Standby for life envy: behind the scenes with Laura Tomlinson and Lara Griffith

Last year's Olympic dressage travelling reserve Lara Griffith is based at Laura Tomlinson's Cotswold yard where she is stable jockey. With cream-coloured gravel, an immaculate school, manicured grass and a Cotswold stone barn, the set-up is story-book perfect. Lara gives Horse & Hound a tour...

Lara, 28, arrives at the yard in Ampney St Peter, Gloucestershire at 7am to check the horses. The property belongs to Dr Bechtolsheimer and is where his daughter, London Olympic dressage team gold-medallist Laura Tomlinson, grew up and honed her skills

Lara tacks up for a morning in the saddle — she has worked at the yard for six years, having previously been based with Emile Faurie for seven years

Part-time groom Gerry Kelly leads one of Lara’s Tokyo hopefuls Amiek C (Ampy) into the indoor school

“I’ve never sat on something with so much power,” says Lara while working in the sometimes sharp 17hh Ampy

Laura Tomlinson (and her pint-sized helper Annalisa) give a helping hand in the outdoor school

From around 12.30pm, Lara helps turn the horses out and assists with yard duties

It’s all hands on deck for Lara at the yard, where there is a team of seven full-time grooms headed by yard manager Amy Richardson

A lasting memento — Lara was the Olympic dressage travelling reserve for Rio last year

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At around 1pm Lara returns to her cottage on the estate, which she shares with her fiancé Billy Butler

In the afternoon, Lara either schools, lunges or hacks out on the farm, pictured here with Laura

After helping with more yard duties and ensuring all the horses are rugged up correctly, Lara calls it a day and heads back to her cottage — where the task of competition entries awaits…

Don’t miss our exclusive at home interview with Lara Griffith in this week’s special show guide issue of Horse & Hound magazine (23 February 2017)

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