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.
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) watch this space for these two 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 has put a halt to anymore competing, sadly I have my first Bodyguard youngsters to bring out this year so we will just enjoy training at home and hit the world running whenever the freedom comes to do that.
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 also competes her own KWPN approved stallion and organises his breeding schedules and her broodmares next offspring.
Lara’s stallions frozen semen is available all year round, Cadans M (KWPN Approved stallion by Sir Donnerhall x Pion x Elcarro), Bodyguard Moorland (KWPN Approved by Gribaldi x Negro x Cocktail) and pony Stallion Oosting Amigo (NWPCS Approved, by Hagelkruis Valentijn).
Lara started her breeding programme in 2013 with her own Stallions (Cadans M, Bodyguard and Amigo) and broodmares so there offspring are already competing, with Jasmine showing her talent in BE and Chance has qualified for the nationals at Novice gold with over 70%. Although the plan with the breeding is to produce Lara’s future Dressage star from Cadans, Bodyguard and Amgio you will be always welcomed with open arms to visit and view the youngsters that are being producing if you are thinking of using any of the stallions yourselves.
Lara is very lucky to be supported by Baileys Horse Feeds, Cathedral Equine, Mojo, Itchy horse company (boett rugs and tablets), Equiform Nutrition (StayCalm), FMBs Activo med combi pro rug and leg wraps, VIP Pads, Goodbbye Flies and the wonderful Dri rug .
As you can imagine for Lara 6am starts and 10pm finishes are a normal way of life for Lara with two young children but she has huge amounts of support from Parents, friends and family and is so grateful for this.