Karl Cook, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward captured the silver medal in show jumping at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The U.S. team finished behind Great Britain, while the host nation France won bronze.

In January of 1992, our family’s publishing company, Lessiter Media, purchased American Farriers Journal from the previous Massachusetts-based owners. Some 5 months later, I attended the 1992 U.S. Olympic equestrian trials in Gladstone, N.J.

But before I get into these recollections, I want to congratulate Laura Kraut, Karl Cook and McLain Ward on capturing the silver medal in show jumping at this year’s Olympic equestrian competition in Paris. The U.S. team finished behind Great Britain while the host nation France won bronze.

And now you’ll see how this 2024 Olympic moment with Kraut plays a key role in this down memory lane article.

Olympic Trial Memories

As a much older editor today, I’m sharing several Olympic-related memories from attending that equestrian event 32 years ago.

Held at the U.S. Equestrian Team headquarters, this 1992 event was where I met Lara Kraut for the first time. At that time, she was running her show jumping business near Oconomowoc, Wis., which was 25 miles west of our Milwaukee-area offices. Riding since the age of three, Kraut so far has captured over 100 Grand Prix wins in her career.

During her Wisconsin days, her farrier was Red Renchin, the late hoof-care professional and long-time American Farriers Journal contributor from Mequon, Wis.

Now living in Wellington, Fla., Kraut made history in Paris as the oldest U.S. medalist in 72 years. At 58 years of age, she is the oldest American to medal at the Olympics since 59-year-old Everard “Ducky” Endt won a sailing gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki games.

Kraut’s silver award in Paris was her third Olympic medal in team jumping, as she won gold in Beijing in 2008 and silver at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Karl Cook, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward captured the silver medal in show jumping at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The U.S. team finished behind Great Britain, while the host nation France won bronze.

At 27 years of age, she got her first taste of the Olympics by being selected as an alternate for the American team for the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992. While she did not compete in the Spain event, her five Olympic experiences also include being a member of the 2000 U.S. team that captured sixth place in the Australian Olympics.

Recalling a Barn Conversation

A few months after the 1992 U.S. Olympic trials, Renchin told me about a conversation with Kraut’s husband that took place while he was shoeing several of her horses in Wisconsin.

After Kraut had returned to the barn from a Gladstone Olympic trials press conference, her husband asked how the interviews had gone. They were fine, she said, then added that she was amazed that for the first time in her career there had been a question about her horse’s feet and shoes.

Renchin laughed, telling her husband he knew it was a question I had asked during the press conference.

Other Farrier-Related Olympic Tales

There were several other Olympic-style recollections on my part from that year’s Gladstone U.S. Olympic trials.

1: Seamus Brady

It served as my introduction to long-time Olympic farrier Seamus Brady. A true Irish craftsman when it came to equine footcare, our short interview resulted later in an American Farriers Journal column. Serving as the official farrier for all three U.S. equestrian team disciplines for nearly 35 years, Brady became one of the most respected farriers in the world.

Born in Ireland and trained at the Irish Army Equitation School, he began working with the Irish equestrian team at the age of 10. After moving to America and serving in the U.S. Army, Brady pioneered a number of new shoeing techniques while mentoring many up-and-coming farriers.

At her sixth Olympics in Paris, Laura Kraut took home her fifth Olympic medal as a member of the U.S. Equestrian team. Image Courtesy of U.S. Equestrian

It’s believed Brady has shod more world champion hunters and jumpers than any other farrier in the world. Even today, farriers continue to describe the charming Irishman as both a mentor and friend.

Later on, it was a pleasure for our American Farriers Journal staff to honor him as a member of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame.

While Brady made many hoof-care contributions over the years to American hoof-care, I believe his biggest accomplishment was continually urging shoers to raise their prices in an effort to become further recognized as professionals in the equine industry.

American Farriers Journal editor Frank Lessiter interviews Olympic farrier Seamus Brady during the 1992 U.S. Equestrian Olympic trials. Image: Mike Lessiter

2: Raising Prices

My second memory from the New Jersey Olympic trials is of a conversation with another farrier who had been asked a year or two earlier to replace a shoe.

As that show’s official farrier, he recalled a rider — with a shoe in her hand — walk up to his rig. Asking if he could replace the shoe, she commented that Seamus Brady shod her horse with handmade shoes. After agreeing to nail on another shoe, the farrier went to his truck and pulled out a 100% matching manufactured shoe.

Once the new shoe was nailed on the hoof, the rider asked what she owed for replacing the shoe and paid with a $20 bill.

Next, the farrier watched the horse as the rider walked away, then saw her make an abrupt turn and march back to the shoeing area. She asked the farrier if he really knew what he was doing when it came to providing professional footcare. This questioning was based on a single fact: Brady would have charged $50 in a similar situation while he was only charging $20.

It was a situation where the rider would have been happier if the charge were 250% higher than the $20 price. Once again, credit goes to Brady for constantly urging farriers to raise their prices in an effort to be seen as more professional among members of the equine industry.

Looking Back 32 Years

By recalling these personal moments from the 1992 Olympic trials, I guess it proves I still have a good memory — even in my old age.