THERMAL, Calif.--All four members of the 2024 U.S. Olympic show jumping team, Karl Cook, Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward, will compete at the Desert International Horse Park, Dec. 4-8.
McLain Ward on First Lady
Team USA earned the silver medal this summer in Paris, and now Cook, Farrington, Kraut and Ward are four of the dozens of top riders headed to Thermal to try to win the $1,000,000 CSI5* Grand Prix and more!
The $1,000,000 CSI5* Grand Prix on Saturday, Dec. 7, is just one of many highlights during two weeks of Desert Holiday competition, all attracting high-ranked riders from around the globe.
From Dec. 4-8, Desert Holiday 1 will also feature:
the $200,000 CSI5* Major League Show Jumping Team Competition;
the $62,500 CSI2* Grand Prix;
the $62,500 CSI5* MLSJ Qualifier;
and much more!
The high-caliber competition continues the following week with Desert Holiday 2 and runs Dec. 11-15.
INCLUDED among the week two highlights are the:
$1,000,000 CSI5* MLSJ Team Final (class and bonus prize money combined);
$200,000 CSI5* Grand Prix;
$62,5000 CSI2* Grand Prix;
$32,000 CSI5* Welcome;
$32,000 CSI5* Winning Round;
and $32,000 CSI2* Welcome.
Seven-time Olympian McLain Ward and First Lady are among the impressive list of horses and riders slated to compete during Desert Holiday.
Cook, Farrington, Kraut and Ward are among more than a dozen Olympians competing in the featured events offered throughout Desert Holiday.
Cook returns to the desert fresh off wins with Caracole de la Roque in the $400,000 FEI Jumping World Cup Los Angeles and in the $100,000 Grand Prix during DIHP’s National Sunshine Series.
A three-time Olympic medalist, Kraut is slated to compete at Desert Holiday on her Paris Olympics mount Baloutinue, and Ward – a six-time Olympian currently ranked ninth in the world – is set to compete top horses Callas and First Lady.
Farrington, the 2016 team silver medalist currently ranked fourth in the world on the FEI Jumping Rider Ranking List, is entered on multiple horses, including the mare he took to Paris, Greya.
Also included among the 48 athletes from 16 different countries are several other notables: Richard Vogel of Germany, Conor Swail of Ireland, Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard, Paris Olympics team gold medalist Harry Charles of Great Britiain, Israeli team members Ashlee Bond and Daniel Bluman and many more!
