Looking at Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour’s impressive track record, it’s clear she stands among the most accomplished dressage riders of her generation. Representing Denmark at the highest level, she made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games. At the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, she placed fourth both individually and with the Danish team. Her success continued at the 2022 World Championships in Herning, where she claimed team gold and individual silver. In 2024, at the Paris Olympics, Cathrine and Mount St John Freestyle finished fifth individually and helped secure a team silver for Denmark.

About Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour 

• Born: 1992

• Lives in: Fredensborg, Denmark

• Competes for: Denmark 🇩🇰

• Discipline: Dressage

• Instagram: @cathrinedufour 
  
  

When calling Cathrine up for a chat, she’s currently number one on the FEI Dressage World Ranking. On her lap, Cathrine and Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour’s daughter Palma is resting peacefully. Since her arrival in May 2025, a new life-changing chapter has begun for this equestrian power duo. Smiling down at Palma, she describes these early days as fantastic but challenging, juggling horses and parenthood. A time when having a supportive team around is more important than ever. 

– It's fantastic and super fun, but also tough, you know. We’re quite surprised how natural we feel as parents. But as equestrians, both Rasmine and I are used to not putting ourselves first. Some nights, we celebrate if she sleeps for five hours straight, while some nights she doesn’t sleep at all. But we’re very lucky with the life we have, because I can go to the stable on and off. If we’ve had a bad night, I can start a bit later and ride a few horses and go back and ride again. 

She continues:

– We also have such an amazing team that helps us with the horses. I have a fantastic home rider who knows all the horses inside out, two grooms, and two other people at the stable as well – so we’re super lucky to have a setup that is ready to carry on even without us being at the stable all the time. Everything does not rely on me and Rasmine. It can run without us, so if we feel like being at the house with Palma, it’s ok. I just really want to spend time with my family and see Palma grow up.

Growing up herself, Cathrine’s parents were not into horses. Instead, it was a friend who introduced her to the local riding school. Looking back, she concludes that it was around the age of 8 that she got truly interested. With a growing passion, her parents started learning more alongside Cathrine as she advanced. Eventually, when her successful years as a young rider were coming to an end, Cathrine found herself at a crossroads. Was she going to change direction totally or go all in on the equestrian sport? After raising the issue with her coach at the time, Rune Willum, it was clear that there was no going back. 

“I’m riding because of the connection I have with my horses – and I can say that one hundred percent honestly.”

– Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour

– I said to myself and to my former coach that I wanted to stop when I was done with being a young rider. I wanted to live a normal life as a young girl in the city. And then he was like, ‘What?! What are you talking about? That’s not going to happen, you’re way too talented to do that. You’ve never tried, so you better go for it!’ And that showed me that someone truly believed in me, and that I had to give it a go to become a senior rider.

In 2015, another crucial turning point in Cathrine’s career took place when she reached out to the legendary dressage rider and coach from Finland, Kyra Kyrklund. With decades of experience, Kyra came to the team and opened, as Cathrine describes it herself – a whole new world of dressage to her. 

– We had a hard time learning my first Olympic horse Cassidy, the piaff and passage – and my former coach, Rune, realized we needed help to solve this. We had to dare to be vulnerable at that point and say, ‘Hey, this is something that we can’t figure out.’ It took courage, especially as a four-time European champion, to admit we needed help, and I thought that we had things under control. He also gave me the mindset that there is always someone who has experienced the same problem as you, meaning that if you have a problem – there is one hundred percent someone who can help you.

When talking about her main coach Kyra, Cathrine lights up. Describing her as part of the family, it’s tough love when they meet up twice a month. Training sessions that Cathrine smilingly describes as inspirational and humbling. There’s no doubt that Kyra has had – and continues to have – a huge impact on Cathrine’s career.

– Kyra and I like the same type of horses – hot, forward, and full of energy – which makes it easier for her to coach me. We fall in love with the same type. She helps me a lot to chill them down and find relaxation; she’s an expert with that. Even though she’s been teaching me for such a long time, she can still start a session by just saying, ‘Oh my god, what are you doing?’ I just love that about her, because it keeps you humble. And to me, that makes her very special. A lot of coaches can be very careful with a rider like me, and they might not be brave enough to pull me down. But she dares to do that. As a person, she means so much to me. She is family now.

Throughout our conversation, it’s very clear that Cathrine’s driving force is far from result driven. Instead, her approach to the sport is built around the connection with her horses. Always striving to become a better rider today than she was yesterday – a mindset serving as motivation for constant development, and a humble approach to her success.  

“I mean, I do believe the second you feel like, ‘Now I’m the best and I have nothing more to learn,’ then you’re done.”

– Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour

– I’m constantly trying to get better, but I’m not driven by my results. The fact that I’m number one right now hasn’t affected my motivation at all. It’s just a list and has nothing to do with my daily riding. Just because I’ve been lucky a few shows in a row and am number one on the rankings doesn’t mean I’m the best rider in the world. There are still better riders than me, and I know they are training every day to improve themselves as well. I feel like the more I learn, the more I feel like there’s so much I don't know. I mean, I do believe the second you feel like, ‘Now I’m the best and I have nothing more to learn,’ then you’re done.

Looking back, what is your proudest moment in your career?

– One of my proudest moments is a specific ride in Rotterdam 2019 with Cassidy, during the European Championships. We had a tough start, and it was raining like hell. For the special, it was the individual competition, and I’ll never forget telling him on the long side before the last extended trot, ‘Cassidy, now you have to give it your all. Today’s the day.’ I get the chills thinking about that moment. This little pony was flying! On that day, I could have asked him for anything and he’d be going for it, Cathrine says and continues:

– And that connection is super hard to explain to non-horsey people. But once you’ve had that bond with a horse, it’s just mind-blowing. I would do anything for him, and he would do anything for me. We ended up with an individual bronze, and I’ve had bigger results since then, but I’m not riding because of results. I’m riding because of the connection I have with my horses – and I can say that one hundred percent honestly. To me, that’s what being in this sport is truly about. You can’t put a value on it; it’s life quality.

In 2023, Cathrine went to the UK to try the famous horse Mount St John Freestyle for the first time. Within ten seconds, she knew that this was a perfect match. 

– I remember going there and being like, ‘Hi Freestyle, I’m going to ride you, I hope that’s ok?’ I knew immediately that I liked her, and I could feel her willingness to work, which is her top quality. She’s so experienced and knows exactly what she’s doing. She reminded me of Cassidy as well. Starting off, they look a bit like a pony, but then you pick them up and you’re like, ‘Oh – ok!’ Of course, I cannot say if a horse is the next world champion or not, but I can feel if it’s a horse I’d like to work with every day. And Freestyle gave me that feeling. 

“I cannot say if a horse is the next world champion or not, but I can feel if it’s a horse I’d like to work with every day. And Freestyle gave me that feeling.”

– Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour

The following year, they went to their first Olympic Games together in Paris, where they ended in 5th place individually – an incredible achievement considering the new partnership. Still, for Cathrine, this is one of her hardest experiences so far. A memory that brings tears to her eyes.  

– At the Olympics in Paris, it was amazing to win a team silver, but then becoming fifth in the final must be one of the biggest disappointments in my career ever. I haven’t talked about it in any interviews, but that was so heartbreaking. Because I knew that Freestyle had the chance to go for a medal, and that was maybe the only chance I was ever gonna get to win a gold medal at an Olympic game. I remember the morning after thinking, ‘I’m so sorry we could not do this together.’ It’s something I can still feel. Not because of my own disappointment, but because of Freestyle. She deserved a medal – but I just couldn’t guide her.

Suddenly, Cathrine blinks away the tears and smiles again.

– But then you look at those tiny hands, and everything’s okay, right?” she says, nodding toward baby Palma, calmly sleeping in her lap.

Getting home after the Paris Olympics to her safe spot with Rasmine was exactly what Cathrine needed to recharge. Eventually, she returned more motivated than ever. At the time of writing, she’s preparing Freestyle and herself for the European Championships in Crozet, France. 

– To me, it always helps coming home. It eats me a little bit being away from Rasmine – it’s really hard for me. But being in my setup helps me with motivation. I love being in my own stable, in my own indoor and outdoor arena – it brings joy to my life. Since the European Championship is coming, we plan the whole season around that competition to make sure Freestyle gets enough breaks in between shows to keep her motivated. There’s also a full schedule around her with everything from vet checks to shoeing – to make sure it suits perfectly for that show. But other than that, it’s mainly about daily training and keeping her fit and happy, to hopefully have our highlight of the season when it’s time. We try to keep it as normal as possible, because when you try for something extraordinary, you change stuff – and right now we’re super happy with what she does on a normal day.

Wrapping up, what do you feel about becoming an MD Athlete? 

– I’m so excited about our collaboration. I also love the fact that both Rasmine and I are on team Maya Delorez – we get stronger every time we do things together as a unit. Maya Delorez has inspired me for some time, since our team is like yours. Young, adaptable, and curious to develop all the time. You want to keep doing better products, and we want to keep developing ourselves and our horses. 

What are your favorite products?

– I absolutely adore the Compression Breeches, they’re my favorites from the collection. They’re so comfortable, which is a must when wearing breeches for 12-15 hours each day. They need to fit like a second skin. Other favorites are the tops, especially the halfzips and t-shirts.