Laura Bechtolsheimer British rider (equestrian dressage) originally from Germany Date of Birth: 31.01.1985 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Laura Bechtolsheimer
2. Family Background
3. Early Riding Career
4. Professional Achievements

Biography of Laura Bechtolsheimer

Laura Bechtolsheimer is a British dressage rider who competes at the Olympic level. Born on January 31, 1985, in Mainz, Germany, she moved to a small village in Ampney St Peter, Gloucestershire, with her family.

Family Background

Laura comes from a wealthy family. Her grandfather, Karl-Heinz Kipp, was a German billionaire who founded the 'Massa' department store chain. Her father, Wilfried, was involved in entrepreneurship and horse training, while her mother is named Ursula. Laura has three brothers: Felix, Goetz, and Till. Felix is a singer in the rock band 'Hey Negrita' and has overcome a heroin addiction. He now performs in prisons, aiming to help others.

Early Riding Career

Laura's passion for horse riding began at the age of three when she received a pony named Peacock as a birthday gift. She started competing in pony clubs and won the National Championship between independent schools at Stonar School when she was twelve. At thirteen, Laura focused all her efforts on dressage and was selected to participate in the Pony European Dressage Championship, where she won a team silver medal, her first major achievement.

Professional Achievements

In 2005, at the age of 20, Bechtolsheimer became the youngest British Dressage Champion when she rode Douglas Dorsey. She graduated from Bristol University in 2007 with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Politics.

During the 2008 Olympic Games, Laura represented Great Britain on Mistral Hojris, finishing 18th in the individual Grand Prix Special test and sixth in the team event. She was named "British Rider of the Year" at the Olympics.

At the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA, Bechtolsheimer achieved outstanding results, breaking her personal best scores and setting three British records with Mistral Hojris in the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special, and Grand Prix Freestyle. This performance earned her three silver medals, placing her behind Edward Gal and his horse Totilas.

In 2012, Bechtolsheimer, along with Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, won gold medals in the team dressage event at the London Olympics, scoring 80.550% with Mistral Hojris.