Rain loomed over the grounds of the Del Mar Horse Park as the $30,000 Summer Festival Grand Prix, presented by SmartPak, got underway. It drizzled throughout the class, but the weather didn't stop Jamie Barge on Kylieco's Luebbo from earning her first Grand Prix win. Due to the rain, the jumps for the Grand Prix were moved to ground that had not been used for previous classes. Although only 20 of the original 32 entries ventured out onto the wet course, the footing held up well. FEI course designer Ivan Tagle presented a few tight rollbacks with options to go wider, kept the height to standard, and focused on the technical aspects. The eighth element on the course, a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination, and the final jump, a big airy oxer with lots of flowers, were the trouble spots. Only five pairs made it to the jump-off, and just two of those went double clean. After the first three jump-off attempts scored one rail each, Nick Hein Ruus rode Big Red (Gerardo Pasquel, owner) double clear in 51.06. Last to go, Barge had the advantage of knowing what she had to do for the win. Shaving corners just a touch and taking advantage of her horse's big step, she crossed the timers clean in 44.41. Young yet determined, Barge has made a name for herself on the California grand prix circuit. Earning a spot in several jump-offs and consistently bringing home ribbons, the big win had eluded her for a couple of seasons. Most recently, she finished 3rd in the Markel Insurance Grand Prix at the Blenheim Red, White, and Blue Classic on Kylieco's Lasse and was second in Friday's Markel Insurance Grand Prix with Luebbo.
