Thermal, Calif. – Karl Cook and Candy kicked off their 2026 season with a win in the $32,000 Circle B Ranch CSI5* 1.45m Speed Stake held on Wednesday, January 21, during Desert Circuit 3 at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, Calif.
Karl Cook and Candy. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
The win marked the first FEI victory for the 11-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare that Cook has been partnered with and getting to know for the past two years. However, the duo looked every bit a seasoned, winning partnership as they blazed across the finish in 61.66 seconds.
Finishing in second place on 63.05 seconds were Canada’s Tiffany Foster and Anton, owned by 5 Roosters, and Mathijs van Asten of the Netherlands took home third in 70.30 seconds aboard Vedet DK Z, owned by Vani Khosla.
Tiffany Foster and Anton. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“She felt great; it was a good course for her,” said Cook (USA). “We left out a few strides, and we could go that speed without having to run too hard – just doing really good, quick work. It was nice and educational.”
Much of Cook and Candy’s partnership thus far has been focused on that education – both for Candy and for Cook in determining what best suits the mare.
Karl Cook and Candy. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“It took some time to get to know her, but she traveled with Caracole [de la Roque] all year throughout Europe and really kind of grew in that experience,” said Cook of the horse owned by Signe Ostby. “Last year, she came up leaps and bounds, and starting off this year like this is just a progression from last year. It’s great that we didn’t lose anything after last year.”
Cook continued, “In the past, the unpredictability made [Candy] challenging. It felt like one show was one way, the next show another. It was just trying to get her more predictable in whatever way, because then you can make incremental gains when you’re coming from something predictable.”
With Candy feeling continuously more predictable, Cook will next point her toward Friday’s $32,000 Cavalor CSI5* 1.45m Classic, and he also has his sights set on Saturday’s $340,000 BRAINJUICE CSI5* Grand Prix with Caracole de la Roque.
For full results of Wednesday’s $32,000 Circle B Ranch CSI5* 1.45m Speed Stake click here, and to view a complete schedule of all competition at Desert Circuit 3, presented by BRAINJUICE, click here.
With 10 weeks of top-caliber competition, Desert Circuit at Desert International Horse Park continues through March 15, 2026. To learn more, visit deserthorsepark.com.