Wellington, FL – February 24, 2017 – 2008 Beijing Olympic team gold medalist Laura Kraut (USA) was victorious on Friday, February 24, in the $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m speed class riding Nouvelle at the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL.
Week seven, sponsored by Suncast®, features CSI 5*/2* competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) through Sunday, February 26. The $380,000 Suncast® Grand Prix CSI 5* is the highlight event on Saturday night, February 25. The 12-week WEF circuit continues through April 2, 2017, awarding over $9 million in prize money.
Laura Kraut and Nouvelle. PC: Sportfot
Course designer Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA) saw 57 starters over his one-round speed track, with 14 clear rounds. Kraut went early in the order with her first mount, St. Bride’s Farm’s Confu, and set a fast pace in 58.19 seconds that eventually finished third. Several rounds later, Richie Moloney (IRL) stole the lead in 57.17 seconds riding Equinimity LLC’s Ypaja Yando. Moloney’s time held through over 30 rounds, until Kraut returned with her second mount, Nouvelle. Second to last in the order, Kraut and the Evita Group’s Nouvelle took the win in 56.43 seconds, pushing Moloney into second.
“She was great. I am really pleased with her,” Kraut said of the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Solitair x Contango). “It is nice sometimes to drop her down to a lower class and let her gallop and have fun.”
Detailing each of her rounds, Kraut stated, “I went early on Confu, and I know where I got beat with him. After the liverpool, with the rollback to the black oxer, I ended up having to wait for one more stride, which just slowed me up enough to be beaten. So I knew that if I could go in and get going with Nouvelle, and just make sure that I kept coming forward through that turn, then I could hopefully beat my time and Richie’s.”
Laura Kraut and Nouvelle in their winning presentation with Roberta
Feinberg of Illustrated Properties and ringmaster Steve Rector.
With a nice win midway through the winter circuit, Nouvelle will continue to jump the next few weeks.
“We are being pretty conservative with the horses down here this winter. We have a big year ahead of us, so I will just pick and choose what I think is good and keep her happy and sound,” Kraut concluded.
Also competing in the International Arena on Friday, the $35,000 1.45m CSI 2* competition saw victory for Emma Heise (USA) riding Old Willow Farms’ Quentucky Jolly.
Emma Heise and Quentucky Jolly. PC: Sportfot
Laura Chapot (USA) won the $6,000 Illustrated Properties 1.40m. Speed Challenge riding her own and Mary Chapot’s Calafornia. The $1,500 Sleepy P Ranch High Junior Jumper Power and Speed concluded the day with a win for Tanner Korotkin and Castlewood Farm’s MacArthur.
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