Cook Closes Out WEF 9 with $75,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic CSI5* Win

schedule

15/03/2022

Wellington, FL – The final day of week nine at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) wound down its international competition with the $75,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic CSI5*. WEF 9, presented by Douglas Elliman Real Estate, was the third of four weeks to feature FEI five-star level competition during the 13-week series. WEF continues to host weekly international competition as well as national hunter, jumper, and equitation classes leading to its final week ending April 3, 2022. The USA‘s anthem was the last to play on Sunday, March 13, as Karl Cook (USA) and Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet received the winning honors.
The day built in anticipation of its pinnacle five-star event which brought out a starting field of 59 internationally-ranked combinations. Alan Wade’s (IRL) farewell test allowed riders 73 seconds to find their way around the track. As the fourth into the arena, Cook was the first contender to produce a clear effort aboard Helen Signe Ostby’s 12-year-old BWP mare (Thunder VD Zuuthoeve x Flipper d’Elle).
Two trips later, Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam ensured there would be a jump-off as he joined Cook with a fault-free round aboard Sweet Oak, Spy Coast, and Seabrook’s Alejandro. The challenge got the best of many representatives from the 16 different nations as both time and jumping faults accrued throughout the class with downed rails over various areas of the course.
Eleven performances were good enough to earn a spot in the order for the short track. Both Nayel Nassar (EGY) and Heather Caristo-WIlliams (USA) qualified two mounts each as they bid for the top spot. Wade’s jump-off course was full of twists and turns with very few related distances, which gave the athletes multiple ways in which to shave off some time. As the first to qualify for the jump-off, Cook was the trailblazer of the second round and held no punches. He set off at a winning pace from the beginning with their blazing fast leading time of 37.04 seconds, daring the 10 pairs following to catch up. As the class came to a close, either a fence fault or a slower time appeared repeatedly, and it became clear Cook had put forth an impossible challenge to beat.
Jos Verlooy (BEL) and his winning partner in Thursday’s $1,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m CSI5*, Eurohorse BVBA’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding FTS Killossery Konfusion (SIEC Livello x Cruising), displayed another round in perfect form as they dashed to catch Cook. Unfortunately for the pair, eight-tenths of a second earned them the second-place position. Sweden’s Petronella Andersson and Stephex Stables’ 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding Claptonn Mouche (Conrad x Elan de la Cour) secured the final spot in the closing victory gallop as they stopped the clock with a time of 38.19 seconds. Sweetnam’s ride on the 2009 Rheinlander gelding (Acorado’s Ass x Continue) produced the only other double-clear effort for fourth place.
Final Results: $75,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic CSI5*
1. KALINKA VAN’T ZORGVLIET: 2010 BWP mare by Thunder VD Zuuthoeve x Flipper d’Elle
KARL COOK (USA), Helen Signe Ostby: 0/0/37.04
2. FTS KILLOSSERY KONFUSION: 2010 Irish Sport Horse gelding by SIEC Livello x Cruising
JOS VERLOOY (BEL), Eurohorse BVBA: 0/0/37.12
3. CLAPTONN MOUCHE: 2012 Selle Francais gelding by Conrad x Elan de la Cour
PETRONELLA ANDERSSON (SWE), Stephex Stables:0/0/38.19
4. ALEJANDRO: 2009 Rheinlander gelding by Acorado’s Ass x Continue
SHANE SWEETNAM (IRL), Sweet Oak, Spy Coast, and Seabrook: 0/0/38.26
5. DONATELLO 141: 2011 Westphalian gelding by Diarado x Lamoureux I
ASHLEE BOND (ISR), Ashlee Bond Show Jumping: 0/4/37.09
6. IVORY TCS: 2013 KWPN mare by Falaise De Muze x Ukato
DANIEL COYLE (IRL), Ariel Grange: 0/4/37.30
7. CHIC CHIC: 2011 Westphalian stallion by Comme Il Faut 5 x Contendro I
DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), Vlock Show Stables LLC: 0/4/37.38
8. EL CONDE: 2011 SBS gelding by Loro Piana Filou De Muze x Final Shot
NAYAL NASSAR (EGY), Evergate Stables, LLC: 0/4/38.18
9. MARCIANO MVF: 2011 Zangersheide gelding by Stakkato x Leberoi H
HEATHER CARISTO-WILLIAMS (USA), Stephanie Bulger: 0/4/39.30
10. OAKS REDWOOD: 2005 AWHA gelding by ASB Conquistador x Verdi
NAYEL NASSAR (EGY), Evergate Stables, LLC: 0/4/40.95
11. CELTIC HERO BZ: 2012 Zangersheide stallion by Calikot Hero x Nissan Caretano Z
HEATHER CARISTO-WILLIAMS (USA), Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Caristo: 0/8/46.7
12. EMERSON: 2012 BWP gelding by Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Berlin
MARIO DESLAURIERS (CAN), Wishing Well Farm LLC: 1/73.01