Lottie Fry is a British multi-medal winning, international dressage rider, who is based at the Van Olst Stables in Holland. Rosie Rickett from the Savills Country House Department caught up with Lottie ahead of her heading out to Riesenbeck in Germany for the European Championships. Following this interview, the British team went on to win team Gold at the Europeans and Lottie won an individual Silver medal in the freestyle.
Tell us a bit more about yourself and what have been your career highlights to date?
I have been based at the Van Olst Stables for nine years. I moved to Holland from England when I was 18, at that point I was doing young riders. In 2018, I won the U25 Grand prix at the European Championships on Dark Legend, along with the individual gold and team silver medals. Later that year, Glamourdale went to the Young Horse World Championships and won gold in the seven year old class.
The Olympics in 2021 was an amazing experience. I went with my ride, Everdale and it was really exciting travelling out to Tokyo with the horses. It was a bit different to a usual Olympics as there were no crowds due to covid restrictions however the atmosphere was fantastic, we won team bronze and it was a really special event for me.
The World Championships last year were a real highlight, winning the team silver medal and individual gold with Glamourdale. I have ridden him since he was a six year old and he is now 12. Just after The World Championships, we went out to the Young Horse World Championships with the rising star Kjento, who won the seven year old championship which was a very special day too.
Who inspires you and why?
So many people inspire me, especially the people I work with day to day. In particular, my boss and trainer Anne van Olst. We work together every day, she trains me on all of the horses and we know each other so well. She has ridden at five Olympics so knows exactly what it takes to compete at the top level of the sport.
How would you describe the difference between training in the UK versus on the continent?
I trained with Carl Hester when I was based in the UK and his and Anna’s training techniques are very similar. The whole industry feels bigger and more professional over here, especially the breeding side of things. The UK is certainly catching up, but the depth of horse power and general knowledge of the breeding is so much greater on the continent.
The size and scale of the yards are also so much bigger. Here, for example, Gertjan van Olst breeds over 100 foals each year which are by our own stallions. The yard is split into three sections, the first barn has all of the breeding stallions and some of the top competition geldings in, the mares and younger geldings are kept in another barn and all of the young horses are in a separate barn, complete with their own individual facilities such as horse walkers. The foals and young horses are at another yard too as the younger horses require lots of land. It is really interesting to see the similarities passing down through the different bloodlines and I get to ride a lot of the young horses which is great fun.
What facilities are critical to you in order to train your horses to the top level?
For me, the main thing is the arena being the right size, 20m x 60m and to have a good quality surface. At this level, it is important to be able to train in all weathers and the winters can get very cold here in Holland and the surface can freeze, therefore we have both an indoor and an outdoor arena. These ensure training is consistent throughout the winter months.
We have additional facilities including a hydrotherapy spa which is great to cool down the horses legs after training and a water treadmill which is helpful for general maintenance and also rehab. We are lucky to have a lot of outside space including lunging pens and woodland which we use for hacking and means that the horses work routines are varied, which I think is the key to successful training.
The stallions are stabled in a large indoor barn where each box has its own outside window. The barn is attached to the horse walker, arena, hydrotherapy spa and treadmill, meaning that everything is connected under one roof which is great in the winter and also helpful from a safety point of view when handling the stallions. The breeding stable block is in its own quarantine area at the other end of the property and is complete with its own lab.
What do you consider to be the key factors to maintain your yard to the highest standard?
Routine is key, especially for the horses so they know exactly what is happening each day. The horses are ridden from 3 years old. The younger horses are ridden three to four times a week, they do lots of varied easy work and we try to do as much of this outside as possible. The older horses are ridden four to five times a week, their programme is more concentrated in order to properly prepare them for competition. It is important for everyone on the yard to respect one another, and know exactly what is expected from them. Ultimately, the horses always come first. Anyone in the horse world knows that the horses are treated better than us! It’s not a 9 – 5 job, you never know what each day will bring and you do it for the love of the horses.
If you were designing your dream yard, what would be the three things at the top of your wish list and why?
I would have to say an indoor arena with mirrors, once you have had one it’s hard to go back. Good quality fields to turn out the horses, they love to work but it is also so important for them to get out and just be horses. A water treadmill, it’s a fantastic tool to train the horses’ muscles without a rider on their backs and they love splashing around in there.
Who is your yard superstar and what are your aspirations for the rest of the year?
We are getting ready to leave for the European Champions this Sunday which take place in Germany next week. That has been the goal this year however my main aim is the Olympic Games in Paris next year. We will also come to the London International Horse Show in December which is always an amazing event.
I feel like we have lots of superstars in the yard, but if I had to pick one, Glamourdale is an absolute superstar and he knows it! He loves attention and is a complete show off. He really is amazing.