Laura Tomlinson

Laura Tomlinson MBE, formerly Laura Bechtolsheimer, is an Olympic gold medallist and one of Britain’s most successful dressage riders.

How many medals has Laura Tomlinson won?

Laura won four championship team medals and five individual medals with Mistral Højris (also spelled Hojris), known as Alf, between 2009 and 2012, culminating in team gold and individual bronze at the London 2012 Olympics. She was appointed MBE after the Games.

Who are Laura Tomlinson’s parents?

Laura was born on 31 January 1985 in Mainz, Germany, to the late Dr Wilfried Bechtolsheimer and his wife Ursula. She rides for Britain and spent much of her childhood at Klaus Balkenhol’s family yard.

Laura credits her father’s horse-first principles as the foundation of how she trains today. He believed it was possible to reach the top of the sport riding in a soft, harmonious way.

Laura Tomlinson’s early career

Laura started riding when she was three and was originally keener on jumping, enjoying success in eventing on her 13.2hh pony Tom. She began to concentrate on dressage in her teens, and won team silver at the Pony European Championships at 14. She later rode Alf in Britain’s bronze medal-winning young rider team in 2005.

Laura Tomlinson’s championship career

Laura made her first senior team appearance in Aachen in 2006 with Douglas Dorsey, and her senior team debut with Alf the following year. The pair competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, then made their breakthrough at the 2009 European Championships in Windsor, winning team silver and individual bronze and setting a new British record for an international grand prix.

They took three silver medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, where they briefly held the grand prix world record with 82.15%, and won team gold and individual bronze at the 2011 European Championships in Rotterdam. Later in 2011, they won the World Cup qualifier at Olympia, and Laura was national champion in both 2010 and 2011 with Andretti H.

The pinnacle came at the London 2012 Olympics, where Laura and Alf won team gold and individual bronze alongside Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin.

They were selected for the 2013 European Championships, but Alf was withdrawn with a minor injury and was retired at Olympia that December.

Laura hasn’t ridden at a senior championship since, but she has come close. She was a non-travelling reserve for the Tokyo Olympics with Rose Of Bavaria, long-listed for the 2021 European Championships, and shortlisted for the 2022 World Championships with Fallatijn. Rose Of Bavaria later retired early and has since had her first foal, by Viva Gold.

What happened to Mistral Højris?

Alf was the horse of Laura’s career, and one of the most consistent of his era, regularly scoring over 80% at a time when that was rare. Carl Hester has described him as “one of the original powerhouses of dressage”.

Andretti H (Andy) was always slightly in Alf’s shadow, but won plenty in his own right. He was Alf’s back-up at London 2012, on standby until after the trot-up.

The two horses were inseparable in retirement, turned out together every day. They died peacefully together on 22 March 2025, both aged 30, with Laura beside them. “Now, I’m grieving Alf my buddy, not Alf my dressage horse,” she said at the time.

What is Laura Tomlinson doing now?

Laura’s focus is now on producing horses herself, including several from her family’s own breeding programme.

Her home-bred Oldenburgs Full Moon II (Fürstenball x Gribaldi) and Forest Hill (Fürsten-Look x United) have come up through the levels side by side and are now competing at grand prix. In 2024, Forest Hill won the inter I title at the National Championships and the Dressage Future Elite Championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS).

Laura has also produced the Danish-bred Soegaards Bon Royal (Bon Bravour x De Noir), whom she has ridden since 2021, to grand prix, before his retirement in 2026.

Her latest rising star is Ostmarks Digal (Grand Galaxy Win x De Noir), whom she owns with her mother. The 18hh-plus gelding has won small tour titles, and in 2026 gave Laura a second Dressage Future Elite Championship win at HOYS.

Who is Laura Tomlinson married to?

Laura is married to the England polo player Mark Tomlinson. The couple married in 2013 and have four children: Annalisa, Wilfred, Hanni Rose and Tommy.

Where is Laura Tomlinson based?

Laura is based at Cranmore Farm in Gloucestershire, the family home she moved to at the end of 2019. The yard is close to Beaufort Polo Club, where Mark keeps his horses. Laura is a regular H&H columnist.

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