Kristjan

The home-bred international grand prix winner is a lovable rogue with a dry sense of humour, who loves being king of the yard, finds Polly Bryan

- Polly Bryan

Need to know

KRISTJAN Age: 16

Breeding: Polarion x Napoleon Quatre

Studbook: Oldenburg

Breeder: Dr Wilfried Bechtolsheimer

Owners: Laura Tomlinson and Ursula Bechtolsheimer

Rider: Lara Butler

Greatest achievements: first, grand prix at Hagen CDI4* 2020; ninth, grand prix and freestyle, and team third at Aachen CHIO 2021; double first, grand prix and special at Keysoe CDI3* 2021.

RIDER LARA BUTLER

“KRISTJAN is the top dog on the yard after the retirement of Rubin Al Asad and he definitely knows it. I am fully focused on him now and so he feels quite special.

“He has taken a while to settle at top level. Big tour was a challenging step up from small tour, which he was brilliant at, and he found it overwhelming. But he is now starting to trust his own body and it’s becoming much more enjoyable to ride him. That really came out when we competed in Aachen in September. It was massive for him – he had never done a show that big before. But he loves a crowd and he loves showing off.