Junior stars descended upon the HITS Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, California, for one of the most coveted weekends of the year, the 2025 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West. The first champion, crowned on Friday, July 25, was Dane Anson, 15, of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, who expertly navigated three phases of testing to claim the blue-ribbon honors in the 2025 USHJA Gladstone Equitation Classic – West, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University.
The USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic is a three-round class that combines the precision of equitation and handiness of hunters over a course set at 3’6″. In the first round, 27 elite riders contested a classic hunter course designed by Scott Starnes. The field was then whittled down to the top 12, as those riders returned in reverse order of merit for the second round handy course. Finally, the top six returned for a test in which riders swapped onto each other’s mounts.
Anson led the way with Celestino after round one, scoring an impressive 90 from judges Connie Hunt and Sue Ashe. He maintained pole position through the handy round after earning a score of 84 for a two-round total of 174.
“I really liked the course,” said Anson. “We were able to show off our strengths. I liked the inside turns in the handy round because my horse is pretty good at them. The way the course was, it helped him land all his leads, so I didn’t even need to do any lead changes.”
Following closely behind Anson, Olivia Aul, 18, of Woodinville, Washington, and Iggy Pop, her own 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zirocco Blue x Emilion), sat in second place on a two-round total of 172. As the top two in the standings, Anson and Aul switched horses for the final phase, where Anson clinched the victory. After two strong rounds with her own horse, Casalito 4, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Casalito x Quantum), Laura Jun, 18, of Menlo Park, California, made the most of the horse swap, moving up into third after her ride aboard Georgia Bass’s horse Vivant, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Vivald’ick x Diamant de Semilly). Bass, 16, of Sherman Oaks, California, finished in fourth, Laurel Piombo, 17, of Nicasio, California, earned fifth, and Gabriella Anzelc, 17, of Shingle Springs, California, completed the work-off in sixth.
“It was my first time switching horses in a work-off, and I was really excited, but a bit nervous because I didn’t want to mess up on someone else’s horse,” admitted Anson. “It ended up being really good. I was lucky to switch onto Iggy Pop, which is a such a good horse, and it all worked out well.”
Anson, who trains with the team at Broadway Stables in Lake View Terrace, California, only partnered with Celestino, a seven-year-old KWPN gelding (Cornet Obolensky x Contendro), earlier in the year.
“I rode him as a catch ride and we liked him so much, so then we bought him,” explained Anson. “He’s fairly new to equitation, so we just wanted to have some good rides today. To win the Gladstone today is just really incredible.”
After two consistent rounds and a seventh-place finish, Quathageno, a 16-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Quintender x Cornet Obolensky) owned and ridden by Ella Dalton, received the Best Equitation Horse award.
Competition continues through Sunday, July 27, when the junior hunter national championships will be awarded. For complete results, please click HERE.
