British grand prix dressage rider Lara Butler is set to begin a new chapter in her career, departing from her long-time role with the Bechtolsheimers after 14 successful years.
As first reported by Eurodressage, Lara will be taking up a riding position in November with the team at Van Olst Horses in the Netherlands.
Lara told Horse & Hound that the move came after meeting Anne Van Olst at Aachen Dressage Days CDI3* in May, where Lara was competing at small tour with Amiek C (Ampere x Olivi).
“I’d said to her that we were running a smaller yard at the moment so I haven’t got that many to compete, and obviously the grand prix horse I was riding, Kristijan, retired at the end of last year,” Lara explained.
“She said ‘I’ve got loads of horses if you’d be interested’ and then I ummed and ahhed for months before I finally made the decision that now was the time to give it go while I’m still fit and able.”
Lara achieved her greatest career milestones while riding the Bechtolsheimers’ horses. Her breakthrough as a grand prix rider came aboard Andretti H, with whom she secured the reserve champion title at the 2012 National Championships.
With Rubin Al Asad, Lara served as the British team reserve for the 2016 Olympics, 2017 European Championships, and 2018 World Equestrian Games, and was crowned national champion in 2018.
Rubin Al Asad retired in 2021 at 19-years-old, and Lara continued her grand prix career with the Bechtolsheimers’ first home-bred Kristjan and the pair recorded 43 top-10 placings in their 48 international starts together.
Lara Butler riding Rubin Al Asad at Olympia in 2015. Credit: Peter Nixon
Kristjan retired after the 2023 National Championships, aged 18, and since then Lara has been competing Amiek C – who’ll be moving to the Netherlands with Lara – at small-tour.
“That decision to leave was so hard,” Lara added, “they’re so lovely here and you almost feel like part of the family.
“I started here at 21, and now I’m 35 – I think! – so I’ve grown up here. One of the highlights was being able to have the ride on Rubin Al Asad, getting the chance to bring him up through the levels and experience the Olympics as a reserve was so special.
“All the horses were fantastic, but also the support Laura [Tomlinson] and I have been able to give each other as we’ve competed together, and gone in and out of pregnancies has set me up for life.
“It’s bittersweet, when I had to tell Laura the news I was crying, she was crying – they were happy tears, but it does feels like the end of an era.
“But we’ve said that we will always support each other and hopefully now we’ll be able to see each other out competing on the circuit – I know it’ll be nice to have that friendly face!”
Lara’s whole family will be moving out to the Netherlands, with her young son Jack starting at an international school nearby.
“He’s five so it’s a nice age for him to move and it not disrupt his life too much, so for him it could still be an adventure rather than an upheaval,” Lara said.
“But we’re all excited. I’ll get to ride a wider range of horses, gain more international experience, and hopefully, that might open the door to being on some teams in the future. I’m also looking forward to supporting Lottie [Fry] in the same way I’ve supported Laura here.”
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