WELLINGTON, Fla.--Karl Cook, despite having to go first in the jump-of, rode Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet to win the the $75,000, 1.50m Classic CSI5* on March 13 at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Karl Cook on Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet (Photo by Sportfot)From a starting field of 59 , 11 went clean over Alan Wade’s course with both Nayel Nassar of Egypt and Heather Caristo-WIlliams qualifying two horses.
As the first in the jump-off, Cook set off at a winning pace from the beginning to finish in a blazing fast time of 37.04 seconds, which held up for the win.
“This is the biggest class we have ever done with her by far, so my job was to make sure I was there to support her where needed,” said Cook. “Our victory was extremely close today in the jump-off. I was happy with how I came into the double combination, and then I really hit my turn just how I wanted to the oxer, which was the second to last fence. We ended up a bit steady to the final jump, but I think our execution over the second to last was really where the difference in time appeared.”
“SHE IS an extremely hot mare, and she does a ton of flatwork but doesn’t jump much,” he said. “Before the beginning of this week, we had not jumped her since WEF 6. She does not lunge, but you have to make sure you work her enough or she is extremely fresh, so her program includes mostly flatting and keeping her fit.”
Jos Verlooy of Belgium, riding the gelding that won Thursday’s $1,000, 1.40m 5* class, FTS Killossery Konfusion, finished eight-tenths of a second behind Cook to place second.
Sweden’s Petronella Andersson on Claptonn Mouche was third in 38.19 seconds, and Shane Sweetnam on Alejondro, the only other clean in the jump-off, was fourth.
