California’s Annie Laurie Cook Takes Home the Gold Medal in the Adequan/USEF Pony Jumper Individual Championship

(Lexington, KY) - At the end of a heated jump-off, Annie Laurie Cook from Woodside, CA, took home the coveted Gold medal in a two-ride jump-off to determine the top two finishers. Posting the only completely clean set of rounds at during the Individual Jumper competition, she finished the jump-off on a time of 41.295.

Cook, a soon-to-be 7th grader at Menlo Junior High School was the only rider representing Zone 10 to compete in the final round of competition for the Individual Jumper title at this year’s Pony Finals.

Annie has been riding for five years and this was her first year participating at the Pony Finals. Her mount, NZ My Mimi Milton was originally her brother’s horse, but the pony soon found its way to becoming Annie’s. He is a 14 hand New Zealand bred gelding, age 16.

“Winning at the Pony Finals is really exciting,” said an excited Annie. “But, I knew my pony could do it.”

The West Coast young pony rider’s composure and grace was impressive. “Coming from the West Coast, it’s not as competitive as it is on the East Coast,” said Annie. “But, before the Pony Finals, I was at two of the competitions at Pebble Beach getting ready. Pony jumpers on the West Coast is three-foot, so it’s nothing like this.”

Her work at the Children’s jumpers aided her in getting ready for the challenge she would meet at the Kentucky Horse Park under humid and hot conditions.

“We did Children’s jumpers which is 3’6”, so I had ridden for two weeks before,” she said.