Laura Graves to Relocate Business to Wellington, Florida

Dressage

U.S.A

Laura Graves, a former World nr 1 dressage rider and US team anchor in the late 2010s, is moving her business to Wellington, Florida.

The 38-year old will swap her long-time base in Geneva, Florida near Orlando for Wellington.

From Hairdresser to Dressage Pro

Laura Graves grew up in Vergennes, Vermont, where her lifelong relationship with horses began. As a child, she joined the United States Pony Club. After finishing high school she became a hairdresser, but decided to pursue her dreams in riding.

Laura moved to Florida began her professional career working three years as an assistant rider for Anne Gribbons at Knoll Farm alongside Tamra Brown .

Her career-making horse was Verdades, which her mother picked out in a video as a foal. Laura brought him up the levels herself with the guidance of Gribbons and later fine-tuned him to top level under Debbie McDonald's supervision.

Verdades

Graves was the anchor of the U.S. dressage team from 2014 till 2019 and America's first and, so far, only FEI World number one ranked rider.

Aboard the now retired KWPN gelding Verdades (by Florett As x Goya), she finished fifth in the freestyle as best U.S. rider 2014 World Equestrian Games and was 2014 American reserve Grand Prix Champion. In 2015 they finished fourth at the World Cup Finals. At the 2015 Pan American Games they won team gold and individual silver. In 2016 they went to their first Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where they were fourth in the Kur.

In 2017 they finished second at the World Cup Finals and won the Grand Prix Special at the CDIO Aachen, beating long-time rivals Isabell Werth on Weihegold. At the 2018 World Cup Finals they were second again (after winning the Grand Prix and beating Werth/Weihegold for a second time). She won the 2018 CDIO Aachen Grand Prix, but was then 11th in the Special. She bounced back to third in the Kur. At the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon they won team and individual silver. Their final show in their career they were second in the 2019 World Cup Finals.

Verdades was officially retired from sport at the start of 2020.

Career after Verdades

After Verdades' retirement Graves stepped out of the spotlight of U.S. high performance sport.

She made a brief come back with SenSation HW winning the 2022 U.S. Small Tour Championships and was tipped as 2024 U.S. Olympic hopeful, but in January 2024 the combination came to an end.

In 2025 Laura has competed three times so far. First in a national Prix St Georges test in Wellington on 22 January 2025, where she rode Susan Shattuck's Hanoverian mare Ballerini (by Bordeaux x San Amour) to a 64.118% score. On 23 - 25 May she took Sole Mio into the national Grand Prix test in Ocala, scoring 66.304% on Saturday and 66.957% on Sunday.

In June 2025 it was announced that Laura would take over the ride on Raquel Rizzuto's Lusitano Lider Seven, who is stabled at Rizzuto's Beauty Central, the former Helgstrand U.S.A. property. Graves never got to thoroughly train the stallion as he passed away last week. The cause of death was not disclosed.

A New Life in Wellington

Graves has been out of the international high performance spotlight for six years. With 2026 rapidly approaching, she has decided to start a new chapter in her life by moving to Wellington, Florida.

"I have a lot to be thankful for this year, including my relocation to Wellington," she stated on Thanksgiving day.

Her divorce from husband Curt Maes prompted the decision, Graves confirmed to Eurodressage. They have one daughter, Mackenzie Elaine Maes, born in December 2021.