The roster of jump-off riders read more like the lineup one would see in a major international grand prix in Saturday’s $30,000 Traverse City National Grand Prix during week one of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors. With riders including Shane Sweetnam (IRL), Karl Cook (USA), and Lorcan Gallagher (IRL) to name a few, the win was going to have to be earned.
Cook certainly earned it on his relatively new mount, Caracole de la Roque, owned by Signe Otsby.
Cook came into the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring third in the order of five jump-off contenders over Catsy Cruz’s (MEX) track. He laid it all on the line with the 11-year-old Selle Français mare (Zandor Z x Kannan), finishing in 33.128 seconds and taking over the lead.
“With her, if you’re able to do the leave-out, the rideability is better,” Cook said of the ride on Caracole de la Roque. Cook omitted strides in all the lines on course while still taking slick turns in the corners. “In the jump-off, that pace is easier. She’s so comfortable in that canter it just happens.”
The remaining two entries knew it was a tall order to catch Cook, but still ended up on the podium. Sweetnam and Birdy Du Thot, owned by Ashley Vogel, took second with their time of 37.279 seconds, and Charlotte Jacobs and North Star’s Edocenta claimed third in 38.786 seconds.