The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) hosted its $50,000 Holiday & Horses Grand Prix CSI-W 2* on Saturday night with an electrifying winning performance from show jumping stars Laura Kraut (USA) and Cedric. A FEI World Cup qualifying event, the competition saw 55 starters with ten clear rounds to advance over the Catsy Cruz (MEX) designed course. Kraut and Cedric topped Hardin Towell (USA) and Silence and Leslie Howard (USA) aboard Utah in a very fast jump-off with eight double clear rounds.
Darragh Kerins (IRL) and Jan Van Tricht’s D Elia van het Molenhof put the pressure on, beginning the jump-off with a very fast clear round in 38.68 seconds, but eventually finished fourth. Hardin Towell and Jennifer Gates’ Silence upped the ante with their blazing fast round in 38 seconds flat that many thought would be unbeatable, but the longtime partnership of Laura Kraut and Cedric found a way to go even faster. Kraut and Cherry Knoll Farm’s Cedric raced through the course in 36.48 seconds for the win. Leslie Howard and The Utah Group’s Utah finished out the night to take third place honors with a clear round in 38.11 seconds.
Cedric, the 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Chambertin x Carolus Z, had six months off this season and has slowly been coming back to competition in the last two months. Saturday night’s class was his first grand prix back and an exciting win for both horse and rider. In addition to the top prize, Kraut was also presented with the Leading Lady Rider Award for the week’s competition, an award presented by Martha W. Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler.
“I watched Hardin, and I didn’t think I could beat him,” Kraut admitted after the class. “He is so fast and this was Cedric’s first grand prix back since the beginning of May in Madrid. I did want to win tonight with it being a World Cup qualifier, but I thought that I would be happy with second or third when I saw Hardin go. Cedric just was brilliant. It was just one of those jump-offs where ever time I turned the corner it all came up. Even the mad dash to the last jump, I was at full throttle, and it just showed itself. Often times when you come at that speed there is just nothing there, but tonight I was about five strides out and I was like, ‘Thank God.'”
“I have no idea where I got the time,” Kraut mused. “He is a quick horse, and I turned really sharp back on the double. I stayed inside everyone’s hoof prints, I know that. I know I was quicker back because I looked down and made sure I was inside everybody, but other than that I don’t know. He is smaller, so he can gallop faster.”
The pair galloped full force down to the last fence, which was a very tall plank jump going towards the in-gate, but Kraut had faith in Cedric as the crowd cheered them on.
“He is careful enough that you can take a chance like that with him. He knows his job, and he doesn’t think he should knock it down,” she stated. “I could definitely hear the people shouting. I am going to go anyway, so they don’t really have any influence, but it does create an excitement to it. I think it’s fun for the crowd. It was a great jump-off. It was faster and faster and faster, so I am thrilled.”
Cedric has been Kraut’s top horse for many years now, and she was careful to bring him back gradually after having time off this year. She knows that he is now back in winning form.
“This was his first grand prix, but I started him in October in Portugal jumping little 1.20/1.30m classes and then he did the National (Horse Show) and Toronto in just small classes,” Kraut explained. “This Friday I did the 1.50m and he was third in that and it was really the first time I felt like he was 95% back. Even on Wednesday I felt he was fantastic and tonight also. I can feel that he is more tired than he would be under normal circumstances, but the only way he is going to get fit is by doing it.”
“It felt great,” Kraut smiled. “I read this thing the other day, years ago when McLain Ward was talking about him in a press conference and he said, ‘Knowing this horse, when he’s 16 years old, he’s still going to be a pain in the ass.’ Now he is 16 years old and he was just a pain in the ass tonight for everybody, so that made me happy. He likes the lights, and he really loves showing. He was pretty depressed all summer when the truck kept driving out without him. He likes being at the show and being paid attention to.”
The Holiday & Horses CSI-W 2* competition concludes on Sunday, November 30, 2014. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
$50,000 Holiday & Horses CSI-W 2*Grand Prix
1. CEDRIC: 1998 Holsteiner gelding by Chambertin x Carolus Z
LAURA KRAUT (USA), Cherry Knoll Farm, Inc: 0/0/36.48
2. SILENCE: 2005 Hanoverian gelding by Stakkato Gold x Calypso II
HARDIN TOWELL (USA), Jennifer Gates: 0/0/38.00
3. UTAH: 2001 KWPN gelding by Andiamo x Jus De Pomme
LESLIE HOWARD (USA), The Utah Group: 0/0/38.11
4. D ELIA VAN HET MOLENHOF: 2003 Belgian Warmblood mare by Up Chiqui x Weltruf
DARRAGH KERINS (IRL), Jan Van Tricht: 0/0/38.68
5. LEAP OF JOY: 2001 Holsteiner gelding by Lovari x Silbersee
CHARLIE JACOBS (USA), Deeridge Farms: 0/0/39.02
6. PJOTTER VAN DE ZONNEHOEVE: 2001 Dutch Warmblood Gelding by Plato x Emilion
MOLLY ASHE-CAWLEY (USA), Louisburg Farm: 0/0/39.96
7. VEYRON: 2006 Oldenburg stallion by Conterno Grande x Heartbreaker
LJUBOV KOCHETOVA (RUS), Ljubov Kochetova: 0/0/40.53
8. BARONEZ: 2001 Warmblood mare by Heartbreaker x Unknown
KIRSTEN COE (USA), Ilan Ferder Lovsta & Tal Milstein: 0/0/43.76
9. IMOTHEP: 2003 KWPN stallion by Indoctro x Calvados
DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), Hyperion Stud LLC: 0/4/36.41
10. TINA DE NOYELLES: 2003 Belgian Sport Horse mare by President x Pelican d’Or
SHARN WORDLEY (NZL), Ashland Stables: 0/4/42.33
11. SS BOBBY: 2002 KWPN gelding by Concorde x Joost
CHRIS SORENSEN (CAN), Brittland Hughes: 1/87.46
12. WISCONSIN 111: 1999 BWP gelding by Darco x Coriolan
ANSGAR HOLTGERS (GER), Ellen Holtgers: 1/89.62
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