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Qualifier Winner Karl Cook Returns for the Victory in Sunday’s $410,000 Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix!

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Of the 30 horse-and-rider combinations representing nine countries in Sunday’s culminating $410,000 Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix and nine pairs to make the jump-off, only five went double-clear over Alan Wade’s (IRL) 17-effort, 1.60m course. Last to go in both rounds was American Karl Cook, who returned with his Grand Prix Qualifier mount, Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet, to stop the clock in 36.710 seconds and secure his second victory at the Hampton Classic.


This was Cook’s first time at the Hampton Classic and first Five Star grand prix win. “It’s great to be here,” he said. “I’m so glad I came here. I’m grateful to my mom, who owns the horse, and it’s just great that we’ve worked so hard with that mare, had our highs and lows, and still had everything come together. “If you see her, she’s hot, a bit wacky, a little small, and has an inverted-type jump,” he added of Signe Ostby’s 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. “But the only reason she can do this is because she wants it. She tries so hard for it.”


Defending champion Daniel Bluman (ISR) rode immediately before Cook in the jump-off, and his fast-paced time of 36.930 seconds with Blue Star Investments’ 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Gemma W gave them the potential to win for their second consecutive year. That added pressure didn’t faze Cook and Kalinka when they entered to tackle the course. “I watched Karl’s ride, and he’s a deserving winner,” Bluman said. “He rode great all week and had a lot of success, and I already knew when I crossed the timers that he would beat my time. It was just a matter of if the rails stayed up or didn’t. I tried to get the crowd going to interfere with his focus, but I know Karl. He’s a winner, and I did absolutely everything I could. I’m very happy for him.”


Both riders had Katie Dinan’s (USA) time of 38.320 seconds for their target. In the end, Dinan and Grant Road Partners LLC’s 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Brego R’N B walked away with third-place honors. “In the prize-giving with a group like this, you just feel really good about the sport,” Dinan said. “We’ve all grown up on a similar circuit, even though Karl is West Coast-based, and we all have a lot of respect for each other. “I don’t think I would have ridden my round any differently,” she added. “That’s why I’m not kicking myself too hard. I really laid down the jump-off exactly like I planned. I came out thinking I had seven incredible horse/rider combinations behind me, and I needed a lot of luck to stay in first. My horse has a huge stride; I did all the leave-outs and made all the turns I could. He gave me everything. Having these speed demons going second-to-last and last broke my heart, but I’m still thrilled to be on the podium and just very happy with my weekend.”


This win landed Cook on top of the $30,000 LONGINES Rider Challenge with a total of 330 points. Fellow American Aaron Vale finished second with 300 points, while Bluman jumped to third with 280 points. For his additional victory, Cook won the $30,000 purse and a new LONGINES watch.


Final champions were also crowned in the hunter rings throughout the afternoon. Bringing home a big win in the $10,000 Sam Edelman Junior/Amateur Hunter Classic, Becky Gochman of Wellington, FL, rode Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s 18-year-old Westphalian gelding Mythical to a winning two-round score of 177 points. Joey Roman of Freehold, NJ, finished in second place with a score of 173.5 points aboard Cascatero, his 8-year-old Warmblood gelding. Tracy Treace of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, rode her 14-year-old Warmblood gelding Belgravia to third-place honors with a score of 173 points.


The Hampton Classic featured more than 200 competitions in six spectacular show rings, the Agneta Currey Boutique Garden with more than 70 vendors, and a wide selection of dining options, all on its world-class 60-acre show grounds. Offering more than $1 million in prize money, the Classic was highlighted by the $410,000 Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix on Sunday, September 4.


The Hampton Classic’s FEI competition began Thursday, September 1, with the $10,000 Citarella Open Jumper CSI2* and $37,000 Hampton Classic 5* Speed Stake and continued throughout the weekend with seven 2* and 5* classes. FEI competition also included Friday’s $37,000 Wölffer Estate 2* Jumper Classic and $74,000 Douglas Elliman 5* Grand Prix Qualifier, Saturday’s $74,000 Hampton Classic 2* Grand Prix and $74,000 5* LONGINES Cup and the culminating $410,000 Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix on Sunday, September 4.


The Hampton Classic continued to support several charitable organizations including Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, the Kevin Babington Foundation and Sag Harbor Food Pantry. Grandstand tickets for the $410,000 Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix were electronic only; E-Tickets were provided thanks to support from Green is the New Blue.


The Hampton Classic was pleased to continue its relationship with ShowNet by offering its services FREE to all exhibitors. Services include: Orders of Go; Live Ring Status; and Live Results. For those who couldn’t make it to the show grounds, complimentary live webcasts of all Grand Prix ring competitions aired on the Hampton Classic website, produced by ClipMyHorseTV and courtesy of LONGINES. ClipMyHorseTV also produced a live webcast of all Anne Aspinall ring competitions, available for free on the Hampton Classic website, thanks to Pacaso. In addition, WVVH-TV, Hamptons Television, broadcasted up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can also be seen online at www.wvvh.tv.


You can keep up with updates by following us on twitter @hamptonsmedia and bookmarking our People & Parties pages for full write-ups and videos and interviews…or even use the rss feed on this blog! You can find handy links to both The Hampton Classic plus lodging and/or dining from Westhampton to Montauk on “The Hamptons”.com

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September 6th, 2022 Posted by | here & there, thehamptons.com | no comments