Laura Tomlinson shares her thoughts on her home-bred horses debuts and a sweltering Nations Cup in Lier, Belgium
I have to start by adding my congratulations to Ros Canter and her brilliant partner, Lordships Graffalo (Walter), on their Mars Badminton win. What an incredible role model Ros is as a rider but also as a mother. She is breaking both records and boundaries of what is achievable as a woman.
Although she may make it all look so easy, it’s worth remembering that creating such a picture of ease and harmony takes an enormous amount of hard work and dedication day in, day out.
It’s also a testament to the team around them, especially when coming back from pregnancy. I know both my eldest daughter and I left Badminton feeling hugely inspired by so many awesome partnerships and fabulous riding.
I also feel my claim to fame here is that Walter’s grandfather was my old horse, Polarion, who I took from juniors through to our first grand prix together.
Since Badminton, I’ve had the privilege of competing another home-bred, Forest Hill, at his first international at Hickstead. It was emotional for me to have another horse at that level for the first time, and at a show that my father loved so much.
The atmosphere was wonderful, and the team there did a great job of combining so many classes across so many levels, both nationally and internationally.
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Forest Hill had only two grand prix tests at a local venue under his belt before going down the centre line there, and so I was delighted with his top-three placing. There’s so much more to come from him.
The thing that struck me about him was how uncomplicated he felt and how happy he was to do his job – he was totally undistracted. The special was trickier as we had not practised it, but he gave it a good bash. The first half felt great; we came a little unstuck in the canter, but I felt all the things I wanted to feel for the future.
I also had a newer horse, Ostmarks Digal, out in the prix st georges (PSG) and was able to take the win there. Australian rider Tyla Schou, who works for me at home, took a six-year-old mare of ours, Vallemagia, to win the six-year-old classes with over 95%!
Lots to like in Lier
From Hickstead, it was on to the Nations Cup in Lier, where again, the Belgians put on a fabulous competition – although it did feel like riding in an oven with the heatwave having struck in full force.
Sadly, Full Moon really struggled to settle in his stable, which was right by the main thoroughfare of horses passing in each direction. We had some great moments, but we definitely took too much of that tension into the ring, which translated into silly mistakes that curbed the marks from reflecting his improvements elsewhere.
He’s getting stronger at this level now, but we need to do some homework on getting through the canter work clean or else the scores won’t improve.
But it was great fun to be on the team, as ever well looked after by Caroline Griffith and the World Class staff. Sadie Smith, Susan Pape and Lewis Carrier all put in superb grand prix tests, and I couldn’t have been prouder of how the team rode – each producing a lovely, harmonious picture with a happy athlete under saddle – or of our second-place finish.
I went from there to the National Schools Equestrian Association arena eventing championships at Hickstead with my eldest daughter to sweat some more. Luckily, she managed to win more rosettes than I did, and I was delighted to see so many children having fun and getting a taste for competing on such amazing grounds.
At the time of writing, next up is the international at Wellington, with Forest Hill in the grand prix and Ostmarks Digal in the PSG, and possibly a ride on the six-year-old mare potentially to qualify her for the World Breeding Championships, as Tyla cannot ride her for Australia.
It all seems rather like a whirlwind at the moment, but very exciting to be busy with such lovely horses that my team and I have put so much work into over the years.
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