Laura Kraut and Tres Bien Z soared to the win in the night’s premiere event.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
October 25, 2025 – Upper Marlboro, MD
Recording her second time lifting the President’s Cup trophy, Laura Kraut (USA) and Tres Bien Z, owned by St. Bride’s Farm, won the $340,000 FEI Jumping World Cup ™ Washington CSI5*-W, presented by Maryland Sports Commission, on Saturday, October 25. The event was the highlight of the week at the 2025 Washington International Horse Show, presented by MARS Equestrian™, which concludes on Sunday, October 26.
With a field of 24 of the world’s top riders representing 13 countries, including world numbers one and two and 12 Olympians, the grand prix was an exciting event throughout for a sold-out arena of spectators. Course designer Nick Granat (USA) set a course that saw eight riders go clear to the jump-off. Only three were able to find the key to a second clear round.
As the first rider to go double clear, Kraut set the time to beat at 40.83 seconds with a daring track that relied on the deepening partnership with “Tres,” a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Toulon x Nabab de Reve that was purchased from British show jumper Tim Gredley 18 months ago.
“I didn’t think that seven strides was possible from fences two to three, but Lillie Keenan did it right before I went, so I thought, ‘I’ll see how I jump fence two and give it a go.’ He grew wings to do that because it was very far away, and I can’t believe he did it,” she admitted about her jump-off ride. “Then, I just went as quick as I could go with him. He’s a handy horse. It was one of the reasons why I thought it would be good to bring him indoors, and he just tries really hard.”
Kraut does have designs on the 2026 FEI Jumping World Cup ™ Final, and she remarked, “Being that it’s in my home country, I think that would be really fun.”
Laura Kraut and Tres Bien Z stand with the Washington International Horse Show team in their winning presentation in $340,000 FEI Jumping World Cup Washington CSI5*-W, presented by Maryland Sports Commission.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Having first shown at WIHS in 1978 in the pony hunters, Kraut, who turns 60 years old in three weeks, has made WIHS a key competition in her show calendar.
“I’ve come to Washington for many, many years, and I really feel like it’s one of the goals of the year, particularly in the United States, for everyone — jumpers, hunters, and equitation,” she said. “I hope that it stays that way. I think it’s a goal that every rider should look to work towards.”
Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Incredible, owned by Ariel Grange, followed immediately after Kraut and while they went for speed, their time of 41.14 couldn’t secure the win, and they finished in second place.
“I hope when I’m Laura’s age, I’ll be able to do this sport the way she does,” said Coyle. “It’s phenomenal, and everybody should look up to her — man or woman. I don’t like second place, but when it’s someone like Laura, it’s fine.”
Last year’s WIHS was one of Coyle’s first indoor horse shows, and he noted that he learned a lot from any mistakes made in the grand prix. “To come back and get second is quite good, so that’s my way of thanking him, and he always thanks me,” he said of the 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Clinton x Heartbreaker. “Incredible is a great horse. He can go day by day, speed class or Grand Prix, and there’s not many horses that can do that.”
Daniel Coyle and Incredible were incredible enough for second place.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Ben Maher and Faltic HB rounded out the top three.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Maher, riding in his first time at WIHS, went last in the jump-off on his own Faltic HB. They took a more measured pace, finishing in 42.25 seconds for third place. It was a wonderful return to the show ring for the 15-year-old KWPN stallion by Baltic VDL x Concorde who has been out of competition for 18 months due to injury.
“To come here and be third in the first evening and then this evening again, that’s a win for my team,” said Maher. “I’m fortunate with my team of horses that we didn’t have to rush him. We took our time, and we can pick and choose where we take him to look after him.”
Maher is happy to have Faltic back in the rotation of his top horses. “He’s a very useful horse in the team and a pleasure to ride,” he described. “He’s a very simple horse. I wish could have a few more as easy as he is. You can’t beat an experienced horse.”
“I did everything I could tonight,” he said of his jump-off ride. “There was no chance I could be fast enough this evening, but it’s been a great week in front of my owners. It’s great to have the whole team and family here.”
Course designer Nick Granat was pleased to have a jump-off field of eight in his second year designing the grand prix at WIHS.
“You want to do an appropriate job for the horses that you have, and you don’t want to disappoint the crowd either,” he remarked. “I probably started thinking about the course last year when I left WIHS and then have been tinkering with it over the last month. It worked out really well today.”
While WIHS has one more day left of competition, the show can already be called a success with two sold-out evening sessions, top-tier competition in three disciplines, and popular activities that engaged the local community.
WIHS President Vicki Lowell stated, “It’s really important to us to maintain the atmosphere of the show and to fill the stands. I think this show has a great history of being an event that’s top sport but also provides opportunities for the fans to engage with the athletes. We want to have the top-level, five-star competition and bring the best athletes from around the world here. We want to keep that iconic status. It is a show that’s near a major metropolitan area that doesn’t get to see this kind of sport year-round, and we’re just thrilled to be able to bring that forward to the community.”
JJ Torano and Favorite Edition Z were second in the WIHS Junior Equitation Final.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Faith Schuttemeyer rounded out the top three with Quinten vd Rollebeek in the WIHS Junior Equitation Final.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
International Open Jumper
Champion: Tres Bien Z, Laura Kraut, St. Bride’s Farm
Reserve Champion: Incredible, Daniel Coyle, Ariel Grange
Leading International Jumper
Owner
Ariel Grange
Leading International Jumper Rider Award
Daniel Coyle (IRL)
Leading Foreign Rider Award
Daniel Coyle (IRL)
Leading U25 Rider Award
Mimi Gochman (USA)
Leading FEI Groom Award
Margo Thomas
Leading Lady Rider Award, presented by Martha Jolicoeur Properties
Laura Kraut (USA)
Olivia Sweetnam stands with a stellar team to receive the top honors in the WIHS Junior Equitation Final.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Composure and Consistency Carry Olivia Sweetnam to WIHS Equitation Final Victory
Olivia Sweetnam of Wellington, FL, rose to the top of one of the nation’s most challenging equitation events, the WIHS Equitation Final, mastering the hunter and jumper phases before a final top 10 horse swap to secure the coveted title. JJ Torano of Wellington, FL, finished second, while Faith Schuttemeyer claimed third in a class that demanded not only technical skill but also adaptability and composure.
Riding her longtime partner Class Act — a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Vigaro affectionately known as “Jagger” and owned by Ashland Farms — Sweetnam reflected on the preparation that led to her success. With Class Act, Sweetnam scored 89.625 in the hunter phase and 87.625 in the jumper phase. Her score of 88.25 in the work-off gave her a total of 265.50 for victory.
Sweetnam described her early rounds as steady and confident.
“The hunter phase was really nice, very according to plan, and he jumped great,” she explained. “In the jumper phase there were some places I could have improved myself, but overall, I was very happy with him throughout both rounds.”
For the final work-off, Sweetnam swapped onto Watermelon, owned by Baylee Rowan. Despite limited time to adjust, she rode smoothly under pressure.
“I jumped a few fences in the schooling area and got a nice feel,” she said. “I was quite happy with my work-off — there could be small improvements, but I’m really happy considering I didn’t know the horse.”
Second-place finisher JJ Torano piloted Favorite Edition Z, a horse he’s partnered with for more than two years. He and the 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Favorit Ask, owned by The Northjet Group scored 89 in the hunter phase and 87.875 in the jumper phase. With an 87 in the work-off, Torano finished second with 263.875.
“Our first hunter phase went quite well,” he said. “In the jumper phase, there were one or two things I’d have liked to do better — I think I took the five-stride across the middle a little for granted. In the work-off, I thought it was quite good until the triple combination; it was a bit of bad luck with a rail. If that had stayed up, maybe the outcome could’ve been different — but that’s horses and show jumping.”
Faith Schuttemeyer, who took third, also praised her horse’s consistency and her own experience navigating the three phases. She and Quinten vd Rollebeek, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Vagabond de la Pomme owned by First Blue LLC, scored 89.75, 83.625, and 88.5 in the three phases for a 261.875 total.
“The hunter phase went really well, and the jumper phase was good too,” she said. “He’s a bit of a slow-moving horse, so I had a few time faults and got a little close to the MARS oxer, but overall, I was really happy.”
Judge Keri Kampsen commended the riders for their professionalism and composure under pressure, particularly during the horse-swapping phase.
“Everyone really brought their A-game,” Kampsen said. “The hunter phase was beautiful, and the final round with the switch was so impressive — you’re all riders who are going to go far. The horses were incredible. It was a great day, and you all did an amazing job.”
For Sweetnam, the win marks another milestone in her young career and her second major equitation final victory.
“It means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to my team, and they’re the ones that really put in all the work behind the scenes,” she related. “None of this is possible without them. I’m so lucky enough to now have won my second final. I’m happy I’m now able to show up for my horses.”
For her win, Sweetnam was presented with the Maddie Tosh & Daktari Trophy. Class Act won the Lugano Memorial Trophy, while her trainers, Alison Sweetnam and Ken and Emily Smith, won the Leading Equitation Trainer Award.
JJ Torano and Oopsala jumped right to the win of the $15,000 SJHOF 1.30-1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic and to the champion title of the division.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
JJ Torano stands in his champion presentation for the 1.30-1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper division.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Torano and Canterbury Claim Success in Final Junior/Amateur Jumper Division Classics
Following a morning of pony hunter action, the best junior and amateur jumper riders in the country geared up for their final chance for victory in The Show Place Arena. The afternoon’s highlight classes kicked off with the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame 1.30-1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic where JJ Torano of Wellington, FL, produced two more fantastic rounds with Oopsala to take the win. National show jumping action finished up with a win for Mary Rose Canterbury of Houston, TX, and Extase STE Hermelle in the $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame (SJHOF) 1.40-1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic.
Torano was one of 16 combinations to contest Nick Granat’s (USA) opening course which produced only six fault-free efforts to advance to the jump-off. The time-to-beat got quicker, and the rails continued to fall till only three entries had mastered the track. With a time of 33.54 seconds, Torano capped off an impeccable week in the division to secure the class win and the 1.30-1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper division championship.
“She’s a little bit of an inexperienced horse,” he detailed of the nine-year-old Holsteiner mare by Casall and owned by JET Show Stable, who was originally purchased as a ride for his mother, Danielle Torano. “Coming here this week was really for experience, and we have been testing her a little bit and adding a little more speed. I would say the first day, I didn’t really put it all out there. I think it was just a little bit of luck. Today, I watched my barnmate, Jole, go right before me. I thought to myself that was going to be hard to beat, but I think we trust each other. I really pushed her and gave her the test, and she rose to it.”
Having won two of the three division classes, the pair collected the most points in the division to also take home the division championship.
“This is a big prestigious show,” he admitted. “Everyone knows it’s the final of the year. For sure this is a big win for this horse, and I think it’s a big accomplishment for her.”
Torano’s success didn’t stop with one division, however. Mounted on both Vitus K and Good Mood Semilly in the $20,000 SJHOF 1.40-1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic, the 15-year-old athlete took two more top placings, earning third with Vitus K and fourth with Good Mood Semilly. Pairing their third-place finish with a first place in the division’s earlier class, he and his longtime grand prix partner, Vitus K, also claimed the championship in the final division. Torano was named the Leading Junior Jumper Rider.
“He’s a horse that I’ve had for about three years, and he brought me all the way from doing the low junior jumpers to the high junior jumpers,” explained Torano of the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Verdi TN owned by JET Show Stable. “He’s been super consistent because he’s so fast and careful.
“He’s a little bit on the older side now, but he’s still loving what he does,” he added. “He likes to buck and play around a lot the whole course, so I generally do think that he likes what he’s doing.”
Putting all the pieces together on the final division day, Mary Rose Canterbury produced the only clear effort over the first-round track to automatically take the classic win with Extase STE Hermelle.
“I went in seventh in the order, so I really didn’t get to watch anyone go before,” she stated. “I did watch the class before me, and they had the same course. They only had about five or six clears. I knew it was challenging enough, but I just wanted to go in and give my mare a confident ride. I didn’t expect to be the only clear though.”
The win capped off an exceptionally special week for Canterbury, as it marked her first time competing at WIHS as well as her final competition with the 5C Ranch and Minerals LLC’s 11-year-old Selle Francais mare by Uto Kervec. She was named the Leading Amateur Jumper Rider.
“I was really happy that we could end on a high note,” expressed Canterbury. “I wanted to have just a fun round with her and have a good last time together, so I’m thrilled.”
The 2025 WIHS, presented by MARS Equestrian™ concludes on Sunday, October 26, with the pony hunter champions and the WIHS Pony Equitation Final, presented by Evergate Stables.
Mary Rose Canterbury soared to the win in the $20,000 SJHOF 1.40-1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
