Hometown: Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Birthday: 11/14/1965 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping Olympic Years: 1992 (alternate), 2000, 2008, 2020, 2024
Laura Kraut’s illustrious career began when she received her first riding lesson at the age of three. Encouraged by their mother, Carol, Kraut and sister Mary Elizabeth took riding lessons together throughout their childhood and still work together today.
Kraut’s first big break came in 1992, when she was named an alternate to the U.S. team for the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. Eight years later, she made her Olympic Games debut in Sydney, Australia, riding Liberty. In 2008, she was part of the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the Beijing Olympics, riding Cedric. In 2021, Kraut was a part of the silver medal-winning U.S. team at the Tokyo Olympics with her mount, Baloutinue.
Kraut and Miss Independent represented the U.S. at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, where the team won silver. She was part of the 2010 WEG team with Cedric, and was named to her third WEG in 2018, where she rode Zeremonie as a member of the gold-medal winning NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team.
Additionally, Kraut has been part of the U.S. team at five FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Finals (2015-2019, 2021), including a bronze-winning effort with Zeremonie in 2016 and on the silver medal-winning team with Confu in 2017.
She was part of the winning teams at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup of USA at San Juan Capistrano CSIO5* in May 2023 with Dorado 212, FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Mexico at San Miguel de Allende CSIO5* in April 2023 with Baloutinue, before helping the U.S. Jumping Team secure their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Kraut rode Dorado 212 to help the team secure gold and placed in fourth individually.
In 2024, Laura rode to another strong season with Baloutinue, jumping a double clear for the team at the Longines League of Nations CSIO5* in Ocala, Fla., where they finished with just a single time-fault in the Grand Prix. The duo produced excellent rounds in Rotterdam CSIO5*, earning fourth overall in the Grand Prix. The duo secured their second consecutive selection to represent the U.S. Jumping Team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Kraut competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, marking her fifth Olympic Games and her second with Baloutinue. The duo earned a Silver Medal in the Team Finals with teammates Mclain Ward and Karl Cook.
Based in both Florida and Great Britain, Kraut and her longtime partner, legendary British show jumper Nick Skelton, run a successful training business.