TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.--Karl Cook on Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet’s won the $62,500, CSI5*-W Winning Round on Saturday, Sept. 13 during the penultimate week of the Traverse City Tournament of Champions and the first competition of the FEI Jumping World Cup North American League season.

Karl Cook on Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet’sThis was Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet’s second international competition in nearly a year and a half.

The 15-year-old Belgian-bred mare was sidelined with a fractured hip in the spring of 2024, and her future at the top level was in question.

“Having this horse back is amazing. Her injury is rough to come back from, but it’s what you have to do whether they come back all the way or retire,” said Cook, who rode the mare in the 2023 FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona. “What’s important is that you ride them where they’re at and if you get where you want to go, great. If not, that’s the way it goes."

“She feels great,” said the U.S. Olympic team silver medalist. “She’s always been such a fighter, and it’s so much fun to ride a horse that loves to do the job. She knows how to do it, and today I went as I felt comfortable. If there’s one fence that feels not right, I just slow down. There’s no reason, for what she’s done, to push it.”

 

COOK USED the mare’s footspeed and quick turns to finish Brazilia Guilherme Jorge’s jump-off course in 38.86 seconds.

In his third five-star podium finish in as many days, Daniel Bluman of Isreal finished second on Gemma W, clean 39.69 seconds.

Canada’s Erynn Ballard had birthday luck on her side and celebrated with a third place finish in 42.93 seconds on Queen Kinmar Hero.

While the 2026 FEI World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas is on Cook’s radar, the big goal on his horizon is the FEI World Championships in Aachen next year.

“We started preparing after the games last year; a lot of decisions are years in the making,” said Cook. “Right now it’s about making that U.S. team without overdoing it with the horses.”