Laura Kraut Enters FEI World Top Ten — A Position Rarely Held by Women
Laura Kraut has entered the world’s top ten in the latest Longines FEI Jumping World Rankings, becoming the first woman since Beezie Madden in 2021 to reach the sport’s highest tier.
Her consistent results across the 2025 season, including a strong performance at the CSIO5* of Barcelona, have cemented her place among the world’s elite. At 58, Kraut continues to compete with the precision, resilience, and composure that have defined her career — proving that excellence in equestrian sport is determined by ability, not age or gender.
Kraut’s top-ten position carries wider significance. Female representation at this level has been sparse in recent years, despite women comprising the majority of participants in equestrian sport worldwide. The last to hold a place among the global top ten was fellow American Beezie Madden, who ranked there in 2021 and peaked at world number two in 2015. Before her, Pénélope Leprévost of France featured consistently in the top ten through 2016, climbing as high as world number three, while Edwina Tops-Alexander of Australia reached number four in 2013. The only woman ever to hold the world number one ranking remains Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who first achieved the position in 2004.
These names illustrate both the calibre of female talent at the top of the sport and the rarity with which that talent is reflected in the official rankings. Kraut’s current success stands as a reminder that women have long performed at this level — what remains limited is visibility and opportunity within the ranking system itself.
The complete Longines FEI Jumping World Rankings can be viewed below.
