Text © World of Showjumping

To say that Laura Kraut (USA) and Emeraldo 4 (Emerald x Narcos II) braved the elements in Wednesday’s CSIO5* 1.50m Prize of StädteRegion Aachen in memory of Landrat Hermann-Josef Pütz at CHIO Aachen 2025 would be an understatement. In torrential rain and wind, Kraut and the 9-year-old gelding were jumping in the absolutely most challenging conditions of this class – which came to a halt twice because of severe weather warnings in the Aachen-area. In an attempt to re-start the competition after the first forced break, Kraut was unlucky to end up in the middle of a proper storm – but nevertheless braved the wild weather to post the new time to beat, 31.98 seconds in phase two.

“It’s hard for me to really remember my round, because it was mainly listening to all the people in the stands screaming – I think that the rain was blowing in on them, so they were running up. All I kept thinking was that my horse was not bothered in the slightest, he was just all about his business. So I just kept going and he was right there with me the whole way around. And I still can’t believe I beat Richard Vogel, I’m pretty happy about that,” Kraut smiled as she spoke to World of Showjumping. 

“My plan going in was just to see how he was. When I picked up the canter to go to the first jump, the rain started pelting down. They had been talking about hail, so I thought ‘ok, I’m just going to listen for the horn’ – because I thought if I had to come out, they would blow me out. So, I was joking afterwards that I think I went fast because I just wanted to get out,” Kraut smiled. “He just did everything I asked of him. When I came out, I did not know I had gone into the lead – I just thought people were clapping because we had been chased by a tornado.”

“Emeraldo is fantastic,” Kraut said. “He’s 9-years-old and I got him last fall. He’s been nothing but super every time; he’s been placed in Rome, in La Baule, and now here in Aachen. I’m hoping to step him up on Friday for the 1.60m [RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia], it will be his first but I think he is ready.”

With only a few left to go, Kevin Jochems (NED) and Prada di Costa M (Vannan x Gitano) came the closest to Kraut when they crossed the timers in 32.40 seconds to push Soers-darling Richard Vogel (GER) and Levi Noesar (VDL Zirocco Blue x Baloubet du Rouet) – who had taken an early lead in the class – down to third by 0.09 seconds. Tom Wachman (IRL) and Do It Easy (Vigo Cece x Laeken) finished fourth after clocking a time of 32.65 seconds, while Jörne Sprehe (GER) completed the top five after riding Toys (Toulon x Quidam de Revel) to a time of 32.99 seconds.