Laura Bechtolsheimer wins award for under-25 riders

Laura Bechtolsheimer, 24, picked up the Raymond Brooks-Ward Memorial Trophy at The London International Horse Show, Olympia, on Wednesday night (17 December), in recognition of her achievements this year.

The award is presented each year to the rider aged 25 or under who has shown the greatest potential for future success during the current season in dressage, eventing or jumping.

Laura took individual bronze and team silver at the Windsor Europeans in August riding her father Wilfried’s Mistral Hojris.

Laura said: “Receiving this award tops off an amazing season. Olympia is my favourite show of the year and to come home with this and a personal best score on Andretti in the grand prix freestyle is very special. It means an awful lot.”

On top of her European championship achievements, which were the best any Brit has managed for 16 years, Laura also became the first ever British dressage rider to score over 80%.

She now holds the British international grand prix record in the grand prix, the grand prix special and the grand prix freestyle. She is currently placed 6th in the FEI World rankings with Mistral Hojris.

Previous winners of the Raymond Brooks-Ward Memorial Trophy include Pippa Funnell, Zara Phillips, Tina Cook and last year’s winner Paralympic dressage rider Sophie Christiansen.

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