‘I’m on one of the very best horses in the world’: Britain’s Laura Collett delivers super test to lead dressage in Pratoni

Laura Collett has shot into the lead for Britain in the World Eventing Championships dressage in Pratoni, Italy, with a superb test aboard Keith Scott, Karen Bartlett’s and her own London 52.

Laura and “Dan”, a 13-year-old son of Landos, posted a hugely impressive 19.3 – the horse’s first sub-20 international dressage score – to take over the top spot of the eventing World Championships dressage leaderboard. She has pushed Britain’s individual rider, Yasmin Ingham (Banzai Du Loir) into second at the moment, with British pathfinder Ros Canter currently in fourth with Lordships Graffalo.

Laura’s test was a masterclass in how to ride this five-star programme, with beautiful balance, expression and suppleness shown by Dan, as well as impressive accuracy. The pair received two 10s, both from Canadian judge at H Peter Gray, for the extended canter, and for the harmony between horse and rider. Their scoresheet also featured many nines, including for the medium and extended trot, and their halt at C.

Laura, who trains with Olympic gold medallist Carl Hester for dressage, explained that she has been working hard at home on some of the aspects that she felt could have been better at Badminton, such as the first centre line.

“Once I got the first centre line out of the way I thought, ‘Well, Carl will be happy now!’,” she laughed. “From then on, it just got better and better, and I could have a lovely time.

“He definitely loves a crowd, and he went into that arena thinking everyone was here to see him. He is just a pleasure to ride when he’s like that.”

Laura has come to Pratoni shouldering huge expectations, not only as a member of the crack British team, but also as one of the favourites for individual gold, and she admits that she has been feeling the pressure.

“I’m well aware that I’m sat on one of the very best horses in the world and people expect you to deliver – luckily he delivered. I’m the luckiest person to be sat on him and he really does just keep getting better and better.”

Her warm-up routine has also developed since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she felt she overworked Dan ahead of their dressage test, and as a result did not produce their best work in the arena.

“I’m trusting him – we got that wrong in Tokyo last year and we learned a lot from that,” Laura said. “The main thing with him is keeping him happy and not stressing him out. If you do too much and ask too much, he gets worried because he wants to try. He’s a trier and he wants to do it right, so if he thinks he’s not doing it right, he gets a bit nervous. It’s all about telling him he’s amazing, which he is.”

Britain’s remaining two team pairs, Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser, and Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class do their tests on Friday. Two great rides from Laura and Ros mean Britain will hold the overnight lead, with New Zealand in second after Clarke Johnstone rode a very good test on Menlo Park, with 27.4 to add to his teammate Monica Spencer’s 25.6.

“It was the test I was hoping for,” confirmed Clarke. “He is very inexperienced for this level; I keep saying, ‘We’re light on experience, but he’s big on quality’. I knew he was capable of doing a really good test. He is pretty green with some of those movements, but it all came together, on the whole, as well as I could have hoped today. So I’m just delighted.”

The USA currently lie third, with William Coleman (Off The Record) and Lauren Nicholson (Vermiculus) finishing at the sharp end of proceedings on day one.

“I’m thrilled with him,” said Lauren after posting 27.1. “He does love a big moment and he’s always best in the bigger competitions, so I was happy to put down a good score for the team. That was our job – not to go in there and do anything amazing, but just try not to mess it up.”

You may also be interested in…

‘I’m just so proud of him’: British senior team debutante thrills to go into eventing World Championships dressage lead

‘Every day is a school day for him’: inexperienced horse gets Britain off to super start at World Eventing Championships

Hats, lederhosen and uniforms: photos from the eventing World Championships trot-up

London 52 – meet Laura Collett’s eventing superstar who had to learn to go across country

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