DEL MAR — Challenging on multiple levels, the $50,000 Grand Prix of California, presented by Mary’s Tack & Feed, had a solid 45 entrants resulting in a jump-off of just four. Jill Humphrey of Sacramento aboard Kaskaya were the only pair to ride double-clean rounds to win the May 9 Grand Prix. It was the highlight event of Blenheim EquiSports’ Showpark Ranch & Coast Tournament held May 5-10 at Del Mar Horsepark.

Course designer Leopoldo Palacios of Caracas, Venezuela, left little room for error, keeping riders on their toes from the first turn to the last line. The track was tight and the combinations technical, causing both time faults, rails, refusals and involuntary dismounts for riders.

Although the rollback turn from fences one to two seemed straight forward, it was the initial spot where time was wasted and often could not be made up later in the course. The last line paralleled the in gate in a steady seven strides to a triple that rode long in one to a sizeable gate oxer to another long two stride, followed by a turn away from the in-gate to a big square oxer.

The first rider to negotiate the course without a rail went fifth in the line up, Gretchen Lof aboard Zambezi, owned by Kings Wood Farm, LLC. However, she stopped the clock at 79.41 seconds, resulting in three time faults, and a fifth place finish. Following her round, one or more rails dropped and time faults accrued until the 22nd pair, Will Simpson of Hidden Valley, Calif., aboard Nadia, owned by Gotham Enterprises LLC, galloped through with a clean first round.

Shortly afterward, Jill Humphrey and Kaskaya, owned by Leone Equestrian, Inc., did the same. Twenty ninth in the ring, Guy Thomas and Urian, owned by Vicki Juelsgaard, joined the jump-off participants and not until the 39th pair, Veronica Tracy on her mount Muscadet De La Saveniere, did the course see its fourth clean ride.

Simpson had two refusals with Nadia in the jump-off, leaving the door wide open for the next three riders. Humphrey rode Kaskaya to a neat and clean 35.85 seconds. Thomas on Urian and Tracy on Muscadet De La Saveniere tried to top Humphrey, but both had one rail apiece and took third and second respectively.

Four-faulters placed sixth through 12th; the top of that pack was Susie Hutchison of Temecula on Cantano, owned by El Dorado 29, who went lightning fast with just one rail. Third time in the ring was a charm for Guy Thomas who was clean aboard Urian, having his share of ups and downs with four entries, including a fall off Midnight Dance, owned by Alec Lawler; one rail on Carino, owned by Willow Tree Farm, Inc.; and just one rail on Peterbilt, owned by Peterbilt, LLC. The day was still worth celebrating for Thomas and Willow Tree, finishing with three horses in the Top 12.

For complete show results, visit: www.showpark.com/results.asp