UPPER MARLBORO, Md.--Laura Kraut on Tres Bien Z won the President's Cup for the $340,000 FEI Jumping World Cup qualifier at the Washington CSI5*-W Horse Show on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Laura Kraut on Tres Bien Z (Photo by Shawn McMillen)Earlier on Saturday, Olivia Sweetnam and JJ Torano dominated the junior divisions.

This was Kraut's second victory in the President's Cup. 

The field of 24 of the world’s top riders, including world numbers one, two, eight and 10  and 12 Olympians, competed over a course set by Nick Granat.

Eight of those were clean to go on the jump-of, but only three were able to go clean a second time.

As the fourth to go in the jump-off, and the first to go clean, Kraut set the time to beat at 40.83 seconds on a horse purchased from British show jumper Tim Gredley 18 months ago.

“I didn't think that seven strides was possible from fences two to three, but Lillie Keenan did it right before I went, so I thought, ‘I'll see how I jump fence two and give it a go.’" said Kraut. "He grew wings to do that because it was very far away, and I can't believe he did it. Then, I just went as quick as I could go with him. He's a handy horse. It was one of the reasons why I thought it would be good to bring him indoors, and he just tries really hard.”

“Being that the Final is in my home country, I think that would be really fun,” she said.

 

HAVING FIRST at Washington in 1978 in the pony hunters, Kraut has competed at Washington for many years.

Olivia Sweetnam on Class Act (Photo by Shawn McMillen)"It's no secret that I'm approaching 60, but I don't feel like I'm done yet," said Kraut who is world  number eight. . "I'll know when it's time. I'm the first woman since Beezie Madden to be in the top 10. I'm very happy with my career now. I'm very lucky."

Daniel Coyle of Ireland on Incredible went right after Kraut and while he was clean his time of 41.14 left him second.

“I hope when I’m Laura's age, I’ll be able to do this sport the way she does,” said Coyle. “It’s phenomenal, and everybody should look up to her — man or woman. I don't like second place, but when it's someone like Laura, it's fine.”

 “Incredible is a great horse," said Coyle, who had placed second on Incredible the night before.. "He can go day by day, speed class or Grand Prix, and there's not many horses that can do that.”

Maher, world number two, went last in the jump-off on Faltic HB and took a more measured pace, finishing clean in 42.25 seconds for third place.

Faltic HB had been out of competition for 18 months due to injury.

“To come here and be third in the first evening and then this evening again, that's a win for my team,” said Maher. “I’m fortunate with my team of horses that we didn't have to rush him. We took our time, and we can pick and choose where we take him to look after him.”

“He’s a very useful horse in the team and a pleasure to ride,” he said. “He’s a very simple horse. I wish could have a few more as easy as he is. You can't beat an experienced horse.”

Tres Bien Z was International Open Jumper, with Incredible Reserve.

Coyle was Leading International Jumper Rider, and Mimi Gochman was Leading U25 Rider, with Kraut Leading Lady Rider. 

JJ Torano on Vitus K (Photo by Shawn McMillen)Earlier in the evening, Olivia Sweetnam of Wellington, Fla., and Lexington Ky., won one of the nation’s most challenging equitation events, the WIHS Equitation Final, consisting of the hunter and jumper phases before a final top 10 where riders changed horses to decide the  title.

JJ Torano of Wellington and Morhsville, Pa., finished second, while Faith Schuttemeyer was third.

Riding Class Act, Sweetnam scored 89.625 in the hunter phase, 87.625 in the jumper phase and 88.25 in the work-off  for a total of 265.50.

“The hunter phase was really nice, very according to plan, and he jumped great,” she said. “In the jumper phase there were some places I could have improved myself, but overall, I was very happy with him throughout both rounds.”

For the final work-off, Sweetnam rode Baylee Rowan's Watermelon.

“I jumped a few fences in the schooling area and got a nice feel,” she said. “I was quite happy with my work-off — there could be small improvements, but I’m really happy considering I didn’t know the horse.”

Torano on Favorite Edition Z scored 89 in the hunter phase, 87.875 in the jumper phase  and 87 in the work-off, to finish second with 263.875.

“Our first hunter phase went quite well,” he said. “In the jumper phase, there were one or two things I’d have liked to do better — I think I took the five-stride across the middle a little for granted. In the work-off, I thought it was quite good until the triple combination; it was a bit of bad luck with a rail. If that had stayed up, maybe the outcome could’ve been different — but that’s horses and show jumping.”

Faith Schuttemeyer, who was third, scored 89.75, 83.625, and 88.5 in the three phases for a 261.875 total.

For Sweetnam, this was her second major equitation final victory after recently winning the Medal in Harrisburg.

For Torano, his success wasn't limited to Equitation, as earlier in the day he had been champion in two Junior/Amateur Jumper divisions.

Toraano on Oopsala won the  $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame 1.30-1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic with a clean jump-off round in 33.54,

and he was the 1.30-1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper division champion.

“She's a little bit of an inexperienced horse,” he said of the mare who was originally purchased as a ride for his mother, Danielle Torano.

“Coming here this week was really for experience, and we have been testing her a little bit and adding a little more speed," said Torano. "I would say the first day, I didn't really put it all out there. I think it was just a little bit of luck. Today, I watched my barnmate, Jole, go right before me. I thought to myself that was going to be hard to beat, but I think we trust each other. I really pushed her and gave her the test, and she rose to it.”

Torano also placed third and fourth, on Vitus K and Good Mood Semilly,  in the $20,000 SJHOF 1.40-1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic and was champion on Vitus K.

Torano was the Leading Junior Jumper Rider.

“He's a horse that I've had for about three years, and he brought me all the way from doing the low junior jumpers to the high junior jumpers,” said Torano of Vitus K. “He's been super consistent because he's so fast and careful.

“He's a little bit on the older side now, but he's still loving what he does,” he said. “He likes to buck and play around a lot the whole course, so I generally do think that he likes what he's doing.”