Laura Kraut admitted she wasn’t quite sure what to expect from her partner Tres Bien Z as the 10-year-old gelding made his World Cup debut at the Washington International Horse Show (USA).
She knew she had a brave horse on her hands who always seemed to give his best effort when called upon. So when the seven strides she planned to the jump-off’s third fence looked far away, Kraut asked her partner for takeoff, and Tres Bien Z closed the gap and kept the rail up, ultimately leading Kraut to a second career victory in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Washington.
The pair’s winning time over Nick Granat’s (USA) short course was an uncatchable 40.83 seconds. Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Incredible finished second (41.14 seconds), followed by Ben Maher and his championship partner, Faltic HB (42.25).
“I didn’t think that seven was possible, but Lillie [Keenan] did it right before I went so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll see how I jump [Fence 2] and give it a go,” Kraut said. “He grew wings to do that, because it was very far away, and I can’t believe he did it. It was very difficult.”
Seven talented combinations advanced to the jump-off from an accomplished field of 31 that included five of the world’s top 10 ranked athletes on the Longines World Jumping Rankings—including World No. 1 Kent Farrington (USA) and Maher, the World No. 2. Kraut, herself the World No. 8, is the world’s highest ranked female jumping athlete in the world and the first woman to crack the top 10 in four years. She proved her prowess yet again, just a couple weeks before her 60th birthday.
“I think the first time I was [at this event] was in 1978, and I rode a medium pony,” Kraut recalled. “I have a big birthday coming up, the big 6-0, so we’re going to go on safari to South Africa,” she shared. “This is a good [result] to finish with. I can rest on this for a while.”
Abdel Saïd was the first rider through the ring Saturday night and the the first to navigate a clear round. However, when he led off the jump-off with his still-new partner Quaker Brimbelles Z, he quickly proved that the shortened course was just as technical as the first. Rails continued to fall for Brian Moggre (USA) and Keenan (USA) before Kraut put the first double-clear effort on the board. She and her partner’s heroics put tremendous pressure on the remainder of the field, and while Coyle and Maher could keep the rails up, they could not come close to her time. Jessica Mendoza ultimately crossed the finish with a faster time, but a rail kept her just off the podium.
“I just went as quick as I could go with [Tres Bien Z],” Kraut said. “He’s a handy horse, and it’s one of the reasons I thought it would be good to bring him indoors—and he just tries really hard.”
Kraut has been partnered with Tres Bien Z for less than two years, but she had her eye on the horse well before then, when the gelding caught her eye under the saddle of British rider Tim Gredley (GBR). With some persistent persuasion, Kraut convinced the horseman to sell, with Gredley believing Kraut would be a better physical match for the horse.
“I’d always watched the horse with Tim, and I really loved him, and I think Tim always thought he was too big for him, so I convinced him to sell him,” Kraut said. “He’s just an amazing horse. He jumped great on a big field and then he comes in a tiny ring, and it doesn’t really matter to him.”
While Kraut’s partnership is still developing, Coyle and Maher brought some of their most seasoned mounts to the competition. Following a disappointing result a year ago with Incredible, Coyle found satisfaction in some redemption.
“I learned a lot from my mistakes,” Coyle reflected. “To come back and get second is quite good. That’s my way of thanking [my horse]. He always thanks me.
“I don’t like second place,” he added, “but when it’s somebody like Laura, it’s fine.”
For Maher, the reward was in a successful return to top level sport from his partner, who missed nearly 18 months of sport following a small injury and several setbacks. The now 15-year-old stallion previously finished fourth individually with Maher at the 2022 FEI World Championships (DEN) and 2023 European Championships (ITA).
“It’s great to have him back,” Maher said. “I’m fortunate with my team of horses, we didn’t have to rush him. We took our time, and he’s proved here we can pick and choose where we take him to look after him.”
Coyle assumed the lead in the North American League standings with 27 points, followed by Kraut and Kent Farrington (USA), who each have 20 points. The NAL season resumes at Toronto (CAN) on Saturday, 15 November 2025.
Results here.
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