897 Days Later: Laura Kraut Returns to the Top in Dublin’s Rolex Grand Prix
After more than two years of near-misses, Laura Kraut and Bisquetta delivered perfection in the RDS Main Arena to claim the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland.
It had been 897 days since Laura Kraut last claimed a five-star 1.60m Grand Prix win, a streak stretching back to her victory in Wellington in February 2023 with Baloutinue. In that time, Kraut had built an enviable record of consistency at the sport’s highest level, recording 21 Top 10 finishes. But the top spot kept eluding her, including two second-place finishes in Rolex Majors earlier this season. That all changed in Dublin, where Kraut and Bisquetta produced the only clear round from a world-class field of 40 to win the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland.
Close Calls Along the Way
The road back to the top was anything but quiet. Kraut came within touching distance of victory multiple times, including second place at both the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen with Baloutinue and the US Equestrian Open Final Rolex Grand Prix of Wellington with Bisquetta earlier this year. In each case, the margin was narrow, the performance strong, but the final second kept her off the top step.
The Dublin Decider
In the electric atmosphere of the RDS Main Arena, Ireland’s Alan Wade had set a track that proved unforgiving. Clear rounds were nowhere to be found as the class progressed, with rails falling for Olympic champions, former winners, and rising stars alike. Then, as the penultimate combination, Kraut and Bisquetta entered the ring. With trademark poise and precision, they navigated the 14 obstacles without a fault to deliver the class’s sole clear.
Patience Rewarded
“The Dublin Horse Show is one of those bucket list events,” Kraut said afterwards. “Alan Wade built a course that was careful but fair, and you had to be perfect to go clear. Bisquetta was brilliant, very brave, very careful, and this year she’s stepped up to another level.”
For Kraut, this win was more than a victory, it was the culmination of patience, consistency, and readiness. After 897 days of chasing, she had proven once again why she remains one of the sport’s greats.
