Emotional victory for Laila Smits and Lest Best P R in Prix St. Georges

Laila Smits was an internationally successful youth rider, and after spending several years primarily training young horses, she has now returned to the international stage. This afternoon, she claimed victory in the Prix St. Georges at CDI Lier with her self-trained Gunner KS son, Lest Best P R. “I definitely shed a few tears afterwards,” the Dutch rider said with a smile.

In a strong field of competitors, Laila Smits rode the nine-year-old Lest Best P R (by Gunner KS) to a score of 71.765%. “When I came out of the ring, I just couldn’t believe it, but there it was.” She bought the gelding as a two-year-old from his breeder, Piet Kuipers. “Piet always calls me when he has a nice horse available. So, he called and said, ‘I have one for you.’ One testicle hadn’t descended, which was my luck, otherwise, he would have prepared him for the stallion approval.”

From Z2 to Small Tour
Last summer, the pair was competing at Z2 level before making the step up to the Small Tour. “It turned out that my results from the Young Riders didn’t count towards the Small Tour, so after our debut score of 68%, I had to go back to ZZ-Zwaar to earn ten qualifying points,” Laila laughed.

Respecting his individuality
“He picks up everything so well,” Laila said proudly. However, reaching this level was far from a given. “I often thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. It hasn’t always been easy. I really had to earn his trust, but now that I have it, he does everything for me.” Laila has always taken her time with his training. “I’ve always listened to Lest Best, to what he could handle and what he couldn’t. I do that with all my horses, and with him, it was especially important. I respect him for who he is. And besides, I couldn’t have done this without Marion Schreuder!”

Time to focus on herself
After her Young Riders career, Laila mainly rode young horses. “I really missed this level, as well as these competitions. I hadn’t had horses at this level for a long time, and the young ones kept getting sold. Now, I felt it was time to think about myself and keep a horse.” That decision turned out to be the right one. Meanwhile, the now 30-year-old rider also became a mother. “It’s truly wonderful, and Lest Best is so sweet with my little daughter. But because of my pregnancy, he had a break from competition, I didn’t want anyone else riding him.”

Gaining experience
Looking to gain experience, Laila Smits competed at CDI Lier today. “I really didn’t expect this, not before the test and not after. The field was so strong. I was already really happy with my performance and score, so after that, it didn’t even matter anymore,” Laila laughed. “Together with my dad, I definitely shed a few tears after the test. Everything is finally falling into place. This just shows how important it is to listen to your horse and give them time. Of course, it helps that this horse is my own. You know what else helps? These two,” she said, pointing to her parents. “They always believe in me, just like my partner. That means so much and is incredibly important,” Laila shared emotionally.

Grand Prix dreams
What is Laila’s goal? “Riding Grand Prix is truly my dream! First, I want to gain more international experience in the Small Tour, for both him and myself, and then train towards the Grand Prix.” She was one of the first riders to compete today, meaning she had to wait a long time. “At one point, I just couldn’t handle it anymore,” Laila laughed. “So, I sat in the truck and waited.” The wait was well rewarded with first place. “This might be the only time in my life that Charlotte Fry finishes behind me,” Laila joked.

Simply enjoying the moment
“I really missed these competitions, they’re so much fun. I’m here with just one horse, and I have all the time for him. As a rider, you learn so much from this experience. And it’s just so special to ride in this kind of atmosphere and setting. I’m really enjoying the fact that I can do this again.” On Sunday, the pair will compete in the Small Tour Freestyle. “I want to ride just as well as today and simply enjoy the moment,” Laila concluded.

Results