Versailles, France – August 02, 2024 – The United States claimed the silver medal in the team jumping final in fine style on Friday at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Versailles (FRA) with spectacular performances from Laura Kraut (USA) & Baloutinue, Karl Cook (USA) & Caracole de La Roque and McLain Ward (USA) & Ilex.

Team USA had to settle for the silver medal spot with a final scoreline of just penalty-points faults while Great Britain claimed gold with only two time penalties. In the battle for bronze, it was France that clinched it thanks to quicker combined times for their three combinations who edged the Dutch off the podium by the narrowest of margins – 0.57 seconds – when both sides completed with seven faults on the board.

The Americans counted on only four penalty-points for Laura Kraut’s mistake at the first element of the triple combination because both Karl Cook (USA) with Caracole de La Roque and McLain Ward (USA) and Ilex had been foot-perfect.

It was the USA’s third Olympic team silver in a row and their seventh in the history of the Games. Laura Kraut (USA) and McLain Ward (USA) were both on the silver-medal side in Tokyo three years ago where Kraut’s 14-year-old gelding Baloutinue also competed.   

She was surprised by her horse’s single mistake today at that bogey triple combination. “He kind of looked at it a little bit and I had maybe too much momentum but other than that he didn’t put a foot wrong”, she said. 

Talking about today’s course she pointed out,

“What’s been really nice is there’s been no eliminations, no disasters, lots of poles down and time faults and they have been very crafty with the time allowed. I felt like I was flying, and I only came in a second and a half under the time, so I think it’s just as you would expect – we’re at the Olympics after all!”– Laura Kraut (USA)

Like Kraut, Ward knows a thing or two about the pressure of Olympic competition and today he picked up his fifth medal at his sixth Olympic Games. 

“Both Laura and I have been particularly blessed (competing for Team USA) for a number of years. What the Olympics represents, its principles, at its very best is something that we really are proud of and look to as a goal. Our team mentality is that this is the pinnacle of the sport.

This is what we aim everything towards, not only ourselves, but everybody behind us, and we’re willing to sacrifice a lot of other events throughout the season to try to be primed at the right moment with the right combinations. That’s not to say that sometimes you think you have the recipe right and you don’t. But I think being able to pull that off a few times builds confidence, and everybody keeps delivering, and that perpetuates itself, it inspires the next generation and it inspires all the people around us and behind us to continue”, he said.

It has taken a while for Karl Cook (USA) to build a relationship with the feisty French-bred mare Caracole de La Roque, but it has all come together beautifully now with trust established between them, particularly over the last few months. Today’s fabulous clear was evidence of that. “You build that trust and understanding over time. I’m thrilled with how she has been here in Paris – she’s a very wonderful horse!”, he said.

Final Results – Olympic Team Competition Final

1) Great Britain – 2 / 237.47

2) United States of America – 4 / 229.90

3) France – 7 / 238.12

Source: Press Release (edited) from the FEI – Fédération Équestre Internationale

Photos: © FEI / Benjamin Clark Photography

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