Kristina "Tina" Cook (née Gifford, born 31 August 1970), is a British three-day eventing rider. She is the 2009 European Champion and a three-time Olympic medallist, winning individual and team bronze medals in 2008 and team silver in 2012. She has also won two World team golds (1994, 2010) and four European team golds (1995, 1999, 2009, 2017).
Biography Cook was born Kristina Gifford in Rustington and is the daughter of the four times British jump racing Champion Jockey, Josh Gifford. Riding Miners Frolic, she won bronze medals in both the individual and team eventing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing."Double bronze for debutant Cook", BBC, 12 August 2008 Cook only made the Olympic Eventing team, after the withdrawals of Zara Phillips and Lucy Wiegersma. She became double European Eventing champion in 2009 on Miners Frolic in both the Individual and Team competitions at the championships at Fontainebleau in France.
Her achievements prior to the 2008 Olympics included winning individual silver medal at the European championships on Song and Dance Man in 1993, gold medals at the 1994 World Equestrian Games in The Hague and the 1995 and 1999 European Championships.
Cook won silver in the team eventing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She was then picked for the team in the 2014 World Equestrian Games with her homebred horse De Novo News. This was the horse's first championship in which they helped to win team silver.
Cook is also patron for the Worthing-based charity, Guild Care.
CCI 5* Results Results Event Kentucky Badminton Luhmühlen Burghley Pau Adelaide 2002 12th (Captain Christy) 200312th (Captain Christy)200438th (Captain Christy)9th (Captain Christy) 2005 RET (Captain Christy)12th (Captain Christy)RET (Headwind) 2006-08 Did not participate 2009 6th (Miners Frolic) 2010 EL (Miners Frolic) 2011 WD (Miners Frolic) 2012 Did not participate 2013 18th (Miners Frolic)
61st (De Novo News) 9th (De Novo News) 201426th (De Novo News)2015EL (De Novo News)8th (Star Witness)20167th (Star Witness)10th (Star Witness)9th (Billy The Red)16th (Calvino II)201710th (Billy The Red)35th (Calvino II)7th (Star Witness)17th (Calvino II)2018WD (Billy The Red)
WD (Star Witness)11th (Star Witness)20197th (Billy The Red)
RET (Star Witness) EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew
International Championship results Results Year Event Horse PlacingNotes2002World Equestrian GamesCaptain Christy22ndIndividual2003European ChampionshipsCaptain Christy37thIndividual 2008 Olympic Games Miners Frolic TeamIndividual2009European ChampionshipsMiners FrolicTeamIndividual2010World Equestrian GamesMiners FrolicTeam29thIndividual2012Olympic GamesMiners FrolicTeam6thIndividual2013European ChampionshipsMiners Frolic6thTeam13thIndividual2014World Young Horse ChampionshipsBilly The Red24thCCI**2014World Equestrian GamesDe Novo NewsTeam15thIndividual2017European ChampionshipsBilly The RedTeam4thIndividual2018World Equestrian GamesBilly The Red9thIndividual2019European ChampionshipsBilly The RedTeam43rdIndividual EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew
Notable Horses
Captain Christy – 1992 Bay Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Cavalier Royale x Imperious) 2002 World Equestrian Games – Individual 22nd Place 2003 European Championships – Individual 37th Place Miners Frolic – 1998 Dark Bay Gelding (Miners Lamp) 2008 Beijing Olympics – Team Bronze Medal, Individual Bronze Medal 2009 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual Gold Medal 2010 World Equestrian Games – Team Gold Medal, Individual 29th Place 2012 London Olympics – Team Silver Medal, Individual Sixth Place 2013 European Championships – Team Sixth Place, Individual 13th Place De Novo News – 2003 Bay Thoroughbred Stallion (Last News) 2014 World Equestrian Games – Team Silver Medal, Individual 15th Place Billy The Red – 2007 Chestnut Baden-Wurttemberger Gelding (Lilith x Stan the Man XX) 2017 European Championships – Team Gold Medal, Individual Fourth Place
References