Laura graves dressage biography
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Laura Graves
American equestrian
Laura Graves and Verdades (2018) | |
| Born | (1987-07-22) July 22, 1987 (age 37) Burlington, Vermont, United States |
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Laura Graves (born July 22, 1987) is an American dressage rider.[1] She represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics where she won a bronze medal in the team dressage competition. After winning double silver medals at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC, Laura became the first American dressage rider to be ranked No. 1 in FEI World rankings, aboard her longtime partner Verdades.[2]
Dressage career
[edit]Growing up in Vermont, Graves rode her first pony at an early age when a family friend boarded two ponies at the Graves' farm. Laura and her sisters got attached to the ponies, which persuaded their parents to trade a washing machine and a tumble-dryer in order to keep them. At the age of 15, Laura (along with her mother) bought a foal named Verdades from the Netherlands, a
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About Laura Graves
An Olympic-caliber dressage rider, Laura Graves, has won medals both individually and for Team USA in the Olympics, Pan American Games, National and World Championships and in the World Cup Dressage Finals all aboard her longtime equine partner, Verdades. Laura holds the distinction of being the first American dressage rider to be ranked #1 in FEI World Rankings. At the 2014 World Equestrian Games, Graves and “Diddy” scored an 82.036%—only the 4th American duo in history to post a score above 80% in a World Championship—and they have continued to break their own record since, including an impressive 89.082% Freestyle score at the FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Omaha. Laura is the face of hard work and patience as Verdades was a very difficult young horse to bring along. Now reaping the long-due rewards for her dedication from the ground up, Laura knows firsthand what goes into the making of a champion.
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Hello, Number One: Laura Graves Has Made U.S. Dressage History
By Amber Heintzberger
For the first time in history, a U.S. dressage tillägg is ranked number one on the world rankings: following her performance at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in September, Laura Graves and Verdades, the 16-year-old KWPN gelding that she owns with Curt Maes, are placed one point ahead of German powerhouse Isabel Werth and Weihegold OLD. Their impressive grupp Grand Prix and individual silver medal Grand Prix Special performances at WEG increased their point total to 2,714 and ultimately edged them up to the top of the Leaderboard. (Read more about the changes to the FEI Dressage World Ranking list and view the updated standings.)
Laura and “Diddy” have a fairytale story that has seen them rise to the top of the idrott from humble beginnings. Lacking the medel for a “made” horse, her family purchased the unruly horse when he was only six months old and the two of them grew up together. There