IF she weren’t so warm and smiley, it would be hard not to feel just a teensy bit jealous of Laura Tomlinson. Aside from bagging Olympic gold and bronze medals aged just 27, she has a state-of-the-art new yard, complete with a clutch of classy horses and the requisite gaggle of delightful dogs. Not to mention the fact she snapped back into shape, à la Kate Middleton, seemingly straight after having her third child.
When H&H visits, Laura’s three-year-old son Wilfred is out on the digger with the groundsman, while a brilliant nanny, Jane, wheels baby Hanni around near the stables, enabling Laura to concentrate on her job.
“We go into mourning whenever Jane is off,” laughs Laura. “We hope she never leaves, even when the children grow up.”
The new yard, in Shipton Moyne, is half an hour away from the stables of Laura’s parents, the Bechtolsheimers, where she was previously based. Both British style and her German roots are at the fore.
“It’s a mix of German efficiency with Cotswold design,” says Laura, 35.
She cherry-picked “the bits I like from lots of yards”, and the resulting set-up is exactly as she wants it – “I’m very particular about everything,” she admits.
Denne historien er fra April 09, 2020-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra April 09, 2020-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
