Laura Kraut and Andretti S. Photo by Sport Fot.
London, UK – August 18, 2014 – Andretti S, the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by the Stars and Stripes Syndicate, of which Cherry Knoll Farm is a shareholder, is making a name for himself on his European tour.
Olympian Laura Kraut of Wellington, FL topped a field of 55 competitors during the London 2014 – CSI5* – 1.50/1.55m, riding Andretti S to fourth place. She was one of three United States riders to finish among the top six.
The city of London hosted the eleventh leg of the 2014 Longines FEI Global Champions Tour, August 14-16, 2014. Kraut was the twelfth of 59 contenders to take on the challenging track. She left no stone unturned as she navigated Andretti S through the course to a clear first round. Only 15 riders were able to master the opening course and continue on to the short track.
Kraut was one of the first riders to jump against the clock with Andretti S. She was able to secure a double-clear round in 34.26 seconds, a time that would prove hard to beat as her fellow competitors attempted to catch her pace.
Fellow U.S. rider McLain Ward of Brewster, N.Y. finally bested Kraut with a time of 33.22 seconds aboard Rothchild to eventually claim second place. Pénélope Leprevost, of Rouen, France, and Vagabond de la Pomme narrowly surpassed Kraut for third place by two-tenths of a second. Harrie Smolders, of Lage-Mierde, The Netherlands, and Regina Z took first place.
Andretti S has proven himself a top competitor on the international stage, showcasing his speed among the best horse/rider combinations the world has to offer.
Cherry Knoll Farm’s Margaret Duprey was among the crowd to watch Andretti’s astounding performance in London. Although Kraut was planning to jump Andretti in Saturday’s CSI5* 1.45/1.50m class, the mutual decision was made to reward his valiant clear rounds from Friday’s fourth-place finish.
“I was thrilled with how well Andretti did during Friday’s class,” Kraut explained. “He has come such a long way this summer, and very quickly. He definitely has the ability to build and become a winning international grand prix mount.”
“Andretti is a very quirky horse in many ways; he’s almost like a thoroughbred,” Kraut said. “He is very brave, and has a good mouth. He is very big, a lot bigger than I am used to riding at 17 hands, but he is very manageable. I am very fortunate to have the ride.”
Kraut will continue her summer tour in Europe with her top mounts, including Cherry Knoll Farm’s Andretti S and Constable. Kraut will next compete at the Jumping International de Verbier in Switzerland.
For more information on Cherry Knoll Farm, please visit http://www.cherryknollfarminc.com/.
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