Laura Tomlinson

Laura Tomlinson MBE (née Bechtolsheimer) was born on January 31, 1985, in Mainz, West Germany. She began riding at the age of three and initially focused on eventing, achieving success at the National Championships of Independent Schools at Stonar School at age 12. During her teenage years, she transitioned her focus to dressage. At 14, she secured a team silver medal at the Pony European Championships, marking an early milestone in her dressage career. Tomlinson cultivated strong partnerships with horses, which became a hallmark of her competitive success. In 2005, she became the youngest British dressage champion at 20, riding Douglas Dorsey. She completed her education at Bristol University in 2007, earning a BSc in Philosophy and Politics.

Tomlinson’s career progressed to the Olympic level, representing Great Britain. In 2008, she competed at the Olympic Games with Mistral Højris, finishing 18th in the Individual Grand Prix Special and 6th in the team event, and was named British Dressage’s Rider of the Year. A pivotal moment came at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, where she earned three silver medals with Mistral Højris, achieving British International Grand Prix records with scores of 82.511% in the Grand Prix, 81.708% in the Grand Prix Special, and 85.350% in the Grand Prix Freestyle. This performance cemented her status as a top-tier athlete. In 2011, she won team gold and individual bronze at the European Championships in Rotterdam.

The pinnacle of her Olympic career arrived at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Riding Mistral Højris, under her maiden name Laura Bechtolsheimer, she was part of the Great Britain team, alongside Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, that secured the country’s first-ever Olympic team gold medal in dressage. She further added to her achievements by winning a bronze medal in the individual dressage event with her freestyle routine, set to music from The Lion King. For her services to equestrianism, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours. Tomlinson continued to compete, riding Rosalie B at the Olympia London International Horse Show in 2016, following a strong performance at the German CDI Oldenburg.