U.S. Paris Olympic Show Jumping Team Headed to Palm Springs

November 27, 2024
5:05 PM

Thermal, California, USA – November 27, 2024 – The entirety of the 2024 U.S. Olympic show jumping team, including Karl Cook (USA), Kent Farrington (USA), Laura Kraut (USA) and McLain Ward (USA), is headed to the Desert International Horse Park, December 4-8, 2024. Team USA earned the silver medal this summer in Paris, and now Cook, Farrington, Kraut and Ward are four of the dozens of top riders headed to Thermal, CA, to vie for the win in the $1,000,000 CSI5* Coachella Cup Grand Prix and more!

The $1,000,000 Coachella Cup Grand Prix CSI 5*, presented by Brown Advisory and to be held on Saturday, December 7, is just one of many highlights during two weeks of Desert Holiday competition, all attracting high-ranked riders from around the globe. From December 4-8, Desert Holiday 1, presented by Brown Advisory, will also feature:

the $200,000 CSI5* Major League Show Jumping Team Competition, presented by Premier Equestrian;
the $62,500 CSI2* Grand Prix, presented by Spotlight 29 Casino;
the $62,500 CSI5* MLSJ Qualifier, presented by BRAINJUICE;
and much more!

The high-caliber competition continues the following week with Desert Holiday 2, presented by BRAINJAVA and running December 11-15. Included among the week two highlights are the:

$1,000,000 CSI5* MLSJ Team Final (class and bonus prize money combined), presented by Cabana Coast;
$200,000 CSI5* Grand Prix;
$62,5000 CSI2* Grand Prix, presented by Horseflight;
$32,000 CSI5* Welcome;
$32,000 CSI5* Winning Round;
and $32,000 CSI2* Welcome.

Cook, Farrington, Kraut and Ward are amidst more than a dozen Olympians competing in the featured events offered throughout Desert Holiday. Cook returns to the desert fresh off wins with Caracole de la Roque in the $400,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup^TM Los Angeles and in the $100,000 FarmVet Grand Prix during DIHP’s National Sunshine Series.

A three-time Olympic medalist, Kraut is slated to compete at Desert Holiday aboard her Paris Olympics mount Baloutinue, and Ward – a six-time Olympian currently ranked ninth in the world – is set to compete top horses Callas and First Lady. Farrington, the 2016 team silver medalist currently ranked fourth in the world on the Longines FEI Jumping Rider Ranking List, is entered on multiple horses, including the mare he took to Paris, Greya.

Also included among the 48 athletes from 16 different countries are several other notables: Richard Vogel of Germany, Conor Swail of Ireland, Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard, Paris Olympics team gold medalist Harry Charles of Great Britian, Israeli team members Ashlee Bond and Daniel Bluman and many more!

All guests are welcome, and spectator admission is free for the entirety of Desert Holiday with the use of an access pass. To register for an access pass – required for admission into the Desert International Horse Park – click here.

To take the Desert Holiday experience to the next level with VIP hospitality, reserve a spot in the Palm Club here.

To view full competition schedules, click here.

Source: Press Release from DIHP – Desert International Horse Park