The Blenheim Spring Tournament horse show marked the beginning of a season of show jumping competition for Blenheim Equisports. The highlights for the week included the $30,000 Royal Champion Jumper Classic on Wednesday night and the $50,000 Orange County Register CSI-W Grand Prix on the evening of Good Friday. The Friday class was the final qualifier on the west coast for the 2010 FEI World Cup Finals in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 14-18, 2010.

Internationally acclaimed course designer Olaf Petersen, Jr., created challenging courses, and interestingly enough the top three placing riders in the Grand Prix on Friday, April 2, were the same riders who were in the indoor arena for the awards presentation only two nights before, for the $30,000 Royal Champion Jumper Classic. These competitors were John Pearce, Karen Cudmore and Chris Pratt, all hailing from Canada.

Judged in a one-round speed class format, the Jumper Classic awarded first place to Canada's Karen Cudmore aboard Blair Cudmore's stallion Southern Pride. Stopping the timers just 1/10th of a second slower than Cudmore were John Pearce and Forest View Farm's Chianto, and Chris Pratt closely followed Pearce, earning the yellow ribbon with Indigo Farm's G5. Pratt also took fourth place with Stoeterij Duyselshof's VDL Groep Union.

Riders and spectators returned to the indoor arena two nights later for the $50,000 CSI-W Grand Prix. The only rider to navigate the course without incurring a fault was John Pearce and Chianto for the win with no jump-off needed. Followed closely by two his fellow Canadians, Cudmore and Pratt, who were clean over the jumps but both barely exceeded the 66-second time allowed and collected one time fault each. Cudmore, completing the course in 66.47, took second place aboard her young mount Ceonto. Third-place finisher Chris Pratt tripped the timers in 68.24 with VDL Groep Union.

More exciting competition comes to Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park over the next two weeks, including two $35,000 Blenheim Spring Grand Prix events to be held on the Blenheim International Field on the afternoons of Saturday, April 10, and Saturday, April 17, consecutively. Another equally exquisite event occurs on the afternoon of Friday, April 16, the $10,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby. Visit www.showpark.com for more details on event times.

Blenheim EquiSports, an equestrian event management company based in San Juan Capistrano, CA, produces over 30 events per year in three locations: San Juan Capistrano, Del Mar and Las Vegas. The events include 18 USEF "A" or "AA" rated hunter-jumper shows featuring several World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix, USHJA International Hunter Derbies, Pony Finals, Medal Finals and more.