Karl Cook compares competing Caracole De La Roque to “lighting a rocket,” and he put her explosive speed to good use in the Rolex Grand Prix of Rome on May 26, when the pair laid down a scorching jump-off to claim the top spot in the class.  

Cook took over the ride on the 12-year-old Selle Français mare (Zandor Z—Pocahontas d’Amaury, Kannan) from Frenchman Julien Epaillard in February 2023, and the pair quickly started logging impressive results, winning the $100,000 Lugano CSI2* Grand Prix (Kentucky) in their first Fédération Equestre Internationale outing together in June. They then claimed the $145,100 Grand Prix of Traverse City (Michigan), the $145,100 Agero Grand Prix CSI3* (Michigan) and the $480,860 American Gold Cup CSI5* (Michigan).

Despite their accomplishments, Cook, 33, Rancho Santa Fe, California, said the process of learning to ride the opinionated mare has been daunting. Their struggles came to a head at last fall’s Pan American Games (Chile), where they were the team’s drop score in the first two rounds of competition before coming back to jump a clean final round in the medal-deciding Nations Cup to help the United States win team gold. Cook was frank about their issues at the time, and said he was continuing to get to know “Cara,” whom Epaillard had developed through the five-star level, winning multiple major grand prix competitions, including the opening round of the 2022 FEI Jumping World Championship (Denmark).

“Trying to follow Julien is impossible!” Cook told the press after the Rome Grand Prix. “Everyone knew how good the mare is, including me, so it’s been a lot of work to get here, and I’m very proud about where we’re at. She keeps pushing me to get better. She’s very clear when I’m not good enough, and she pulls me along when we need it. She’s an amazing, amazing mare.”

Cook and Cara are currently in Europe, where the mare is carrying his bid for the Paris Olympic Games this summer. They next compete for the U.S. on Friday in the La Baule Longines FEI Nations Cup (France). We sat down with Cara’s groom, Tessa Falanga, to learn more about the mare’s likes, dislikes and what makes her tick.

• While Falanga called Cara a “fierce animal” in the ring, she said the mare is a sweetheart in the barn. “She’s low-key. She’s so nice to be around,” Falanga said.

• Cara is a professional globetrotter. “She’s a great traveler,” Falanga said. “I’ve traveled alone with her a lot, and she’s cool, calm, collected.”

• But when it’s show time, Cara goes into beast mode.

“She knows when she’s going to go show—she knows her routine—and then she turns into a lion when she’s at the ring,” Falanga said. “It’s game time. She’s serious. She is a bull. She’s doing her thing, and you’ve got to go with her. That’s the law.”

• Cara is a competitor in every sense of the word. 

“I think it’s just her love for jumping sticks,” Falanga said. “Her ears are always forward in every photo. She is looking for the fence. She’s turning before Karl’s even told her; she knows where she’s going. She’s observant, she’s keen, she’s smart. I have so many adjectives for her.”

• After experimenting with different bits over their time together, the mare now warms up in a short shank swale bit, but she jumps and competes in a hackamore, as she did with previous rider Epaillard. 

• Learning to manage Cara’s pre-class energy has been a journey for her team. 

“When we’re halfway to the ring she knows what she’s doing, and she starts to pick up the pace a little bit. And I just go with her because there’s no really telling her no at that point,” said Falanga. “She’s been much better about being calm when waiting before Karl gets on. Her bridle change used to be a bit of a hassle, but she is being so good about it. She knows the routine now.”

• Cara is a good communicator and makes her opinions clear under saddle and in the barn, as evidenced by the time Falanga tried unsuccessfully to measure her. 

“I think she’s 16.2. I tried to get a stick on her when we were at home. She didn’t appreciate it,” she said. “I got close.”

• Cara is emphatically not a dressage queen, said Falanga, who does her flatwork whenever Cook is unavailable. 

“She is not the easiest horse to flat,” she said. “I don’t think flatting is her favorite thing to do. I think she finds it to be boring and monotonous, but she’s come a long way, and we really understand each other now. I have respect for when she’s having a not-so-good day or she’s feeling sore or anything. I respect her boundaries. And then she respects mine when I ask her to put in a little more effort.”

• Cara is super friendly with her own humans, although she isn’t as warm with people she doesn’t know. “She’s not a mean horse, but she acts different with people that she really knows,” said Falanga.

• However, she’s a socialite when it comes to other horses. “She loves her friends. She wants to be everyone’s friend,” said Falanga. 

• Cara doesn’t mind cats and dogs, but she can be wary. “She snorts a lot when there’s something that she’s a little confused about,” said Falanga. “My dog likes to come out with me when we’re grazing, and if Tink gets a little close, Cara gives her a little snort. I’m like, ‘You’ve seen her before, come on.’ ” 

• She adores her turnout time. She used to live in a field with other horses in France. “I think she wishes she could [still] do that, but California is not really known for their vast fields,” said Falanga. “She goes out as many hours as we can give her. So at home it’s between five and seven hours a day she’s outside. And when we’re on the road, it’s as many as I can possibly give her.”

• Cara’s favorite treats include Mrs. Pastures Cookies, bananas (peeled only, please), apples and carrots. She will also eat whole oranges, but she’s become something of a produce snob. “I try to give her oranges when I can think about it and find them on the road,” Falanga said. “But she really prefers the ones in Karl’s garden in California. They are top-notch oranges, and she loves them.”

• Falanga counts Cara as one of her best friends. 

“Like I said, I’ve done a lot of traveling solo with her and it’s really helped me to understand her more,” she said. “And in turn she understands me, and we’re like peanut butter and jelly now. I feel like we really are gelling, and we’re such a team together. She has a very special place in my heart.”

• Winning the Grand Prix of Rome was a particularly emotional win for all of Cara’s team, Falanga said.

“She’s not easy in the riding sense,” she said. “I feel like this past weekend it has all clicked and it showed, and I’m really proud of her and him as a team together. And I think it’s up from here,” she said.

“I’ve cried a lot since [that show],” she added, “because I just want her to always be able to show everyone how freaking great she is.”