Lara Edwards (Nee Dyson) was riding before she could walk! Fast forward a few years of all Pony Club activities and in 1997 and 1998, competing in FEI pony trials, she was long listed for the GB Eventing team on Black Velvet, a pony she started herself. She then competed at Young Rider/Advanced level on her grey gelding Ermin Street winning the CCIJ at Aldon in 2001. Fast forward a few more years to many CDI * selections in Dressage, inc top 3 placings internationally and also Senior CDI selection at GP level for team GB.
The dressage bug took hold aged 24 and Lara became involved with The British Young Dressage Rider Scheme (BYRDS). She was selected to represent the Northern Region in Necarne, Ireland in 2008, winning Reserve Novice Champion with Cyden Perplex (Plex) a horse she imported from Germany as a “naughty” 6 year Old!
Through BD team training for the 2009 Home International Lara met David. By her own admission she was so determined to succeed she was horrible to her family and those around her and put a limitless amount of pressure on herself. Competing wasn’t fun. David worked with Lara and this proved transformational, she came 2nd and stated “I thoroughly enjoyed competing and being in front of a large audience, something I had always seen and feared before!”
Lara has been a member of The BD Northern Home International team every year since. With four different horses she has been reserve champion in 2009 at Medium level and 2014 at Advanced Medium level. She has won 7 BD regional titles and in 2011 after working with David, she secured her first BD National title at Medium level, returning in 2012 to win her second, the Advanced Medium Pet Plan championship in 2013. 2015 was another successful year for Lara, she qualified Cyden Oosting Amigo and Cyden Cadans M through to the Winter nationals and gained her GREAT BRITIAN badge and space on the team in Le Mans, France on Cyden Bodyguard Moorland, to now achieve another of her dreams as an international dressage rider and producer.
2016 was a successful year for Lara and Milners’. Jazzed Up (Felix) homebred by Laura and Tracey Milner, at South Grange Stud winning three more regional titles for Lara and two top ten placings. Annabelle was born in June and Lara managed to be back in the saddle for the regionals in July and qualifed for the nationals where she gained another plus 70% score at the Summer Nationals.
2017 – another successful year for Lara with another four regional titles on board Jazzed up at the winter regionals and a 2nd, two 3rds and a 4th place at the Winter Championships in April, Felix (Jazzed up) has also had his debut at small tour winning both qualifier classes taking him to the Championships in December. Not being out done is Bodyguard Moorland who was chosen to represent GB at Keysoe CDI and also at Hartpury CDI. He also won the PSG section at Sheepgate Premier League in May giving him an automatic qualification for the summer Nationals but an unfortunate knock in the stable meant he wasn’t able to go. He made his inter 2 debut at the end of the year. Lara has also started to compete her homebred horses who are all showing their exceptional temperaments and trainable attitudes with wins all round.
2018 – Lara has stepped upto Big tour with Bodyguard. Felix has had another great year with another regional title and two great scores at the Summer Nationals. Cadans is back under Lara’s ridden horses doing really well at advanced medium and small tour level and Lara has just started with a couple of her hombred horses – Kiki and Kaydans (by Bodyguard and Cadans) Due to time and quite a few to ride Lara has gifted the ride on Kiki to Vicky Glasow so the two should be out and about in 2019.
2019 – Another fantastic year with the horses for Lara, numerous more regional titles, top three finishes at Nationals, International Success for Jazzed Up (Felix) and Lara at both Hartpury and in Deauville. With again top three finished and scores upto 75%, Lara is excited about building on this international record going forward.
Huge stepping stone for Lara and Bodyguard in 2019 was their very first GP test completed and Lara has now met another of her goals which was to train her own horse to GP.
2020 – More regional titles at Bishop Burton, more success internationally this time in Le Mans with three top 3 finishes. Unfortunately due to CORONAVIRUS the rest of 2020 wasn’t very exciting but lots of training the younger ones.
2021-2024 – Lots more regional titles, senior CDI GP selection with Jazzed up and lots of exciting new homebred young horses now under saddle. But also the worst year of my life, with the sudden loss of my father to cancer, he was the most dedicated father and grandfather anyone could ever ask for. My love of horses was also his hobby and the breeding was something we started together and enjoyed together and although even now I find competing hard without him to talk too, I know he’s always with me in my heart and looking over me.
In 2024, Lara completed her UKCC level 3 in coaching, although with six competition horses currently and two young children as well as her company, Cathedral Equine, she doesn’t get a lot of free time for coaching but hoping as the girls get older she may get a little bit more time.
Lara also offers Mind Coaching having been through it all herself, and nearly giving up completed, before undertaking coaching herself and then going onto train in order to be able to help others.
Lara currently has a couple of very special broodmares one that is a homebred by Bodyguard Moorland and another bought from Reesink Horses and she organises their breeding schedules, who are based at Fairfield Stud.
Still available is frozen semen from her old stallions, frozen is available all year round, Cadans M (£350)(KWPN Approved stallion by Sir Donnerhall x Pion x Elcarro), Bodyguard Moorland (£350) (KWPN Approved by Gribaldi x Negro x Cocktail) and pony Stallion Oosting Amigo (£150) (NWPCS Approved, by Hagelkruis Valentijn).
Lara is very lucky to be supported by Baileys Horse Feeds, Cathedral Equine, AV Edge, Itchy horse company (boett rugs and tablets), Equiform Nutrition, FMBs Activo med combi pro rug and leg wraps, VIP Pads, Goodbye Flys, the Dri rug company, PM Equestrian, Top Crop Haylage, Equine Bio-Genie and the wonderful Katie at Equiflex Therapy.
As you can imagine for Lara 6am starts and 10pm finishes are a normal way of life for Lara with a company to run, a small yard at home, two wonderful girls and her wonderful mother to help and support but she has huge amounts of support from her Fiancé – Paul, Nicki (sister) and all her family and her wonderful team of staff and friends and is so grateful for this.
