Versailles, France – The U.S. Olympic Jumping Team qualified two combinations through to the Jumping Individual Final tomorrow, concluding equestrian competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque, alongside Laura Kraut and Baloutinue finished within the top 30 combinations in the qualifier today, punching their ticket to the highly anticipated final beginning at 10:00 a.m. GMT+2/4:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, August 6.
“She has more energy today than she had before. She feels stronger, more powerful, which is a great thing. The beginning of the course rode the way we hoped. I messed up that line across the middle—I added one, did nine and seven, and that was that was my fault,” said Cook. “I just overcooked it. I was expecting the eight to be a lot shorter than I ended up being, because seven was looking very normal. So, I just overcooked the turn. But thankfully, I’m on her and not on some of the others, that she took care of me there, and then able to come home and she was awesome.”
As the first U. S. combination to test the track in the qualifier, Cook (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) and Caracole de la Roque, once again showed their consistency with a third-consecutive clear round for the pair in Paris. The duo helped the team secure their team silver medal on Friday and returned in good form to punch their ticket through to the individual final. Caracole de la Roque, a 2012 Selle Français (Zandor Z x Pocahontas d’Amaury) mare owned by Signe Ostby and cared for by Tessa Falanga, has continued to impress throughout the competition and looks primed and ready to give it her all in tomorrow’s final class.
Laura Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Baloutinue, a 2010 Hanoverian (Balou du Rouet x Utika) gelding owned by St. Bride’s Farm and cared for by Margo Thomas, finished with four faults after their round, which Kraut thought would push them from qualification for the final, but ultimately, the duo ended up qualifying 27th out of the 30 top combinations. Of the course, Kraut noted Gregory Bodo (FRA) has been extraordinary in his design and placement, using technicality and creativeness to really test the combinations with the tracks, also taking into consideration the individual combinations competing for the first time today.
“I think Bodo has done a tremendous job,” said Kraut of the course design so far during Paris 2024. “I think for the team rounds, he could not have built any better. I think it couldn’t have worked any nicer. I think today he’s gone a little softer, as he needed to, because OK, horses like me, have already gotten a fair number of rounds, and then there’s the people who have done none, so they’ve not jumped at all. So, it’s their first time in the ring, so he’s had to make it a little bit less difficult but still very careful. Very well done.”
Going in the final third of the class, McLain Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) and Ilex, a 2013 KWPN (Baltic VDL x Calendula) gelding owned by Bonne Chance Farm and McLain Ward and cared for by Virginie Casterman, looked excellent and seemed to be a sure combination through to the final, but the pair just nudged the back rail of the final oxer on course from the cups, adding a late four faults and bumping them from the top 30. The pair would finish in 34th overall, just missing the cut-off to return tomorrow for the final.
“He was brilliant, actually jumped up very easy,” Ward said of Ilex. “You know, coming down the last line, it was getting easy coming to the gate. I think I just got myself a little bit anxious and put a little more leg than I needed and just made him go a little flat [at the last]. I think it was just a small rider error. But today, unfortunately, with so many clears, it’s going to just be out, and it’s a little frustrating. I wish it was a more difficult track, that there was a little more separation, especially for this level. That’s the way it goes some days.”
The Jumping Individual Final will begin at 10:00 a.m. GMT+2/4:00 a.m. ET to determine individual medalists in jumping and conclude equestrian competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
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