British Olympic dressage star celebrates birth of second child
British dressage star Laura Tomlinson (nee Bechtolsheimer) has given birth to her second child.
Wilfred Simon Tomlinson was born at 6.05am on 18 March.
The baby boy joins Laura and her husband Mark’s daughter, Annalisa, who was born in July 2014.
Team gold and individual bronze medallist Laura shared the news on Saturday.
We are delighted to announce the safe arrival of Wilfred Simon Tomlinson this morning. All are doing well!Posted by Laura Bechtolsheimer Dressage on Saturday, March 18, 2017
“We are delighted to announce the safe arrival of Wilfred Simon Tomlinson this morning,” she said.
“All are doing well!”
Wilfred was born on his due date and he and Laura were able to return home to from hospital that same day.
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“We are all very well and Annalisa is extremely pleased to finally have her baby brother out of mummy’s tummy!” Laura told H&H on 21 March.
“She’s totally in love as are we all!”
In November Cotswold-based Laura told H&H she was “definitely bigger” during her second pregnancy than her first.
“I hope I’ll be back in the saddle as quickly as I was last time,” she said.
“It is what it is when you’re a woman and you want a family and a career.”
Team stalwart
Laura, who learnt to ride aged three, won her first big medal — team silver at the Pony European Championships — when she was 14.
Since then the German-born rider has represented Britain at a host of international competitions.
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- Gargling problems — and 11 other things you didn’t know about Laura Tomlinson
Laura was a member of the gold medal-winning team at the London Olympics in 2012 where she also won an individual bronze medal with her long-term partner Mistral Hojris.
Thirty two-year-old Laura and international polo player Mark got married in the Swiss skiing resort of Arosa in March 2013.
That same year Laura was appointed MBE in recognition of her achievements.
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.