Robert Kraut Wins 1.40m Aboard Accordian
Lexington, KY - August 8, 2025 - Starting off the first day of the Kentucky Summer Classic, John McConnell rode last this morning in the 1.45m Open Jumper class aboard Carolina. After a tie occurred between three riders with first round scores of four faults, Carolina proved to be the winning combination with McConnell. The pair stayed in the arena to complete the jump-off after finishing their first round. Neither Rory Grand nor Jeanne Hobbs, the other four-faulters, returned to the Johnson Arena for their jump-offs, proving McConnell’s strong jump-off round of zero faults and time of 48.205 seconds a moot point as he walked out of the ring with first place.
McConnell entered the show ring this morning coming off a second-place win last week in the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix with Carolina. Carolina, the eight-year-old Holsteiner mare, is owned by Klein Ranch of Sedalia, CO, and was imported last April. “I’ve had her for a little over a year now,” he commented, “she’s stepping up and doing the grand prix a little now; she was second last weekend.”
With a heat advisory in effect for Lexington, KY, record-breaking temperatures are set to hold steady across much of the country this week. Early-morning scheduling of the jumper classes will keep the majority of horses and riders out of the worst heat, which the National Weather Service says could top 101 degrees.
McConnell has been in Lexington the past two weeks, hit with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s since his arrival. He admits that the heat is pretty bad, “I’m from Colorado, and we’re not used to this. It’s been 15 years or more since I’ve been back east here. It’s much hotter, and the humidity makes things even worse.” Neither McConnell nor Carolina seemed particularly bothered by the temperatures this morning. He added, “There’s only so much you can do in heat like this. We give them electrolytes, try to cool them down longer, and keep fans on them at all times.”
As early morning temperatures hovered near 90, jump crew and arena maintenance personnel were hard-pressed to set the course for the 1.40m Open Jumper division. Staff completed the task in 15 minutes and sent the first horse into the ring.
Robert Kraut of Oconomowoc, WI, rode Accordian, owned by Happy Hill Farm, to a clear round in 65.465 seconds. His score would set the standard for the remainder of the division, a standard that was never topped. Shane Sweetnam of Wellington, FL, came the closest with a clear round of 66.793 seconds aboard Victor III. Victor III is owned by Spy Coast Farm out of Setauket, NY. Sweetnam proved good enough for second place, giving Kraut the win.
The Kentucky Summer Classic runs from August 8-12 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The Kentucky Summer Classic is a qualifying event for the upcoming Washington International Horse Show and North American League Finals. Additionally, the Kentucky Summer Classic plays host to the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic and the $40,000 Kentucky Classic Grand Prix. The $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic comprises the Hagyard Challenge Series, a summer-long show jumping series offering $170,000 in prize money.
Results of Class 229 - 1.45m Open Jumper
1 413 CAROLINA JOHN MCCONNELL 4.00 68.696 0.00 48.205 $1500 KLEIN RANCH
2 1118 OLAROME RORY GRANT 4.00 63.524 $1000 BETSY GREEN
3 302 NIGHT AND DAY 8 JEANNE HOBBS 4.00 66.124 $500 JEANNE HOBBS
4 642 PANDUR 292 BILL MORONEY 12.00 67.282 $350 SALAMANDER FARM
5 581 AIRFORCE ONE JOHN MCCONNEL 26.00 85.270 $300 RANCHO CORAZON
6 767 ACCORDIAN ROBERT KRAUT 34.00 89.060 $250 HAPPY HILL FARM
Results of Class 228 - 1.40m Open Jumper
1 767 ACCORDIAN ROBERT KRAUT 0.00 65.465 $1500
2 792 VICTOR III SHANE SWEETNAM 0.00 66.793 $1000 SPY COAST FARM
3 274 COKIO VITZ MAURO ATZERI 0.00 72.614 $500 GREGORY GINGERY
4 325 CADANIO Z ANDREW WELLES 0.00 75.592 $350 PETER WELLES
5 275 WINDGATES ILLUSION MAURO ATZERI 1.00 76.583 $300 MAURO ATZERI
6 765 QUARNAK DE LONGPRE ROBERT KRAUT 4.00 65.647 $250 MEGHAN MORAN
7 133 QUIK DEBBIE STEPHENS 4.00 66.274 $225 SPLIT ROCK FARM
8 1122 SECRET RORY GRANT 4.00 69.246 $200 BETSY GREEN
9 939 SHAMAN MICHAEL DORMAN 4.00 70.787 $200
10 886 COPADO AARON VALE 8.00 62.867 $175 M/M ERNEST OARE
11 787 QUIDAM JUNIOR SHANE SWEETNAM 8.00 67.836 $150 SHANE SWEETNAM
12 827 OLANO LORETTA MAYER 12.00 73.989 $150 TOP OF THE LINE
You must be logged in to post a comment.