Olympic silver medallist says last-minute swap from bit to hackamore is key to success

You don’t win medals without exceptional attention to detail in finding precisely what makes your horse tick. Karl Cook, part of the US silver medal-winning Olympic showjumping team in Paris 2024 with the finely tuned Caracole De La Roque, is also in the running for individual honours having jumped clear in the qualifier on Monday, 5 August.

This was the third clear of the week for Karl and 12-year-old Caracole De La Roque, who came off the bench as an alternate when Kent Farrington’s ride Greya was withdrawn with an allergy issue.

Caracole was ridden by Julien Epaillard until last season, where she was ridden barefoot or with plastic shoes, and with a unique bitting process that Karl has perpetuated. For all her flatwork and warming up, Caracole goes in a Swales pelham, but just before jumping Karl switches her into a hackamore bridle.

“I have no rideability at all in the hackamore, but that is what she likes to jump in,” says Karl. “The Swales is just for when we do our flatwork, and I put the hackamore in at the last minute, then do literally nothing – I barely even walk – until I pick up canter to go to the first fence. Somehow it works for her to jump around in this and I don’t know why.

“Since it really doesn’t help me and her on the flat, that would be a negative reason to use the hackamore there.”

Caracole De La Roque “took care of me” in Olympic showjumping

The Zandor x Kannan mare is electrifying to watch, and Karl was impressed by her energy levels on a hot day in Versailles.

“She had even more energy [than in the team competition]; she feels stronger and more powerful,” he says. “I overcooked the turn towards the end of my round, but thankfully I’m on this horse, and she took care of me so we were able to come home clear.

“This is what she loves to do.”

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