Text © World of Showjumping

“We should step away from gloating about how much we work,” Tessa Falanga tells World of Showjumping. “You're not going to get a prize for working six months without a day off; no one gets a trophy for that. In fact, that just sounds awful. We should be advocating for self-care; when you're tired and you need an extra day, you should ask for it. This is something that we should talk about.”

“I'm lucky enough to be in a place where you ask for an extra day if you need it, and it's mostly granted,” Tessa – who for the past four years has worked with USA’s Karl Cook – says. “99% of the time your horses are going to be fine without you. They're ok if you have a team you can trust, which I'm very fortunate to have.”

We should be advocating for self-care

“The calendar is so full, it’s crazy,” Tessa points out. “There are so many shows, especially in Europe. Sometimes I think the horses pay for a busy schedule in the long run. Maybe you can get a good run with them in the beginning, but I think that they probably pay for it at some point. That’s one of the things I like about Karl; he likes to take breaks, and it’s good for our horses.”

To World of Showjumping, the 32-year-old tells about finding a place that aligns with her values, the importance of advocating for oneself and being positive, as well as the challenge of figuring out the one of a kind Caracole de La Roque.

Tessa – who first got on a horse at the age of ten – started working as a groom when she was 18. “I just kind of went to work and didn't stop,” she explains. “I've worked in a lot of different barns. My first job was with the Tromp-family in North Salem, I worked for the Caristo-family for a long time, and for the Dolan-family for a bunch of years. I was also working in a lot of sales barns."

"However, I didn't quite find myself; I think it's a little tough in this industry to find your people," Tessa continues. "I think it's important to agree with the rider, the system and the morals of what goes on in the whole operation. Not that any of the places that I worked were bad; I just didn’t feel at home and I wasn’t finding a groove with anyone.”

I think it's important to agree with the rider, the system and the morals of what goes on in the whole operation

When Tessa was freelancing in Florida in 2021, she saw that Cook’s team was looking for a groom. “I spoke with the managers and they were looking for a groom for Eric's [Navet] horses, as he was still living in California. At first, I wasn’t going to do it – I felt it was too far from home – but then I talked to some of my friends. My good friend Matthew Boddy told me that I'd be crazy not to do it… So, I took the job – and here I am.”

“Today, I am a showgroom for Karl and basically have Caracole and Candy under my care,” Tessa tells about how her role has evolved since she was hired in April 2021. “Wherever Cara goes, I go.”

Tessa’s Cara is the 13-year-old mare Caracole de La Roque (Zandor Z x Kannan), Karl Cook’s championship mount and a horse with an extraordinary presence. Prior to Cook taking over the reins, France’s Julien Epaillard had huge success with the mare. When the sale was announced in January 2023, all eyes turned to Cook and his team.

There was a bit of pressure and intimidation going into it

“I witnessed her coming off the truck into quarantine in Florida,” Tessa – who has been with Caracole from day one at Cook’s – says. “She's been quite a challenge. Now it's pretty smooth sailing, but the beginning was very touch and go."

"Her character is huge, and from the beginning the idea was that we didn't want to change anything because she was doing so well. We knew that there was a spotlight on the horse, and that the whole industry would be waiting and watching for what's going to happen and if it's going to work. There was a bit of pressure and intimidation going into it. It took a long time to get to know Cara; Karl needed to form his own partnership with her, and I had to get to a place with her where we were working together. It's very much her and I, not ‘I'm telling you what to do’, or her bossing me. We have an understanding with each other now, but it took a while to figure that out.”

Cook and Caracole did their first international appearance together in June 2023, winning a CSI2* Grand Prix in Lexington. In July 2023, they won a three-star Grand Prix at Traverse City, and in September, the CSI5* American Gold Cup Grand Prix at the same venue. At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Cook and Caracole were on the American team that claimed gold – even though their individual performance wasn’t what they had hoped for.

“She won the first five-star they entered together, and then we went to the Pan Ams – and it was a disaster,” Tessa recalls. “However, we learned a lot that week, and we changed a lot afterwards. In my eyes, it kind of needed to happen because we weren't quite there yet. That's when I really felt people were like ‘see, you got lucky’. And that was hard, really hard.”

“As graciously as I could,” Tessa says when asked how she has dealt with the outside noise. “A lot of people did not believe that it would work and I also feel that many didn't want it to work – and that's really unfortunate because I don't know why you would wish that on an animal. Not everyone is best friends with everyone, but to wish that a partnership doesn't work when you're including an animal… That's quite frankly pretty inconsiderate.”

In 2024, Caracole and Cook won the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix in Rome, came second in La Baule and helped USA to team silver at the Olympic Games in Paris. This year, they have been on the winning U.S. team at CSIO5* Rome and won the CSIO5* Grand Prix of Rotterdam as well as the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix of Falsterbo. Needless to say, they have clicked.

She throws us curveballs all the time

“I feel like Caracole and I are also in a really good spot now,” Tessa says. “She will still prove me wrong though. Every different venue we take her to, we really have to analyze how she's feeling and how much energy she has. When Karl flats her, I go and watch just to really get a gauge on how she's feeling. If we read it wrong, it's not going to be perfect, and even though it doesn't have to be perfect all the time, it would be optimal for the best chance to jump clear. She throws us curveballs all the time.”

“She has taught me patience,” Tessa continues. “She knows her job, she knows what to do, but we have to be patient and keep trying different things to get her to where she's comfortable. She has an immense amount of energy and it's sometimes a hindrance; she can become slightly unrideable – and that's what everyone saw at the Pan Ams, an unrideable horse.”

“I think with a horse like her, grooms are essential,” Tessa points out. “You have to have a person that can read the horse and be flexible. You have to be able to change what you're doing, try something different. We do have a routine with her, but sometimes if she's presenting different signs, we have to change our plan. She is not the same all the time and I don't mind because it keeps me on my toes and it makes the job fun. It's not fun when we get it wrong though!”

With an openminded and competitive boss and an exciting string of horses, Tessa has found a team she loves to work with. “I do love the horses, they are really fantastic to work with,” Tessa says when asked what she likes most about her job. “Each one is different and getting new horses and figuring out how I can make them as happy as possible is rewarding."

"Also, I love the sport. I'm a fairly competitive person, I don't like to lose and I'm happy to work for a rider who also wants to win.”

If everyone keeps their mouths closed, nothing is going to change

“Karl is very open minded,” Tessa tells about her boss. “He will very much listen to all of his grooms about really anything they have to say about any horse in particular. That is a really nice feature of him. I don't know why riders wouldn't listen to their grooms.”

“I think it's really important to work in a place where you truly like the system and how you're treated,” Tessa says. “I feel like finding a place where you really enjoy working truly can be a bit difficult, but that doesn't mean you should stop trying. For me it's not worth it to be in a place where you're unhappy just to say you’ve worked for so and so. Trust and loyalty are earned, but if it's not your place, it's not your place.”

“And when you do find that place, you should talk about it, because it gives people hope,” Tessa continues. “Maybe the industry is not as bad as what it is painted out to be; it is improving – grooms are being treated better and respected more. We have to keep talking about these things and not be so shy. If everyone keeps their mouths closed, nothing is going to change.”

“Talking about new grooms coming into the industry, saying how it is a different generation now and how the new generation doesn't like to work hard is not constructive,” Tessa points out. “We should improve as a community and aim to have better conditions. The job is tough, it is long hours and it is manual labor. It's not an easy job and you have to have passion for it, but I believe we should be encouraging towards the next generation. We do need to work hard and the horses come first, but we should invite them into the job, not push them away. Positive conversations about the job and the industry are essential, while we continue to push for better conditions.”

16.9.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.