Laura Bechtolsheimer
Encyclopedia
Laura Bechtolsheimer (b 31 January 1985, Mainz
, Germany) is a British
dressage
rider competing at Olympic
level.
As of 30 April 2011 the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) rank her 3rd in the world riding Mistral Hojris and 23rd on Andretti H.
A granddaughter of the billionaire property magnate Karl-Heinz Kipp
who founded the Massa chain of department stores, she was born in Mainz
, Germany in 1985 to parents Wilfried, an entrepreneur and horse trainer, and Ursula.
She has three brothers, Felix, a singer with rock group Hey Negrita
who battled heroin addiction and now tours prisons helping others, Goetz, and Till.
The family moved to Ampney St Peter
in Gloucestershire
when she was one and she started riding aged three having been given a pony called Peacock for her birthday.
She went on to compete in Pony Club eventing and won the National Championships of Independent Schools at Stonar School
aged 12.
Bechtolsheimer started to concentrate on dressage aged 13 and was selected to ride at the Pony European Championship the following season, winning a team silver medal at her first major competition.
In 2005 she became the youngest British dressage champion at age 20, riding Douglas Dorsey.
She graduated from Bristol University in 2007 with a BSc
in Philosophy and Politics.
She competed in the 2008 Olympic Games on Mistral Hojris, gaining 18th place in the Individual Grand Prix Special and 6th place in the team event and was named as British Dressage's Rider of the Year.
At the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games
held in Kentucky USA Bechtolsheimer surpassed her personal best scores and gained three British International Grand Prix records with Mistral Hojris getting 82.511% in the Grand Prix, 81.708% in the Grand Prix Special and 85.350% in the Grand Prix Freestyle, gaining her three silver medals, being beaten only by the celebrated Edward Gal
and Moorlands Totilas
.
Outside of her dressage activities, she is a presenter for equine video website HorseHero.com and is considering a career in public relations
and marketing
.
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Germany) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
rider competing at Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
level.
As of 30 April 2011 the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) rank her 3rd in the world riding Mistral Hojris and 23rd on Andretti H.
A granddaughter of the billionaire property magnate Karl-Heinz Kipp
Karl-Heinz Kipp
Karl-Heinz Kipp is the billionaire founder of the Massa chain of German department stores and, having since sold the business whilst keeping the property, has a large property portfolio. ...
who founded the Massa chain of department stores, she was born in Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Germany in 1985 to parents Wilfried, an entrepreneur and horse trainer, and Ursula.
She has three brothers, Felix, a singer with rock group Hey Negrita
Hey Negrita
Hey Negrita is an English country blues band formed in London in 2002. They were named after the Rolling Stones song "Hey Negrita", from the band's 1976 album Black and Blue....
who battled heroin addiction and now tours prisons helping others, Goetz, and Till.
The family moved to Ampney St Peter
Ampney St Peter
Ampney St Peter is a small village and civil parish in the Cotswolds, part of the Cotswold of Gloucestershire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish has a population of 47....
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
when she was one and she started riding aged three having been given a pony called Peacock for her birthday.
She went on to compete in Pony Club eventing and won the National Championships of Independent Schools at Stonar School
Stonar School
Stonar School, founded in 1895, is one of the UK's independent leading day and boarding school, at Cottles Park, Atworth, near in Wiltshire, south-west England...
aged 12.
Bechtolsheimer started to concentrate on dressage aged 13 and was selected to ride at the Pony European Championship the following season, winning a team silver medal at her first major competition.
In 2005 she became the youngest British dressage champion at age 20, riding Douglas Dorsey.
She graduated from Bristol University in 2007 with a BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
in Philosophy and Politics.
She competed in the 2008 Olympic Games on Mistral Hojris, gaining 18th place in the Individual Grand Prix Special and 6th place in the team event and was named as British Dressage's Rider of the Year.
At the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games
2010 FEI World Equestrian Games
The 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games were held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky from September 25 to October 10, 2010. This was the sixth edition of the games, which are held every four years and run by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports...
held in Kentucky USA Bechtolsheimer surpassed her personal best scores and gained three British International Grand Prix records with Mistral Hojris getting 82.511% in the Grand Prix, 81.708% in the Grand Prix Special and 85.350% in the Grand Prix Freestyle, gaining her three silver medals, being beaten only by the celebrated Edward Gal
Edward Gal
Edward Gal is a Dutch dressage rider. He and his most recent mount, the stallion Moorlands Totilas , were triple gold medalists at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, becoming the first horse-rider partnership ever to sweep the three available dressage gold medals at a single FEI World Games...
and Moorlands Totilas
Moorlands Totilas
Totilas, also known from 2006-2011 as Moorlands Totilas, and nicknamed "Toto", is a Dutch Warmblood stallion standing high who is considered to be one of the most outstanding competitive dressage horses in the world, the first horse to score above 90 in dressage competition, and the current holder...
.
Outside of her dressage activities, she is a presenter for equine video website HorseHero.com and is considering a career in public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
.
External links
- British DressageBritish DressageBritish Dressage is the organisation which oversees all affiliated dressage competitions and training in the United Kingdom. British Dressage is a member of the British Equestrian Federation....
– Official Rider Biography – Laura Bechtolsheimer - HorseHero – Laura Bechtolsheimer
- Fédération Equestre Internationale – Biographies – Bechtolsheimer, Laura