Biography

Belgian rider Lara de Liedekerke (37) last came to Badminton in 2016 gaining her second completion of the event – she made her debut here in 2014 with Ducati van den Overdam her former Belgian team horse. In 2024 with Badminton entry Hooney d’Arville Lara won her first 5* at Luhmuhlen and with Origi she represented Belgium at the Paris Olympic Games (13^th). Lara who is currently ranked #11 in the FEI rider ranking, has represented Belgium at two Olympic Games, four world championships and six senior Europeans.

Lara grew up in a horsey family and got her first pony at the age of seven and up to 2013 combined competing and studying; in 2003 she was a member of the Belgian Pony team for the European Championships and then competed at Junior and Young Rider European Championships. In 2010 she was selected to compete in her first senior Championship at the WEG in Lexington with the mare Nooney Blue, who took her from Junior to win the Belgian Young Rider Championship and then to senior level and is now a broodmare.

Lara has a BSc in Business Administration and in 2013 gained a MSc in Business Sciences from the Institut des Hautes Etudes Commerciales in Brussells.

Lara enjoys riding young horses including homebreds and training them up to the best of their abilities. Her parents organise the international 3* event of Arville on their estate.

Lara is married to German international event rider Kai-Steffen Meier and the couple has a 9-year-old daughter who is already competing and a 6-year-old son.

Hooney d’Arville is a grey 12-year-old homebred mare. She is by Vigo d’Arsouilles out of Nooney Blue by Jet Set du Rezidal. The dam Nooney Blue was Lara’s junior horse that she then competed at the 2010 WEG. Hooney was born at the base in Arville and has only ever been competed by Lara. She says; ‘Hooney has been challenging but we never doubted her and she gave me my first 5* win in Luhmuhlen last year.’Nooney Blue is also the dam of Lara’s 4* ride Kiarado d’Arville winner of the 8/9 yr old 4* in Strzegom last year and the younger sister La La Land d’Arville winner of the 2024 young horse 2* in Jardy.