Del Mar Summer Festival I on July 30-August 3, 2025, at HITS Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, California, proved to be an action-packed week of highlights spanning the jumper, equitation, and hunter arenas. With the added prestige of a World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) designation, the California Professional Horsemen’s Association (CPHA) Equitation Medal Finals, and the $80,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix, there was no shortage of excitement. Ultimately, it was Melody Liu and Napoleon van den Dael that claimed the coveted grand prix glory.
It was world renowned FEI Level 4 Course Designer Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR) that was tasked with setting the course for the 25 horse-and-rider combinations on the start list for the $80,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix. With such an elite field of competitors, 15 navigated the track across the Grand Prix Grass Field fault-free to advance to the all-deciding jump-off. That set the stage for quite the footrace as each pair aimed to lower the time to beat.
After ticking a rail in the opening round with her first mount, Liu jumped clear on her second ride, Napoleon van den Dael. Over the short course, she put the pedal to the metal, taking every chance and stopping the clock in 35.001 seconds for the victory. Her time just pipped second-place finisher Lane Clarke and Montreal GBL, an eight-year-old KWPN gelding (Toulon x Emilion) owned by K & L Phillips, as they crossed the timers in 35.561 seconds. In a tight contest for the top spot, Mark Watring finished closely in third with a time of 35.780 seconds aboard Limbossini RC, his own 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Guardus Limbus x San Patrignano Cassini).
“Napoleon van den Dael’s barn name is ‘Simba’ because he is a lion king; he is feisty, and that really shows when we are in the ring together,” explained Liu of her star partner, the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (For passion D’ive Z x Eros Platiere) owned by Corsari Equestrian LLC. “He’s literally the coolest horse I’ve ever met, not just the coolest horse I’ve ever sat on. I’ve never had a horse that wants to win and get to the other side as much as he does. He leaves me without words.
“Simba does better when I’m able to gallop on an open step, so this field here at HITS Del Mar is really well suited for his type of going,” she continued. “The first round was very nice, very inviting, and it was easy work for Simba; I was just along for the ride. For the jump-off, it was really fun. I always have a great time on the field.”
Liu, a professional who rides with Mike and Leslie Hebert at Corsari Equestrian Training & Sales, based in Moorpark, California, has grown up competing on the West Coast.
“This is probably one of my favorite showgrounds in California,” she expressed. “I’ve always loved coming here as a kid. There was a break when they weren’t running horse shows here, which made me sad since this was one of my favorite fields to ride on. When HITS took it over again, I was thrilled and basically marked off all other horse shows and said ‘We are going to HITS Del Mar!’”
Meanwhile in the Evergate Stables Covered Arena, the prestigious CPHA Amateur and Junior Equitation Finals saw California’s most talented amateur and junior riders go head to head across three rounds of competition. Both Finals began on Friday, August 1, with rounds two and three featuring on Saturday, August 2. In the end, it was amateur Alexandra Lipacis and junior Paige Walkenbach that claimed the blue-ribbon honors.
After a second-place finish in the 2024 Finals, Lipacis returned once again with Go For It B, Gabrielle Sokolow’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Faldo), to come out on top.
“‘Goofy’ is such a performer,” said Lipacis. “He loves the show ring. He’s a competitor, and we’ve built a really strong bond together. We know each other super well, and it’s just always such a fun time to go out there and do what we love the most. He’s a super silly horse, hence his name. He’s always making funny faces at us, always begging for treats, and of course, he deserves all the treats in the world, so he gets them.”
Walkenbach is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having picked up numerous accolades over her junior career. For this occasion, she tacked up the equally decorated Cent 15, the 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Carenzo.
“Cent is definitely a barn favorite from everyone,” said Walkenbach, who trains with Jim Hagman and the Elvenstar team based in Moorpark, California. “Everyone, especially Jim [Hagman], loves him so much, and me, of course. Jim gives him a banana every morning after he rides him and praises him every day. I would say a strength of his is obviously his experience, how kind he is, how forgiving he is, and just how well he knows his job in the equitation ring.
“I love the CPHA experience,” she continued. “I’ve been doing these medal finals for a very long time. This one was maybe a little more nerve-wracking for me. I’ve won at each level, and then this is my last one before my junior year ended, so I really wanted to end it on a high note with CPHA. They’ve been such an integral part of my career growing up, and they really give so much experience to all of riders of any ages in the medal finals ring, which is very important.”
While Del Mar Summer Festival I has come to a close, action picks back up on Wednesday, August 6, for Del Mar Summer Festival II. For complete results, please visit www.showmanagementsystem.com.
