DEL MAR — On two gorgeous southern California afternoons, two fabulous rides earned the lead in the high performance victory gallops for the $60,000 Grand Prix of California, sponsored by Equ Lifestyle and presented by Ferrari & Maserati of San Diego, and the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, both on the grass Grand Prix Field. The competition was fierce with almost forty entries in both classes.

Before the May 11 $60,000 Grand Prix of California on the manicured course at Showpark, course designer Oscar Soberon of Mexico made a wise prediction: “I think since it’s $60,000,” he said, “that it should be tough enough, not too tough.”

Brazilian rider Eduardo Menezes rose to the challenge, taking Calavda past 36 other entries to the grand prix title on a picture-perfect, Southern California day.

Only four men managing to master the questions asked on the course. Menezes, Austrian Peter Petschenig on Saint Quentin, Mexico’s Enrique Gonzales on Quilebo du Tillard, and Karl Cook on Signe Ostby’s Jonkheer Z earned jump-off invitations with their faultless rounds. Course questions included a skinny wall early on at fence two, a skinny oxer with rainbow rails and a liverpool as the third obstacle as well as another skinny vertical off a tight turn at fence 10. Lines required adjustibility with the final line toward home a challenging, tight six strides — some attempted to open up in five, but that option chiefly was not successful.

In the jump-off, Menezes answered with a double-clean ride in a speedy 46.17, certainly the time and score to beat. The win and a victory ride in a Ferrari presented by presented by Ferrari and Maserati of San Diego went to Menezes.

“I actually was happy with the course,” said Menezes, who has had Calavda about 2 1/2 years. “I’d rather have a difficult course with fewer in the jump-off.”

The fastest eight of nine who had just four faults in round one finished fifth through 12th. Australian Lane Clarke on Granville Equine’s Casseur de Prix earned fifth with four in a time of 81.11, and Canadian Ben Asselin rode Attache Stable’s Makavoy to sixth with a single heartbreak last jump rail in 82.00. The ladies clocked in at seventh and eighth, respectively, with Americans Saer Coulter on Don Vhp Z (owned by Copernicus Stables, LLC) and Ashlee Bond on Little Valley Farm’s Wistful scoring four in 83.38 and 83.49. Grey Fox Farm’s Bristol and Rusty Stewart also had just the last jump down for ninth in 83.94. Another Attache Stable entry, Showgirl with Jonathan Asselin aboard, picked up four in 83.95 for 10th. Alix Fargo’s Zamiro, ridden by Susan Artes, brought home 11th when lowering the height of just the final jump in 85.48. Rounding out the top 12 was Cross Creek Farm’s Socrates de Midos and Michelle Parker with four in 86.17.

Hope Glynn and C.R. Haribo shine in $10,000 hunter win

Joe Lombardo’s inviting derby course offered the riders long flowing options in the Classic Round and some tight turns with a challenging trot jump in the Handy Round at the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on the Showpark grass field May 10.

Judged by the honorable Debbie Sands, Betty Oare, Frank Willard and Steve Wall, the high performance hunter class had thirty-eight entries. Top score in the Classic Round went to Blenheim Spring Derby winner Nick Haness on Gelato with a total of 174, followed closely by Hope Glynn on Woodstock at 172 and Glynn again on C.R. Haribo with a 171. A score of 170 put Come Monday and Christa Endicott in a close fourth position.

Once again the challenges of the Handy Round changed the placings of the top twelve. The victory gallop went to birthday girl Hope Glynn on C.R. Haribo, while Haness bumped down to ninth with a disappointing rail in the second round. Woodstock finished fourth when Endicott’s two mounts, Come Monday and Fabricio, both shined in the handy to earn second and third overall.

“In the first round with C.R. Haribo, I ended up taking the lower options but in the second round I knew that to beat Nick and Christa I was going to have to push it a little bit more,” Glynn said. “He’s a smaller horse at 15.3 hands, but he has a great jump in him — he just needed to be able to show off a little.”

“I thought that second round derby course allowed us to do that,” she added. “It was a really tough course with that trot jump down the hill so I tried to revert back to my equitation days [she laughs] to ride that.”

$60,000 Grand Prix of California
Sponsored by Equ Lifestyle and presented by Ferrari & Maserati of San Diego
Place – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time
1 – Calvada – Eduardo Menezes – Eduardo Menezes – 0/0/46.177
2 – Jonkheer Z – Karl Cook – Signe Ostby – 0/4/47.792
3 – Saint Quentin – Peter Petschenig – Peter Petschenig – 0/4/51.715
4 – Quilebo du Tillard – Enrique Gonzales – Enrique Gonzales – 0/8/47.434
5 – Caseur De Prix – Lane Clarke – Granville Equine – 4/81.113
6 – Makavoy – Ben Asselin – Attache Stables – 4/82.008
7 – Don Vhp Z – Sear Coulter – Copernicus Stables LLC – 4/83.387
8 – Wistful – Ashlee Bond – Little Valley Farms – 4/83.493
9 – Bristol – Rusty Stewart – Grey Fox Farm – 4/83.947
10 – Showgirl – Jonathan Asselin – Attache Stables – 4/83.959
11 – Zamiro – Susan Artes – Alix Fargo – 4/85.485
12 – Socrates de Midos – Michelle Parker – Cross Creek Farms Inc – 4/86.173

$10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
Place – Horse – Rider – Owner – Total Score
1 – C.R. Haribo – Hope Glynn – Emma Townsend – 365
2 – Come Monday – Christa Endicott – Davlyn Farms – 364
3 – Fabricio – Christa Endicott – Davlyn Farms – 361
4 – Woodstock – Hope Glynn – Sabrina Hellman – 359.75
5 – Soldier – John French – Elizabeth Gabler – 354.5
6 – Nigel – Hope Glynn – Eleanor Hellman – 350
7 – King’s Peak – Hope Glynn – Emma Waldfogel – 347
8 – Comet – Emily Esau- Williams – Theresa Boucher – 338.25
9 – Gelato – Nick Haness – Conor Perrin – 283
10 – Illusion – Destry Spielberg – Oscany Inc. – 267
11 – Ninja – Paul Haunert – Nicole Haunert – 259
12 – Chapel Hill – Morgan Dickerson – Pegasus Show Stable, Inc. – 244