Laura Laustsen Looks East for Competition, Six Victories at 2021 CDI-W Kunkiai

Shows

2021 CDI-W Kunkiai

Swedish pony and junior rider Laura Laustsen is looking east for shows unlike her Swedish peers that travel to north-western Europe. This tactic has certainly paid off as at the recent 2021 CDI-W Kunkiai in Lithuania she bagged six trophies in two divisions.

Poland and Lithuania

The World Cup qualifier in Kunkiai is a brand new event on the FEI calendar and the first international Lithuania has hosted since May 2019 when the country stayed to subsequent CDI's in Vazgaikiemis. Before that Sialiai was the only venue that hosted an international in Lithuania in the past six years.

For 15-year old Laustsen the choice to ride in Central and Eastern European shows is one of convenience. The Swede kicked off her 2021 show campaign in Zakrzow (POL) a month ago, and last weekend headed to Kunkiai (LTU) where she reaped the fruits of her labour training with Jacob Norby Sorensen.

"We always choose competitions, where we can compete pony, junior and Grand Prix," Laustsen told Eurodressage. "Zakrzow and Kunkiai are really easy to get to. We just take the ferry."

Laustsen is based at her parents Patricia Florin and Bjarke Laustsen's dresssage sales yard Gunnarlunda in Helsingborg, Sweden, where Norby Sorensen manages the training programme.

Six Trophies

For Laura 2021 is her last year on ponies and she is certainly making that count. Not only is she already getting her feet wet on horses competing 18-year old schoolmaster Pasteur (by ) in the junior division, but with her 9-year old Holsteiner bred pony Schierensees Mithril (by Schierensees Marillion x Pilgrim's Red) she is giving it her all.

Laura and Mithril dominated the pony division which featured 6 riders in total from four different nations. They won the team test with 71.371%, the individual test with 72.676% and the Kur to Music with 75.045%

Laura has been riding Mithril since 2019. The pony, who is named after the Lord of the Rings' protective jacket made from the Dwarfish ore mithril, started his career in The Netherlands. Jonna Schelstraete acquired the pony at the Ponyforum Open Sales in 2014 for daughter Micky, but the ride was first allocated to now Dutch young rider medal winner Marten Luiten. The pair finished fourth as a 5-year old at the 2017 Dutch Young Pony Championships, before Micky Schelstraete took over the ride. She competed the pony three internationally (2018 CDI Le Mans, Aachen Indoor and 2019 cdi Saumur) before he sold to Sweden.

With the 18-year old Danish Trakehner Pasteur (by Schwadroneur x Cannon Row xx), who was previously shown by Danish junior Maria Vesterholm in 2013, she also scored a hattrick in the junior division. Competing against 8 other riders from 6 different nations, Laustsen and Pasteur won the team test with 68.727%, the individual with 68.588% and the Kur with 74.150%.

Unexpected Win

With Pasteur in the winner's circle at Kunkiai

The six victories came totally unexpected to Laustsen.

"I did absolutely not expect to win 6 times," she said. "It is a strong field especially in the junior class, with finalists that have been competing at the European championships a few times. I never expect to win."

Laura was particularly pleased she is started to have better control over her show nerves and her pony lived up to the expectations.

"I can really feel that the lump I used to have in my stomach before performing is gone when entering the arena with Mithril," Laura explained. "We have created such a good bond together. We know how to help each other in the arena and especially on the warm up. I feel like I can enjoy it instead of stressing about it. Our performance felt great the first day, but even better the second day and totally amazing in the freestyle."

With Pasteur she is gaining mileage at junior level

"Pasteur is so sweet. I just adore this horse," said Laura. "He is an 18 year old stallion and he just does what he is told to do. In the test we had a few big mistakes, but overall I am very very happy with him."

Placing 10th at the 2020 Swedish Pony Championships and 13th at the 2020 Swedish Junior Championships, Laura has been combining ponies and horses for the past two years.

"I think it is really fun to ride both horse and pony," she explained. "It is more difficult to ride a horse because you need a lot more technique and there are many more things you need to think about, but it’s fun to go through some difficulties. In that way we learn. Pasteur have taught me so much in such a short time and a lot of those things I can bring over to Mithril, which have improved my riding on him too."

Laura added that she has no concrete competition plans and goals except "to improve my riding and to everyday be better than I was yesterday."