Wynn MedingerIn a thrilling Saturday night event, California native Karl Cook earned the champion trophy at the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Sacramento. Cook rode Caillou, a 12-year-old grey Holsteiner gelding he’s brought along for the past five years, which made the victory especially sweet.
“He wasn’t the easiest… and he still has his things that he likes and things that you should definitely avoid,” said Cook in a press conference following the win. “But you know, it makes you really proud because you’re riding a horse that’s your horse. You didn’t buy someone else’s horse. It’s your horse. It makes me proud that he can consistently jump well.”
In front of a sold out, standing room only crowd, Cook bested the six-horse jump off with a time of 36.75, edging out second place rider Conor Swail (IRL) aboard Koss van Heiste, and third place rider Guy Thomas (NZL) aboard Jonkheer Z.
The first placing in Sacramento also elevated Cook to the top of the rankings of the FEI North American Western Sub-League, and he gained valuable points towards qualifying for the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals, which will be held in Las Vegas April 15 – 19, 2020.