DSHS_Magazine_2022

when he was looking for a horse for Kate.
This resulted in him buying a horse from the
Hendrix family by telephone and that horse
did not disappoint at all. In fact, Athletico was
exactly as described. That is why Kate’s dad
insisted that in the next search for a horse, they
would return to Stal Hendrix. And he asked
if I wanted to go with Kate”, tells Laura, who
eventually ended up riding Athletico. “It was
quite a step for me to come to the Netherlands
to try horses. Before that I only rode American
thoroughbreds. I knew nothing about trading,
found it hard to know who to trust. With
the Hendrix family, it felt like someone was
watching over me. Emile and Paul gave me a
very comfortable feeling, they immediately
tried their best for me and my students. When
I was visiting them with Kate, I told Emile that
I was trying to get a group of owners together
to buy me a horse for the Olympics in 2000. I
hadn't heard from Emile for months and had
kind of forgotten about it, but one day he called
me out of the blue to say that he had found
the right horse for me. It was a seven-year-old mare, it was
Liberty. When I look back on that, it was quite unrealistic to
consciously look for a future Olympic horse but it turned out
very well. I trusted Emile's judgment completely and had a
good feeling about Liberty myself right away.”
Liberty and Anthem
Two years later, the duo participated in the Olympics in Sydney
and finished in the sixth place with the American team. In
the same period, they won the World Cup of Wellington and
the Nations Cup of Washington. After her sporting career, the
genetically valuable Libero H mare returned to the breeding
farm of Paul Hendrix. “Liberty was an amazing horse and
the second horse that I bought from the Hendrix family was
another legend, Anthem. He was the horse that I could always
count on. He won the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in
Madrid twice and he won countless of classes. With finding me
those two horses, the partnership with Emile and Paul started
off in an excellent way. They really have an eye for matching
horse and rider. I never come to Stal Hendrix to try many
horses. Normally the first or maybe second horse that they
make me try, is the one I end up with. They do all the research
and then it's up to me, whether I like the horse or not.” Many
other horses underline this, such as Miss Independent, Milano
and Quickstar.
Front row
Almost every auction we find Laura Kraut, most of the times
together with her partner Nick Skelton, sitting front row at the
Dutch Sport Horse Sales. “We bought quite a few horses in this
auction. For example, the Harley VDL offspring Constable II
was a very good horse. He was five years old and we bought him
without trying. We only saw the videos and followed Emile’s
advice, since I wasn’t able to come to the auction myself. I was
at a show and because Emile has so much trust in the horse, we
bought him by phone. Unfortunately Constable II eventually got
injured in the paddock, that kept him from being an absolute
a familiar face
' We bought quite a few horses
in this auction. For example,
the Harley VDL offspring
Constable II was a
very good horse.'
superstar. Another horse that we bought in the Dutch Sport
Horse Sales is Viper Vrombautshoeve Z, in 2013. He is a very
good horse, we sold him to Emma Heise and she has won many
classes with him.” What kind of qualities is a top rider like Laura
looking for in a horse? “Probably the same as every other top
level rider. We want them to be careful, have blood and good
rideability. The level is very high and it’s nearly impossible to win
on a normal horse. We also buy horses for our students and not
everyone wants the same amount of blood, so that’s another
good thing of Stal Hendrix and the auction. They always offer a
variety of horses.”
Based in Limburg
In 2021 Laura’s student Brian Moggre was able to purchase
Kallisto and in last year’s edition Laura also tried her best to add
a young talent to her string of horses. “Khaleesi was my favorite
and he ended up as the top seller, unfortunately we did not have
the last bid. We were so determined to buy him that for sure we
missed out on others. But luckily we can count on the Hendrix
family throughout the whole year, as they are my ‘go-to’ when it
comes to finding the right horse. Emile and Paul share the same
passion and vision as me, and they feel like family to me.” It’s no
coincidence that the seasoned international rider is based in the
Netherlands since April 2021. “My horses found their home at
Travers Horse Facility. It’s an amazing facility and we really enjoy
to be this close to the Hendrix family and other hotspots.”
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DSHS | The 2022 edition
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