Cook uses Thursday’s $31,020 Muny Sunk Stables & Silver Oak CSI3* Speed to fine-tune his partnership with Foxy de la Roque as the Tournament of Champions begins in Traverse City
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — September 3, 2026 — Karl Cook (USA) and Foxy de la Roque returned to Traverse City in winning form Thursday, topping the $31,020 Muny Sunk Stables & Silver Oak CSI3* Speed during the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament presented by the Davis McCullough Foundation at Flintfields Horse Park.
Cook and the 11-year-old Selle Français mare (Samba de la Roque x Kannan) stopped the clock clear in 61.37 seconds, edging out Ireland’s Paul O’Shea and Spy by 0.11 seconds. O’Shea finished second in 61.48 seconds, while Abby Funk (USA) and Hulla Hoop took third in 63.08 seconds from the 24-entry field.
For Cook, Thursday’s round was less about outright speed and more about preparing Foxy de la Roque for what lies ahead.
The pair arrived in Traverse City after a European tour that included a milestone victory at the Dublin Horse Show in August, where they won the 1.60m CSIO5* Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes for their first international five-star win together.
“We’re coming off our Europe tour with Foxy after Dublin, and we had some things to work on,” Cook said. “This is a great class to work on those little things and get our feel dialed in after that show, getting ready for next week.”
Foxy arrived with plenty of the energy Cook wants heading into the weeks ahead.
“She’s feisty. We’re trying to keep her that way,” he said. “I think the extra freshness helps her be sharper, more aware, quicker up the floor, and it’s working.”
That natural quickness was enough Thursday, as Cook prioritized rideability over taking every risk against the clock.
“Today was not about out-and-out speed,” Cook said. “There were some places where we added one or two strides because today was more about that rideability and kind of tuning. But she’s so quick naturally that if you just let her run a little bit, she’s just that fast.”
Building Toward Five-Star Competition
The Silver Oak Jumper Tournament opens the three-week Tournament of Champions and gives Cook a chance to prepare his string before CSI5* competition arrives at Flintfields Horse Park.
Cook also has Candy, a mare he campaigned in Europe this summer and in Wellington earlier this year, as another option for the bigger classes alongside Foxy de la Roque and Caracole de La Roque.
“I think it’s her time to step up and make the next move,” Cook said. “So I have another one alongside Foxy and Caracole to do that big stuff.”
While Thursday was about tuning, Cook made his intentions for the rest of Silver Oak clear.
“We’re here to win,” he said.
The week continues with Friday’s $31,020 GGT Footing & Silver Oak CSI3* Welcome before culminating Sunday with the $117,000 Agero CSI3* Grand Prix.
A Familiar Return to Traverse City
With two consecutive weeks of five-star sport ahead, Cook sees the field in Traverse City continuing to strengthen and appreciates the familiarity developing between returning athletes and spectators.
“I think each year we get a better list of athletes,” Cook said. “It gets stronger and stronger.”
“I love that the crowd comes and locals come, and they get to see similar faces each year,” he added. “Hopefully, we get to know them, they get to know us, and it’s so fun when they come out.”
The Silver Oak Jumper Tournament presented by the Davis McCullough Foundation continues through Sunday, September 6, at Flintfields Horse Park as the opening week of the Tournament of Champions.
Find daily sport coverage, results, photos, schedules, and more throughout the Tournament of Champions at TraverseCityHorseShows.com and the TCHS Mobile App.
