Laura Kraut & Cedric in Wellington, Florida, February 27, 2017. Ph. ©Erin Gilmore/NoelleFloyd.com
Laura Kraut’s longtime partner Cedric will be officially retired this coming Friday ahead of the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup CSIO4* at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.
Long a Team USA favorite, Cedric, a 19-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Chambertin 3 x Carolus II) owned by Cherry Knoll Farm, carried Kraut to many memorable wins around the globe during his 12-year international career. In 2008, Kraut piloted a still-green Cedric to Olympic Team Gold at the Beijing Olympic Games. Since then, the 15.3 hand, fleabitten grey gelding has had a permanent place in the hearts of show jumping fans everywhere. For many years Kraut and Cedric were fixtures on Team USA Nations Cup squads from Aachen, Germany to Rotterdam, Holland; Rome, Italy and Wellington, Florida. In their last international appearance together in 2016, they won the CHIO Port Club Rotterdam Prix at CHIO5* Rotterdam, Holland.
Together with Margaret Duprey of Cherry Knoll Farm, Kraut and her team decided to officially retire Cedric this week at the Winter Equestrian Festival to recognize his long and successful career. Kraut, who is based in Wellington, Florida with her partner Nick Skelton during the winter season, shared that Cedric will return to Great Britain this spring, and be allowed to live out his days in the pastures of Skelton’s stable in Alcester, England. With several Big Star babies on the ground in Alcester, Cedric’s next big job will be to keep them company and teach them their manners in pasture.
“To have a horse like this once in your career is a once in an lifetime thing, but to have this horse to ride for the last 12 years, and to also have him be my best friend is really special,” said Kraut, who shares a close bond with her longtime partner. His small size was always outdone in competition by his enormous heart, and Kraut found the key to his sensitive nature early on in Cedric’s career, forming one of the sport’s favorite partnerships.
“It will be sad for us to not have him at the shows, but we will still get to see him when we’re home,” Kraut continued. “Actually, it will be the worst for his groom Johanna, who has been by his side for 11 and a half years of his 12 year career. When the day’s work is done, she often just spends time with him in his pasture.”
Cedric will be honored in the International Arena at WEF just ahead of the start of the FEI Nations Cup on Friday, March 3, 2017.