With nearly five decades in equestrian sport, four-time Olympian Laura Kraut has shown time and again that excellence doesn’t diminish with age. At 60, the grandmother and U.S. show jumping legend is still at the top of her game, and we look forward to watching her in action aboard Tres Bien Z at the 2026 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Fort Worth, Texas, later this week. The Team USA stalwart brings a wealth of championship experience and one of the most accomplished careers in the sport to Fort Worth, where she’s set to contest her 10th FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final.

Here we look back at two separate interviews we’ve done with Kraut on the Practical Horseman Podcast to revisit her favorite training exercises, how she handles disappointments in the show ring, why she’s passionate about the sport of show jumping and what has made her such a strong, consistent competitor over the years.

PH: Was there something in particular about show jumping that drew you to the sport opposed to other equestrian disciplines?

LK: I was around 19 the first time I did a jumper class and immediately took to it. I thought this is exactly what I want to do. After doing hunters for so long, where if there was one tiny mistake—the horse tossed his head or whatever—you lost, I loved the competitive aspect of the jumpers. If you’re the fastest or most careful on that day, you win. So, I really like the sporting aspect of it, and I just liked the idea of jumping big jumps and going fast. And show jumping is all of that.

PH: What is it about this sport and horses that’s kept you involved for so long?

LK: I have literally been around horses since I was 2 or 3 years old on daily basis, and now, at 60, that’s been many years. I simply just love the horses. That’s really what it boils down to—I enjoy being around them and getting to know their personalities. People ask me what I’m going to do when I retire. I don’t think I’ll have any problem as long as I can be around horses. I’m just happy around them. I can relate to them; I can relate to people who relate to them. I just like the whole atmosphere of it. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than at the barn.

PH: In this sport, there are always disappointments. How do you deal with those moments and move on?

LK: It’s hard, and you learn over time after doing this for a long time that nothing is ever set in stone. Disappointments are guaranteed. So, if you make a mistake, you just have to be able to own it and hopefully learn from it and move on knowing that your day will come and you just need to keep trying.

In the past, I’ve had students who actually wouldn’t try because that ensured they wouldn’t fail. But this also meant they for sure wouldn’t win. You’ve got to be willing to take a risk and put yourself out there and hope you win. But if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t. One thing is definite—you’re not the only who didn’t win that day.

Awhile back, I was with a student at a show in Europe where we saw a top professional make a big mistake in a grand prix. We looked at each other and I told her, “See, you’re not alone.” She told me that made her feel a lot better. Professionals might make fewer mistakes or smaller ones, but we all make mistakes. You just have to learn how to minimize them. It’s part of the sport and something you have to work on getting used to.

PH: How do you handle competition nerves?

LK: I used to get more nervous than I do now, although on occasion I still find myself worrying because I want to do well. I think we all experience different levels of nervousness and fear. But for me, I try not to let it take over. So, I make sure I don’t close myself off. I talk to people and focus on what I’m doing, but I don’t over-focus because that tends to make me more nervous. It’s also important to relax for your horse, as it’s proven that the more relaxed you are around your horse, the more relaxed he’ll be. That helps me calm down because I don’t want to transfer it to my horse. And at least for me, once we step into the show ring or even in the warm-up area and I start concentrating on doing my job, the nerves go away.

PH: What do you think makes you such a strong, consistent competitor?

LK: I think I was just born competitive. As a kid, I would always race my sister up the stairs or to get in the car first. I love sports and grew up playing lots of different sports. Competition has just always been a part of me.

PH: What’s the hardest part of this sport for you?

LK: Trying to keep my horses healthy in a sport that puts a lot of stress on their joints. You have to figure out the best management plan to keep your horses sound and happy without getting behind on your goals. If you want to be on the ranking list, you can’t sit at home. You have to get out there and jump your horses, but you have to balance how much jumping is too much. A lot of times, if you recognize an injury or potential injury early enough, you can stop it or prevent it from progressing. And you need to have a quality team of people supporting you and your horse.

PH: What advice would you give to your younger self?

LK: I probably could have told myself not to worry because you’ll eventually get there. But maybe part of worrying is what helps you get there eventually.

PH: What advice do you give to your students?

LK: For my talented and driven students who want to do the sport at a high level, I encourage them toward the Nations Cups because I feel like riding for our country is such a gratifying experience. It’s different from winning in the hunters or equitation or riding in the junior jumpers. It’s just a whole new level of achievement and satisfaction. I try to put that goal in their minds and help them learn how to get their horses to that level. That’s what my mentor Katie Prudent did for me, so I’m trying to pass that along. A student is only going to take out what they want of what you give them. So, if they’re very motivated, I’ll give them any advice they want. In addition to the riding, I love to teach them about the horses and really focusing on them while riding.

I try to teach them about learning to read their horses’ minds and thoughts because it’s very helpful when you’re in the saddle. For many riders, that’s instinctual and comes to you without any work, but others have to learn this and how concentrate on it.

PH: Can you talk about any favorite training exercises or your horses’ fitness routines?

LK: Every horse is different, of course. For example, I don’t do a lot of jumping with Baloutinue. His main regimen is hacking out on trails. Where I’m based in Holland, we have access to a four-star eventing course with a gallop. And that’s one of his favorite things to do—working out in the woods and on the course. We don’t jump the cross-country jumps, mind you; we just enjoy working around the course. When I do jump Balou, I use canter rails and landing rails and I set V poles to jump—all just to slow him down because he can be so bold when jumping. With him, I also use gymnastics and tight combinations to keep him back on his hocks and to encourage him to take his time jumping.

With Bisquetta, I usually do a little more. I also use landing rails and combinations with her because she has so much power that she’ll sometimes jump too far in. I put a rail in the middle to help her land in the appropriate place for a short combination, for instance. I also work on her adjustability because she’s forward going and really loves to go. I’m working on teaching her to shorten and wait.

Dorado 212 is the easiest one of my horses to train at home and keep fit. For him, it’s just jumping for fitness. I might do trotting gymnastics with him or maybe a few singles just to keep his jumping muscles in shape. The fewer jumps you jump, the more you have left in them.

PH: Do you have any type of routine before a big competition?

LK: At a show when I’m not teaching and working at the barn from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., I like to work out or do yoga to kind of get in my head by doing that. Then, I don’t do anything different than I do any other day with my horses because they don’t know we’re at a big championship. I also don’t like to be superstitious, so I don’t have anything weird where I have to wear the same underwear or socks like some people like to do. I just keep it normal and try to function as I normally do.

PH: How would you describe your teaching style?

LK: That would probably be a better question for my students! But I think I have a positive teaching style. I don’t like to yell or lose my temper. I point out what they’ve done well before I talk about what they haven’t done as well. Then, I try to get them to focus on the things they did right and how they accomplished those things. I also teach them to focus on their horses and how they’re feeling. They need to be able to read what’s going on with their horses because when they’re in the show ring on their own, they won’t have anyone else telling them what to do.

Thanks to Zoetis for our coverage of the 2026 FEI World Cup Finals. It includes lead-up events, rider interviews, competition reports, photos and more.

For More:

• Read more about our coverage of the 2026 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Forth Worth, Texas, here.
• To check out the event website, click here.
• To view the event schedule, click here.  
• To buy tickets for the event, click here.
• To check results once the competition gets underway, click here.
• Watch the 2026 FEI World Cup™ Finals live stream on FEI.TV.