Thermal, Calif. – Kyle King describes Kayenne Z as a horse that “has been delivering dreams one after another here recently” – and the mare certainly helped King fulfill another dream on Saturday night, January 31, at Desert International Horse Park.
In front of a full-house crowd at the Thermal, Calif. venue, King (USA) claimed his first CSI5* grand prix victory, topping the $340,000 CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World CupTM – Thermal, presented by La Quinta Resort & Club.
Kyle King and Kayenne Z. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Alan Wade set the track for the featured class of Desert Circuit 4, and it all came down to a thrilling seven-horse jump-off.
The USA’s Karl Cook set the early time to beat at 36.60 seconds aboard Foxy de la Roque, and soon it was King’s turn. As he and Kayenne Z flew over the final Longines oxer in 36.46 seconds, King’s hometown crowd erupted into cheers.
Kyle King and Kayenne Z topped the $340,000 CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Thermal, presented by La Quinta Resort & Club. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“This is my home,” said King. “I live here on this property seven months of year, and I ride a lot of rounds in these rings. I’ve got a lot of friends and family and clients and people. It is always nice to be here at this horse park because it’s an amazing venue. Everybody treats you great here, and I feel really home. I’ve got for sure all the staff and everybody that hung around to watch night, they’re all rooting for me. It was nice!”
With King taking the win, Cook and Foxy de la Roque finished in second, and Kaitlin Campbell and Karius made it a fully West Coast-based top three as they finished in third with a time of 39.96 seconds.
Kyle King and Kayenne Z. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
For Cook, the result showed significant progress for Foxy de la Roque, an 11-year-old Selle Français owned by Signe Ostby.
“Tonight was very much about the first round,” said Cook of his plan with the mare that he has been partnered with for roughly a year. “We’ve been kind of knocking on the door, but we haven’t really found the right key yet. We’ve been working on some things and trying to find the right way to go together. The way she felt in the first round today was what we’ve been trying to get. So, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Karl Cook and Foxy de la Roque took home second place. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Campbell was similarly pleased with Karius’s results, as the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Mirasol Equestrian LLC, only recently stepped up to the CSI5* level.
“This is only his second jump off at a 1.60m, so I wanted to go in there and give him a really confident ride and hopefully go a little bit faster the next time,” explained Campbell. “I think the improvement from the last time we were here in the Coachella Cup in December to now is huge. So, I think he’s just going to keep improving.”
As for King’s thoughts on Kayenne Z’s performance and his past year with his 11-year-old Zangersheide, he has nothing but appreciation for the mare.
Third place went to Kaitlin Campbell and Karius. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“This horse means everything…[She has allowed me to do] things that I’ve been wanting to do my whole career,” said King. “I’ve been waiting for a horse like this. So, I feel like I was really lucky. She came along, and luckily, I had a person to support me to see where we can go.”
With their top-three finishes, King, Cook and Campbell each earned significant points to improve their rankings in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League standings – and they showcased the level of sport that has increasingly become the standard at Desert International Horse Park.
“It was big jumping; horses were jumping well tonight,” said Wade. “It proved that the standard is rising here with perfect footing and great fences, and I thought it was good sport and top sport and good winners.”
Desert International Horse Park General Manager Matt Morrissey added, “It’s definitely an honor to host this class, and thank you to the FEI for selecting this venue as one of the qualifiers here in the States. The ownership group here is committed to top sport here with the continued improvements. We have a great team here that is motivated to do great events like this, and with the team and the improvements, hosting this World Cup Qualifier definitely puts Desert International on the map globally as a world-class equestrian venue.”
For complete results from the $340,000 CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World CupTM – Thermal, 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.