Karl Cook and Candy. Photo © High Desert Sport Photo.
Press release from Desert International Horse Park, edited by World of Showjumping
Karl Cook and Candy (Coventry x King Louie) kicked off their 2026 season with a win in the CSI5* $32,000 Circle B Ranch 1.45m Speed Stake held on Wednesday, January 21, during Desert Circuit 3 at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California (USA).
The win marked the first FEI victory for the 11-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare that Cook has been partnered with and getting to know for the past two years. However, the duo looked every bit a seasoned, winning partnership as they blazed across the finish in 61.66 seconds.
Finishing in second place on 63.05 seconds were Canada’s Tiffany Foster and Anton (Arko III x Quintero Z), owned by 5 Roosters, and Mathijs van Asten of the Netherlands took home third in 70.30 seconds aboard Vedet DK Z (Vagabond de La Pomme x Carthago), owned by Vani Khosla.
“Last year, she came up leaps and bounds, and starting off this year like this is just a progression from last year," Karl Cook said about Candy. Photo © High Desert Sport Photo.
“She felt great; it was a good course for her,” said Cook (USA). “We left out a few strides, and we could go that speed without having to run too hard – just doing really good, quick work. It was nice and educational.”
Much of Cook and Candy’s partnership thus far has been focused on that education – both for Candy and for Cook in determining what best suits the mare. “It took some time to get to know her, but she traveled with Caracole [de la Roque] all year throughout Europe and really kind of grew in that experience,” said Cook of the horse owned by Signe Ostby. “Last year, she came up leaps and bounds, and starting off this year like this is just a progression from last year. It’s great that we didn’t lose anything after last year.”
“In the past, the unpredictability made [Candy] challenging," Cook continued. "It felt like one show was one way, the next show another. It was just trying to get her more predictable in whatever way, because then you can make incremental gains when you’re coming from something predictable.”
Tiffany Foster and Anton. Photo © High Desert Sport Photo.
With Candy feeling continuously more predictable, Cook will next point her toward Friday’s CSI5* $32,000 Cavalor 1.45m Classic, and he also has his sights set on Saturday’s CSI5* $340,000 BRAINJUICE Grand Prix with Caracole de La Roque.
With 10 weeks of top-caliber competition, Desert Circuit at Desert International Horse Park continues through March 15, 2026.
Then