Karl Cook Wins the FEI 2* Grand Prix by Hermès in the Desert
Top four riders finish within half a second of each other
December 6, 2025 at 3:41 PMBy a.dunne
U.S. rider Karl Cook piloted Kalinka Van't Zorgvliet to the fastest double-clear jump-off round at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California. Cook and the 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare edged out fellow American Charlotte Jacobs and Rincoola Milsean by 0.22 seconds. Daniel Bluman of Israel and Rebelline de Kwakenbeek came in third, just 0.04 seconds behind Jacobs.
Top four placings finished the jump-off within half a second of each other
The Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) FEI 2* Grand Prix course proved tough on time in the first round, with several riders incurring time faults for exceeding the time allowed of 75 seconds. Seven of 51 riders advanced to the jump-off in the $62,500 1.45m Grand Prix by Hermès. A rollback at fence three in the jump-off proved tricky, costing a few riders four faults.
1 Karl Cook - KALINKA VAN'T ZORGVLIET - 0/34.43
2 Charlotte Jacobs - RINCOOLA MILSEAN - 0/34.65
3 Daniel Bluman - REBELLINE DE KWAKENBEEK - 0/34.69
4 Erynn Ballard - CHATADEL PS - 0/34.90
5 Aaron Vale - CHUTTER DU ROUET PS - 0/36.72
Canadian Kyle Timm with Atomica des Sequoias Z finished sixth as the fastest four-faulter in the jump-off.
A good week in speed classes for a few five riders today
Top finishers in today's FEI 2* Grand Prix also jumped to top placings earlier in the week. Charlotte Jacobs won the $32,000 1.45m FEI 2* Speed by BrainJuice class Thursday with Rincoola Milsean and Erynn Ballard was second with Chatadel PS, while Karl Cook and Kalinka Van't Zorgvliet came in fifth.
Erynn Ballard's success this week has also come with another mount, as she won Friday's $62,500 FEI5* MLSJ Individual Speed by Cabana Coast class aboard Her Game Ball BG.
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Photo credit: FEI/McCoolPhotos
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