She took the Saracen Horse Feeds inter I gold championship on Forest Hill (Fursten Look x United) with a personal best score of 71.77%, while her other mount, Full Moon II (Furstenball x Gribaldi), had to settle for second place on 71.15%.
Of her winning mount, Laura said she noticed a jump in confidence in comparison to yesterday’s (12 September) prix st georges (PSG) class – where he scored 69.76% to finish fifth.
“I haven’t had the best prep, I think,” she added. “Yesterday, the PSG was kind of our practice run, because I haven’t had a chance to get them out. Normally I would have, but with kids holidays and everything, I haven’t really managed to do a whole heap.
“Forest Hill was a little bit more confident than yesterday, his changes definitely improved. He’s still not his max for sure, but he produced a really nice correct round.”
Laura told H&H she has targeted Forest Hill’s suppleness and athleticism in training and both he and Full Moon II have begun work on “more advanced” movements at home.
“Forest Hill has always been quite correct, but it’s just getting him to become a little bit more athletic, so I’ve got that suppleness at my fingertips in the ring. It’s still a work in progress, but I think today, thankfully for him, Full Moon had a couple of mistakes in the changes, so he got the upper hand.”
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National dressage championships: “He’s like a sofa!”
Laura Tomlinson on her PSG runner-up Full Moon II.
(Image credit: Kevin Sparrow Photography)
He may have been eclipsed by his stablemate, but Laura will full of praise for second place mount Full Moon II.
“He’s just a little bit cockier than Forest Hill, and really fun to ride – he’s like a sofa!
“Full Moon’s a naturally more supple horse, but he can potentially creep into his back a little bit more in the canter work. It got the better of him today.”
With Soegaards Bon Royal still to go in the grand prix tomorrow (14 September), Laura has developed a real string of upcoming grand prix horses.
“Both Forest Hill and Full Moon are homebreds and have been through our system so it’ll be exciting to see how far they go.
“They both went to the young horse world championships last year, but they haven’t done your typical stay away CDIs so I think that’s the next step.”
When asked to choose which horse she thinks will go further, for Laura it’s “hard to say”.
“Forest Hill’s got a really classical piaffe, and it’s easier to teach him the one-time changes.
“Full Moon’s got that extra bit of go. Yesterday, in the PSG he was super hot. I was thinking, I wish I was riding an inter II or a grand prix even, because I could ride the steep half passes and get my leg on him.
“Temperament wise, Full Moon has that hotness, which is going to help. But then Forest Hill’s sensible side will probably help too.
“So I don’t know – hopefully both of them will get to the top and they can take turns!”
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A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.
