Laura Kraut is no stranger to the Olympic Games. From having to battle it out in an objective selection trial for a reserve spot at the 1992 Games to winning a team gold medal in Hong Kong to navigating a global pandemic and a new team format at the Tokyo Games, she’s had a lot of experiences at the Olympic Games. Kraut shared some of those memories and the horses who helped her create them along the way.

Formative Olympic Years

Kraut’s first Olympic experience was at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, where she was the traveling reserve with her Thoroughbred gelding Simba Run. She noted that the U.S. Equestrian Team used an objective selection trial with 10 or 12 rounds and no drop score.

“It was the five that survived got to go,” Kraut said. “I had never even left the country; I had to get a passport to go to the Olympics. I had never ridden on a Nations Cup team. Essentially, I’d done the trials.”

Going to Barcelona, Spain, and seeing what the Olympics were all about was an eye-opening experience for Kraut.

“I felt like it was probably best that I wasn’t on the team at that time, although the horse would have jumped great,” she said. “He was a magnificent horse, but I think it goes towards the idea that experience is helpful when it comes to championships.”

Kraut continued to gain experience before she competed at the Olympic Games for the first time in Sydney, Australia, in 2000. She rode the then 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Liberty, and her teammate Lauren Hough also rode a young horse. Kraut noted that Margie Engle was the only team member on a veteran mount. While the team had a respectable result, it wasn’t one for the history books.

“We still finished sixth overall, which wasn’t the worst finish, but probably wasn’t the most ideal team situation,” she explained.

Olympic Podium Moments

Next up, Kraut rode the diminutive but scopey Holsteiner gelding Cedric at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The U.S. Jumping Team secured a team gold medal in an impressive fashion.

“Hong Kong obviously was much, much better,” she said. “To win a gold medal there was extraordinary.”

However, Kraut explained that the Olympic experience was different with the equestrian venue being in Hong Kong and away from Beijing’s Olympic hub.

“At the other Olympics, we got to do the opening ceremonies and visit the village, and we got to sort of be a part of all of it. In Hong Kong, we were separated,” she said. “That being said, Hong Kong was great, and we really enjoyed it. I think our camaraderie there was wonderful.”

For the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, Kraut was the traveling reserve with the Holsteiner mare Zeremonie. While her mount was only 9 years old, she said the mare was ready if the team needed them. In addition to a strong U.S. team performance, Rio was special on a more personal level.

“I happened to be in Rio, which was also a really fantastic experience, but I would say it was probably more because my partner Nick [Skelton] won the [individual] gold medal,”  Kraut said. “Our team did really well. They were silver medalists—really close—and it was fun being a part of that. Once again, [it was a] great group of riders and horses.”

A New Format for Tokyo

While the Tokyo Olympic Games was supposed to take place in 2020, it was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kraut and the Hanoverian gelding Baloutinue represented the U.S. Jumping Team in Tokyo, but the Games didn’t have the usual Olympic fanfare due to the pandemic.

“We were secluded and basically rode on a bus from the hotel to the venue and back to the hotel,” she explained. “We weren’t allowed anywhere to see anything. No opening ceremonies. No anything.”

Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Kraut said it was a great experience being at another Olympic Games. The Tokyo edition used a new team format where only three combinations competed—rather than four—with no drop score. Kraut credited U.S. Jumping Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland with having a plan ready for the new format.  

“I think he had it figured out probably better than the other chef d’equipes. He had his strategy and knew exactly how we were going to go,” she said. “And I think even though maybe some of us were a little in the dark, he knew. And at the end, it worked. It almost really worked. We were silver, but in a jump off and just missed out on the gold.”

Lessons on the World Stage

From her five Olympic experiences, Kraut learned much as a professional in equestrian sports. One of her biggest takeaways is that you want to have a horse who can compete successfully at any championship.

“If you want to go to an Olympic Games, you want to feel like you are sitting on one of the best horses in the world and you are there to win, not just be at the Olympics,” she explained.

Kraut admitted that her formative Olympic years at Barcelona and Sydney were about making an Olympic team. However, she realized she had a new goal for any future Olympic appearances.

“You don’t want to be the worst Olympian at the Olympics; you want to make sure you’re the best,” Kraut said. “I think in every sport there are a lot of people who really want to make an Olympic team, but I think there are the ones who actually not only want to make it, but they want to win when they get there.”

Pressure of Olympic Proportions

Any international championship brings the added pressure of representing your country on the world stage, and the Olympic Games is no different. Kraut noted that the previous Olympic team format—similar to Nations Cups—of four riders and a drop score was a “luxury.” However, she said that the new team format at Tokyo raised the stakes with three riders and no drop score.

“The last Olympics was probably the most pressure I’ve ever felt in any competition ever. In that any mistake you had, it was costly,” said Kraut. “I think we deal with pressure all the time. So, I guess I’m lucky and I feel like the minute I enter the ring that goes away and the job at hand is what I’m focusing on.”

The Talented Baloutinue

Kraut will represent the U.S. Jumping Team yet again at the 2024 Games with Baloutinue. She described the gelding (Balou du Rouet x Utika) as intelligent, friendly and cuddly in the barn. However, Baloutinue is ready to go when it is time to ride.  

“When I’m riding him, he’s feisty. He’s strong on the flat. He doesn’t like to trot. He likes to canter her; he wants to go all the time. I would say that my dressage would never win us a medal,” Kraut said with a laugh. “But he is brave and he’s so careful and he knows what his job is. And I have so much confidence in him that I feel like I’ve probably never had a horse that I have more confidence in.”

Baloutinue’s Training Routine

As an experienced horse, Baloutinue does minimal jumping outside of competitions. Kraut said she doesn’t jump courses with him at home but will use poles and gymnastics while schooling.

“When I do jump him, I’ll do canter rails with landing rails. I jump V poles, just all of it is always to sort of slow him down because he’s so aggressive,” she said. “I would do tight gymnastics, tight combinations, just constantly working to get him back on his hocks and trying to get him to take his time jumping.”

Kraut noted that her gymnastics typically include two to three fences. She said she may jump a single vertical and single oxer or a combination but nothing more than that. Kraut mainly focuses on keeping Baloutinue fit often riding outside of the arena.  

“Where I’m based here in Holland, we have a four-star eventing course with a gallop,” she said. “His favorite thing is to just go out working in the woods on that course, not jumping those jumps mind you, but working around the course.”

Listen to a recent Practical Horseman podcast to hear more from Kraut.

Thanks to Zoetis for our coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more.