September 4, 2022 
Earlier this week, Karl Cook, son of billionaire Scott Cook, said that he’s “not classy enough” for the Hampton Classic in a “Walking and Talking” Instagram story.
But he showed class enough to score a pair of 5* wins at the venue this week.
On Friday, Cook and Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet claimed victory in the $74,000 Douglas Elliman CSI5* Grand Prix Qualifier.
Of the 35 combinations to contest Alan Wade’s (IRL) 16-effort, 1.60m course, only two found clear paths around the first round to advance to the jump off. Aaron Vale (USA) and Prescott set the time to beat in the short track with four faults in 41.7 seconds. Cook and Kalinka answered with the only double clear of the day and the fastest time (40.46). Which is to say decisively.
“The first round was highly technical,” Cook said after the win. “There were some really technical parts, and the time allowed was super tight, making it even harder. Since there was only one clear before me, my goal was just to get clear. My mare is also very hot, so sometimes getting the exact right speed is hard. She was so good in the first round and again in the second round, and I couldn’t be happier.”
On Sunday, the pair rose to the challenge again.
Cook’s first ever appearance at the Hampton Classic was also the scene of his first ever 5* grand prix win. The pair topped a nine-horse jump off to claim Sunday’s $410,000 Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix, stopping the clock at 36.710 seconds—two tenths of a second faster than runners up and defending champions Daniel Bluman and Gemma W (36.93).
“It’s great to be here,” said Cook. “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.”
Kalinka’s record supports that allegation.
In three 1.60m appearances, her first at Thunderbird Show Park in June this year, Kalinka has a 100% top ten finish rate. The 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare is most seasoned at 1.45m height with 18 completed rounds and a 78% clear round rate. At 1.50m (10 rounds), she boasts a 70% clear round rate (JUMPR App).
