Laura Kraut of the United States won the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award during week two of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) on Sunday, January 24, in Wellington, FL.
Kraut accumulated the highest number of points among her fellow female riders in Friday’s $37,000 FEI Adequan® WEF Challenge Round 2 and Sunday’s $137,000 CSI3* Restylane Grand Prix, taking fourth place in both classes. Kraut rode Goldwin, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Emerald x Understone van de Kapel) owned by Stars And Stripes, to a pair of double-clear finishes on the grass derby field to secure week two’s Leading Lady Rider title.
“I think it’s fantastic that Martha Jolicoeur provides this for women in the sport,” said Kraut, a member of the gold medal team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. “It’s important for young girls to see it and it gives them something to aspire to. It was a thrill to be recognized this week for something special, and it’s a nice added bonus to a good week.”
In recognition of earning the Leading Lady Rider Award, Kraut, of Royal Palm Beach, FL, was presented with a bottle of champagne, a bouquet of flowers, and a gift certificate for a shopping spree at Hunt, Ltd. by Martha W. Jolicoeur, her husband, Dr. Stephen Norton, and her daughter, Isabel Jolicoeur.
“I was thrilled with him,” Kraut said of her mount, Goldwin. “This was his first big grand prix and he handled it beautifully. I was really pleased with my jump-off. He’s just coming nine years old and was beat by some really veteran horses. I couldn’t have asked him to be any better.”
A sponsor and dedicated supporter of horse sport at WEF for many years, 2021 marks Jolicoeur’s 11th season presenting the Leading Lady Rider Award. A former competitor herself, Jolicoeur enjoyed a successful international show jumping career before becoming Florida’s number one Douglas Elliman real estate broker.
source: Jump Media Press Release
