LONDON, Dec. 15, 2013–Alf, as Mistral Hojris has been known to the world since the teenager Laura Bechtolsheimer rode the Danish Warmblood in Young Riders in 2005, their first international competition, officially retires in what is sure to be an emotional farewell ceremony at the Olympia Horse Show Tuesday night.
The partnership led the way for Great Britain’s rise to the pinnacle of global dressage through two Olympics, a World Equestrian Games and three European Championships collecting a trove of gold, silver and bronze medals along the way and a change through marriage in the rider’s family name to Tomlinson.
The farewell at Olympia is appropriate as the pair competed four times at the iconic Christmas show, though Alf and Laura won the Freestyle at the World Cup qualifier only once, in 2011.
Dressage-news.com was an eyewitness through the camera lens at the highlights of Alf’s championship career.
