. 15, 2026—Addison Cheetham led the IHSA/USHJA 3'3" Hunter Seat Medal Final - West from beginning to end to take home the win on Sunday, November 15, at the Marshall+Sterling/USHJA National Championships, hosted by Desert International Horse Park. The 14-year-old from El Dorado Hills, California, in Zone 10, rode Cetello to the victory on the final day of competition at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas.

A field of 48 riders took on the first-round course designed by Skip Bailey, and by the end of that opening round, Cheetham had already positioned herself atop the leaderboard with a score of 86. From there, judges Chance Arakelian and Mark Jungherr invited back the top 20 for the second round before asking the four leaders to complete a final work-off.

Cheetham, a 2025 recipient of the USHJA Gochman Grant for USEF Pony Finals, said she came into the second round with a simple plan. "I just like to tell myself that I'm coming in with nothing to lose," said the 14-year-old who trains with Cassie Belmont. “Then, when I go in, there's no pressure. I just want my horse to do good, and we'll just go from there."

The plan certainly worked, as Cheetham only improved on her first-round score, earning a score of 88 for a 174 total heading into the final test. The work-off then asked riders to show a hand gallop, a trot jump, a halt, and a counter-canter, and Cheetham rode each one deliberately.

"For the trot jump, [Cetello] is very good about trot jumps, but he can kind of rush, so I just kept him collected," she explained. "For the halt, I just sat down and talked to him the whole time."

With Cheetham’s strong test keeping her championship-winning position secure, second place went to Sloane Hollingshead, of Rolling Hills Estates, California, in Zone 10, aboard her own East Meets West. Third place went to Kyra Shahroody, of Los Gatos, California, in Zone 10, and Celtic de Bethune, owned by Nick Haness.

"It definitely feels really good," said Cheetham of the win. "It's just a really exciting and high-adrenaline feeling."

Cheetham has leased Cetello since he returned to her barn last December, and she said she and the 19-year-old Holsteiner gelding clicked right away. "I know I have a partner there with me that can do this," she said. "We can do this together.”

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, including USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, ASPCA Maclay Finals, USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals, USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals (East or West), WIHS Equitation Classic Finals, Jump Canada Medal Finals, or the North American Equitation Championship.

The USHJA extends special thanks to the Desert International Horse Park team for hosting the event, as well as Official Sponsors Herm Sprenger, Nutrena, Parlanti, and Stridefull, Title Sponsor IHSA, and Supporting Sponsors Essex Classics.

To learn more about the IHSA/USHJA 3'3" Hunter Seat Medal, visit ushja.org/HunterSeatMedal.

IHSA/USHJA 3'3" Hunter Seat Medal Final - West Results

Edited Release: Desert International Horse Park and USHJA
Photos: Julie Mercer/USHJA