42 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Maria Wynne
Sidelines Writer Across the Pond
Laura Tomlinson has been an intrinsic part of
the recent success enjoyed by the Team GBR
Dressage Team. She and her team members have
introduced the general public to the joy of “The
Dancing Horses” and helped raise awareness of
equestrianism in the UK.
Laura is the daughter of the legendary Dr.
Becholsteimer with whom Carl Hester trained
some 20 years ago. Carl Hester is now the most
respected and recognised rider and trainer in the
UK, and is of course responsible for the meteoric
rise of Charlotte Dujardin who rode to individual
gold medal success at Greenwich last year aboard
Valegro, as well as team gold alongside Carl, Laura
and Richard Davison.
After the excitement of Greenwich life could
have been something of an anti-climax, however
for Laura this was not the case. Her boyfriend Mark
Tomlinson, a professional polo player, proposed in
August of 2012 whilst out walking Laura’s beloved
dog and constant companion Sherlock. (Laura
was wearing her breeches!) Mark and Laura went
to the same preparatory school as children, with
Mark a year above Laura. However, they did not
properly meet until four-and-a-half years before
the wedding. Mark is from the renowned polo
playing Tomlinson family, and his older brother
Luke and his sister Emma are also international
players. Recently Luke and Mark travelled to the
USA to play in the England team.
After a relatively short engagement, Mark and
Laura got married in the Swiss Alps where her
grandparents live, and the wedding was attended by many of the
leading figures of society, but was kept relatively low key. The
beloved Sherlock acted as ring bearer and performed his duties
with just the right measure of solemnity. He has fully accepted
Mark into the life of his mistress and the two are firm friends. No
bribes have been required.
Laura and Mark fully support each other in their diverse
disciplines and Laura has schooled Mark’s polo ponies a bit. Mark
even bought Laura her own personalised polo stick with the words
“Now she has all the gear and no idea.” Laura has not yet exacted
any revenge, and is still happy for him to sometimes hack out on
her dressage horses! Although their commitments to their own
yards keep them extremely busy so opportunities do not often
present themselves.
Laura is pleased to report that her father is very supportive
and she says, “We totally love working together – it’s a great
relationship.” This training has resulted in Laura and Mistral
Hojris being selected for the European Championships again this
year. This is likely to be “Alf’s” swansong as he has now reached
the age of 18. Laura has three promising young superstars – Polar
Bear, Unique and Pamina who are all being carefully produced
to PSG level, although no single horse has been named as a
possibility for Rio in 2016.
When not riding and competing, Laura and Mark love to sit
down and watch a film. Laura’s favourite is
The Lion King
and
Mark’s is
Home Alone
. In such a competition driven household we
wonder who has control of the remote?
At the time of writing, the sad news was announced, that
despite selection, Laura and Alf will not be contesting the
European Championships.
About the writer: Maria Wynne has spent her entire life with horses and her family
background is steeped in them. She is a proud (single) Mum of the an adorable 5
year old son named Theodore Denman, who is named after the 2008 Cheltenham
Gold Cup Winner.
Laura on Polar Bear winning at the Winter Dressage Championships.
Photo by Kevin Sparrow
AMarriage of Dressage and Polo
e
European Connection
