Del Mar, Calif. - With 43 competitors in the World Cup Qualifier, a thick competition of world-class athletes faced off on a course designed by Bernardo Cabral, from Portugal.

Harrie Smolders (McCool Photography)

The course for the Rancho Valencia World Cup Grand Prix was a lovely mixture of lines and combinations with many tight roll back turns. "The course looked challenging, but fun," commented a spectator of Cabral's creation. The course allowed 10 into a tough jump-off, which included two tight left turns and a long gallop to the last fence, the Rancho Valencia Oxer.

Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands and Richard Fellers and Tiffany Sullivan of the United States were all outstanding with double clear rounds tonight. The riders kept their tracks tidy and their stride upbeat, with Smolders and his Regina Z narrowly beating Fellers and Flexible by only .04 seconds, with a speedy time of 37.40! Smolders took third on his second mount, Enjoy Louis, with a time of 41.19 and Sullivan came in fourth on her ride Tristan, with a time of 42.68.

"It was a great competition tonight," said Dale Harvey of West Palms Events. "The riders were outstanding, the course was wonderful and the crowd had a blast watching all of these amazing athletes!" It was a memorable night with a tight jump-off! The evening's performance also included the national anthem, sung by Billy Ray Cyrus, a Zombie Horse performance, a Thriller Flash Mob, and a costume contest for spectators and their dogs. It was an eventful night at the Del Mar International Horse Show.

Place Horse Rider Faults Time Faults Time
1 REGINA Z HARRIE SMOLDERS 0 75.94 0 37.40
2 FLEXIBLE RICHARD FELLERS 0 76.01 0 37.44
3 ENJOY LOUIS HARRIE SMOLDERS 0 78.86 0 41.19
4 TRISTAN TIFFANY SULLIVAN 0 79.42 0 42.68
5 QUINTOL EDUARDO MENEZES 0 77.47 4 38.13
6 SASKIA 269 CARA RAETHER 0 78.99 4 38.95
7 IMOTHEP DARRAGH KENNY 0 78.48 4 39.28
8 ZAMIRO SUSAN ARTES 0 77.68 4 39.96
9 LYONELL CARA RAETHER 0 76.63 4 40.48
10 DOMINO JOS VERLOOY 0 77.01 4 49.48
11 DARIUS DE LA FERME ROSE MICHELLE RODAL 4 80.95 
12 FLIP JACK HARDIN 4 74.81 
13 CORAL REEF BALOUFINO VINTON KARRASCH 4 75.73 
14 BUTTERFLY TIBRI Z LINDSAY CORINNE 4 75.87 
15 LUCIFER V JACK HARDIN TOWELL 4 75.87 
16 ALBERTO II KARA CHAD 4 75.89 
17 LORDAN NAYEL NASSAR 4 77.08 
18 E MUZE YEK SIMON NIZRI 4 77.15 
19 SPRINGTIME SAER COULTER 4 77.46 
20 ZAMIRO 16 KARA CHAD 4 77.78 
21 FARFELU DE LA POMME JOS VERLOOY 4 77.79 
22 CALERO ALLYSSA HECHT 4 78.12 
23 QUILEBO DU TILLARD ENRIQUE GONZALEZ 4 78.92 
24 CAMERINO PAUL ROHRBACH 5 81.2 
25 VICTORY DA AUDREY COULTER 5 81.88 
26 CIPPOLINI VD GASTHOEVE ELICIA EDGAR 8 75.18 
27 NEW YORK JUAN PABLO GNECCO 8 76.28 
28 CORAL REEF AAJEE ANN KNIGHT KARRASCH 8 76.33 
29 ALREADY JEFFREY FIELDS 8 76.46 
30 USER ID JUAN PABLO GNECCO 8 76.77 
31 CHIN QUIDAM VDL DARRAGH KENNY 8 77.42 
32 JONKHEER Z KARL COOK 8 77.78 
33 RAGING BULL VANGELIS S NAYEL NASSAR 8 77.95 
34 DUTCH AMOURETTA BRENDA RIDDELL 8 78.14 
35 CHARLY JOIE GATLIN 8 79.5 
36 G AND C FLASH TAYLOR ALEXANDER 9 80.62 
37 ACORTE AUDREY COULTER 12 76.36 
38 CESAR BLISS HEERS 12 77.31 
39 CASSEUR DE PRIX JENNI MCALLISTER 12 78.33 
40 COCO COLETTE CHENOA MCELVAIN 20 77.88 
41 ELECTRIC 2  EVERADO HEGEWISCH 28 94.52 
42 PRADO K BLISS HEERS RT  
43 ZIEDENTO SUSAN HUTCHISON RT  
44 CORAL REEF FOLLOW ME II VINTON KARRASCH RT