Hometown: Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Birthday: 11/14/1965 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping Olympic Years: 1992 (alternate), 2000, 2008, 2020, 2024

Laura Kraut’s illustrious career began when she received her first riding lesson at the age of three. Encouraged by their mother, Carol, Kraut and sister Mary Elizabeth took riding lessons together throughout their childhood and still work together today. 

Kraut earned her first major breakthrough in 1992 as an alternate for the Barcelona Olympic Games, later making her Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000 with Liberty. She helped the U.S. win team gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics aboard Cedric, and team silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with Baloutinue. She also represented the U.S. at three FEI World Equestrian Games: Aachen in 2006 with Miss Independent (team silver), Lexington in 2010 with Cedric, and Tryon 2018 with Zeremonie, as part of the gold-medal NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team. 

Kraut is the most decorated team athlete in U.S. history, having competed in more than 90 Nations Cup competitions for the U.S. throughout her career. With Dorado 212, the pair played a pivotal role in helping the team secure their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. 
 
In 2024, Laura rode to another strong season with Baloutinue, jumping a double clear for the team at the LLN Ocala CSIO5*, where they finished with just a single time-fault in the Grand Prix. The duo produced excellent rounds in LLN Rotterdam CSIO5*, earning fourth overall in the Grand Prix. The duo secured their second consecutive selection to represent the U.S. Jumping Team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 
 
Kraut competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, marking her fifth Olympic Games and her second with Baloutinue. Alongside teammates McLain Ward (Ilex) and Karl Cook (Caracole de la Roque), Kraut and Baloutinue helped the team secure their third consecutive team silver medal. The pair finished eighth individually.  
 
In 2025, Kraut was part of yet another team win at the LLN Ocala CSIO5* aboard Dorado 212 and finished second in the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix CSI5* with Bisquetta to close out their winter circuit.  Throughout the year, she delivered consistent results for the U.S. Jumping Team, helping the team earn victories in the Rome Nations Cup CSIO5* and CHIO Aachen Nations Cup CSIO5*, to mark one of the team’s most successful seasons in history. At CHIO Aachen and achieved a standout individual win with Baloutinue in the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen, finishing second. She rode Bisquetta to the lone clear round to win the Rolex Grand Prix of Dublin CSIO5*, which was followed by appearances for the team at Spruce Meadows CSIO5* and LLN Final in Barcelona, Spain. To conclude her 2025 season, Kraut topped the $750,000 Coachella Cup Grand Prix CSI5* in Thermal, Calif., with Bisquetta.  
 
Based in both Florida and the Netherlands, Kraut and her longtime partner, legendary British jumper, Nick Skelton, run a successful training and sales business.