Isabelle Cook has an enviable record in her three under-21 championship appearances so far – team gold and silver, plus individual silver, at junior level in 2022 and 2023 and a team gold and individual bronze at her first young rider Europeans.
She says the young rider Europeans were definitely her highlight of 2024: “To get team gold – and I was luckily enough to experience that for a second time – is just so special. And then to add individual bronze – all you ever dream of is getting individual medals and I went in just wanting to do my best and taking the pressure off a bit, knowing it was my first year, so I was over the moon to come out with two medals.”
Isabelle says it was even more special to make her young rider debut on Mexican Law (“Barley” at home), who she also rode at her junior Europeans, and who is a home-bred who was evented by her mother, Tina Cook – the multi-medallist who has now stepped down from competing at the top level – before her.
“I’m lucky to be able to ride a horse of her calibre because she’s a home-bred and Mum started her off. She wants to please all the time, has a heart of gold and really tries and loves her job,” says Isabelle.
“She’s quite a quiet character, more of an inward thinker rather than the first horse banging the door. She’s happy quietly stood in her stable, waiting for somebody to come to her. But to ride she’s bold and super cool.”
Another big tick in the box in 2024 was Isabelle’s first advanced, at Little Downham in September. She was entered on three horses and finished 10th on Cymoon “F” Z, had a fall in the water with Mexican Law and then had to withdraw Espoir Landais.
“An advanced was something I really wanted to do, but kept quite quiet,” she said. “I felt like I had done all the prep after many seasons at intermediate and three-star and so I felt like I was ready for that step up, but walking the course I was thinking, ‘Gosh, this is big’, but I knew I was sat on good cross-country horses.
“The mistake on Mexican Law was nobody’s fault, it was just a misreading of the water and she is ok. It was a big learning curve on all levels and a big relief to have the first one done as it is a big step up in every phase, so I’m very glad to have it under my belt. ”
Isabelle Cook took over Cymoon from Tina this year and he is a “more complicated character” than Barley, as she explains: “He’s hot on the flat and quite tricky to get a test out of, though I did get a good performance from him at Osberton at the end of the season. We’ve been trying lots of tactics with him to get the best from him. But I couldn’t fault him in the jumping phases and he loves his cross-country and is bold, quick and has gallop and a lot of scope.”
Both Cymoon and Mexican Law are co-owned by Jim Chromiak and Tina, with Tina’s mother Althea Gifford also having a share in Mexican Law. Jim is a long-standing owner with Tina and Isabelle acknowledges she is lucky to have his support.
Next year, she hopes to aim Mexican Law and Emerald Katie – who will be eight in 2025 – at young riders and Espoir Landais and Cymoon at advanced classes, possibly including Bramham if all goes to plan. Mexican Law could also take the advanced route, but Isabelle says you can never aim to go on a team too many times so that’s the biggest priority for next year, though the mare could also step up to four-star.
The Cooks’ West Sussex set-up is not flashy and it’s an ongoing project to upgrade their home and facilities. They have recently moved into a new on-site house and will soon have a new arena ready for use.
“And we have very good turnout so the horses spend a lot of time in the field when the weather is nice and the ground dry. We have the Downs to go hacking on and gallops for hill and fast work,” says Isabelle, whose uncle Nick Gifford, Tina’s brother, also trains National Hunt horses from the same base.
Although Isabelle is lucky to have the support of her vastly experienced mother, she is also quite independent.
She says: “Mum has a few horses still and enjoys riding them, but spends a lot of time away from the yard teaching, so I am left to work it out for myself as much as anything – she says you have to learn by your own mistakes and can’t always be told what you should and shouldn’t do. It’s great she’s around as a guideline and when she is there, we ride together or she’s on the ground giving me a jump. But a lot of the time I have to be self-sufficient and work out for myself what each horse needs to do each day.”
Despite her impeccable pedigree and strong record, Isabelle is very down to earth: “We have a couple of good girls working for us, but we don’t have loads of staff and I muck out every morning and afternoon like a normal person! I make sure the yard is done before cracking on with riding, working with the younger as well as older horses.”
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