A five-horse jump-off that included four nations set the stage for another face-off between the U.S. and Ireland. After a bold gallop to the final fence over Steve Stephens (USA) and Nick Granat’s (USA) jump-off track, Cook and Candy set an uncatchable time at 36.87 seconds.

An extra stride in the same final line from Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny aboard Colibelle Hero Z, an 11-year-old Belgian-bred mare (Comme Il Faut 5 x Rubens du ry d’Asse) owned by Elena A. Haas, settled them as the runner-up on a time of 37.72 seconds. Kenny also earned the Niall Grimes “Cheers” Perpetual Trophy as the top money-earning Irish competitor during CSIO week at WEF.

The pathfinder in the jump-off and fellow Irish Olympian, Shane Sweetnam, finished third in 37.75 seconds riding Coriaan van Klapscheut Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned together with Voquest, LLC, by the same sire, Comme Il Faut 5, out of a Lord Z Z mare.

“The last line was eight or nine, but the eight was a tall ask,” said Cook, whose groom, Tessa Falanga, accepted the Double H Farm Grooms Award and $500 cash prize for her care and preparation of Candy. “The way we jumped in—I had to go look at my landing prints during the prizegiving—was so far to the right, I wasn’t planning to have that much of an inside line, but that made the eighth.”

The jump-off, which also included Mclain Ward (USA) and Erynn Ballard (CAN), was stacked with athletes who have all represented their nation at the Olympic Games, proving the win would not come easily. “Jump-offs like this, you have to focus on yourself and what you’re capable of,” said Cook, an Olympic team silver medalist. “That was only our second jump-off together. I’ve had her for a while, but haven’t been jumping clear. We did everything we could today, and it was enough.”

Cook has taken his time with Candy, an 11-year-old Swedish Warmblood by Coventry x King Louie. The horse joined his string at the end of the 2024 WEF season and rounds out his international lineup of speedy mares.

“Like any relationship, you build and build, and a lot of times it feels like you’re on a plateau, and then all of a sudden it changes,” said Cook. “Every day, I’m finding little things that we can do better. Her big strength is her power, so it’s figuring out how you can let that power shine and ride her to her strengths.”

Cook will return to Wellington for the $1m Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix, a Rolex Series Event, with his Paris Games mount Caracole de la Roque, before heading to Europe to take aim at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, this August. With big plans ahead, Cook spoke about how special a Nations Cup week on home soil is by saying, “The U.S. has two, but the rest of the time you’re overseas. And while those shows are really fun, it’s also fun to be home. The crowd here is great, and you really felt that this week.”

 

Concluding the afternoon, another U.S. team member from Saturday night’s Nations Cup victory, Marilyn Little, was presented with the Leading Lady Rider Award after consistent results during WEF 8.

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