Since 2021, Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour and her wife Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour have been living a vibrant life at their joint show jumping and dressage stable located in Fredensborg, Denmark. Rasmine’s journey into the world of equestrian sports is nothing short of remarkable. Despite growing up in a home with parents who were afraid of horses, her love for equestrian sports and the adrenaline thrill drew her into show jumping. Today, she pursues a full-time career working with horses and competes with great success.

On her Instagram, she shows her diverse life, giving a peek into her daily routine at the stables, giving updates from horse shows, and sharing her dedication to working out, and her passion for running. Rasmine’s story shows how important it is to have a strong passion and determination, and to always chase your dreams. 🌟

About Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour

• Born: September 1993

• Lives in: Fredensborg, Denmark 🇩🇰

• Works as: Show Jumper

• Instagram: @rasminelaudrup
  
  

Hi there, Rasmine! 👋 For someone who does not know you, how would you describe Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour?

– I would say a happy-go-lucky girl who loves animals and is living her dream life in Denmark.

When did you come into contact with horses for the first time?

– I think I was about 10 or 11 years old, and my grandma had problems with her back and was recommended to start riding. So, she asked if I wanted to join her at the riding school, and I was like “Yeah, count me in” – and I was totally in love. After that, I started riding more and more at the riding school.

Does anyone in your family share an interest in horses?

– Not at all, my parents are afraid of horses! Sometimes when I was younger, I could be jealous of other girls and boys at the riding school with parents who shared their interest. But my mom supported me in her own way; she drove me to shows, watched me from the stands, and filmed with the camera. She was always afraid though and kept a safe distance from the horses. Today, my parents can visit our stable and even treat the horses to carrots. But it wasn’t always like this, as it took them quite a while to overcome their initial fear. However, I’ve come to realize that my passion for riding might not have developed as deeply if my parents were more directly involved. Riding has always been a personal and unwavering passion of mine, driven by my own motivation rather than external pressure.

Was it an obvious choice for you to focus on show jumping?

– When I started at the riding school, the normal thing to do was dressage. And I liked it, but I needed more action. I’ve always been a little action girl who loves when the adrenaline is pumping and doing things that are a little scary. So, I started jumping a little at the riding school and totally fell in love with it. Around the time I was 13 or 14, I got my very first own horse. I was super lucky because my parents decided to buy me a pony after just two years of riding school. I had to pick between a show jumper and a dressage pony, and there was no doubt in my mind – I wanted a show jumper.

“I’m over the moon about this new partnership, and I feel like I can conquer the world with these clothes on.”

– Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour

When did you decide to invest wholeheartedly in equestrian sports?

– I have a background in the field of shipping and worked in that industry full-time for approximately four to five years. Throughout that period, riding was my passion on the side. However, when my ex-boyfriend and I split up, my plan was to focus on riding a bit more for a year. And during that time, I met Cathrine at a big show in Herning. Our connection was instant, and we began to envision a shared future together, one that revolved around our dream of establishing a show jumping and dressage stable. And so, without further ado, we embarked on this incredible adventure.

What is your long-term goal? What do you hope to achieve?

– My goal has never been to ride a specific class or anything. I just want to become as good of a rider as possible. I want to learn how to understand the horses I have and know them like the back of my hand. And then, maybe other ambitions will follow. Right now, I have this very good horse called Granato. I feel like he is my soulmate, and maybe we can do 1.45 or 1.50 classes together one day. But right now, I just want to focus on becoming good at finding this feeling on the horse where everything feels right. My biggest goal, and the reason why I ride every day, is to become better and better and better.

Equestrian-related or not, who or what inspires you?

– I’m really inspired by my wife Cathrine and my parents. In general, I’m also really inspired by people who are passionate about something and not afraid to go for it, even if there are risks.

What is your typical day like?

– My weekdays follow a fairly consistent routine from Monday to Friday.

• I kickstart my day between 07:00 and 08:00, which is quite early for me since I’m more of a night owl. My day always starts in the stable.

• There are approximately 25 boxes that I, alongside my groom, need to clean out. We also handle tasks like making hay, bringing the horses to and from the fields, and sweeping the floor.

• Around 13:00, we take a short break to enjoy lunch.

• Then we go riding. I have four horses I must ride every day.

• Following the riding session, I typically go for a run, maybe 10 kilometers or something like that. I love running!

– Additionally, I have a lot of students, so approximately three times a week, I provide coaching sessions in between my other activities.

You and your wife are both active athletes in different disciplines – how is that?

– It’s amazing. I love it. It’s a dream come true to find someone who understands this life without any question marks.

What are the benefits?

– You never have to explain why you’re in the stable all day because she’s there too. I just think that sharing this and talking about the horses, how they’re different, how we ride them, giving tips, just everything, the whole perspective of the horse life and having that together is just amazing. I can’t describe it better than that, that word says it all.

“It is a dream come true to find a partner who you can share this life with.”

– Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour

Negative aspects?

– I’ve really been thinking about this, and it’s a hard question. Maybe if I have to think of something, it can be a little bit hard to be beside a dressage rider who is as good as Cathrine – because I’m on one level and she is at top level. That can be hard, not because I compare myself to her, because I really don’t. But it could be hard to hear others compare us.

What can you and Cathrine learn from each other?

– Everything, I think, because we are like yin and yang. Cathrine is an early bird, I’m the night owl. I’m the fire, she’s the wind. We’re very, very different girls. She likes doing strength training, I like running. We’re totally different. If Cathrine is one thing, I’m the opposite. So, I feel like we take each other to a higher level because we always try to push each other. But we are very different. If we go to a candy store and you’d look in our bags, even the candy is different, haha.

How about your horses, do you like different kinds of horses as well?

– I would say, in this regard, we’re a little bit the same, but Cathrine likes her horses wild, like a horse that has never had a rider on. I would say that I like them hot, but not wild.

What’s the thing with you and gray horses?

– I have no idea; they just keep coming! But I have a groom that is very good at making them gray and clean, so I feel like they can keep coming as long as I have my groom with me, haha.

What are your passions besides riding?

– I would say I really like Zodiac signs. It sounds a bit funny, but I love spending time reading Zodiac signs. I’m a bit nerdy with that. Then I love running. It’s really my passion to go run. I clear my mind when I go running. I also like to do different runs like marathons and such. I spend around 95% of my time with horses, so I don’t have a lot of time to do a lot of other things.

Marathons? That’s impressive!

– Yeah, I did my third or fourth marathon about two years ago. I’m planning on doing one more, I just have to find the time to train for it.

“Having a mental coach is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.”

– Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour

What else do you do as part of your training routine, besides riding? 

– We have a training plan, but it’s hard to follow it down to the small details because our days can really vary here at the farm. We never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. But we try to do strength training, maybe three times a week. And then I use running to just feel free. I try to write down how my runs are, my paces and everything. But it’s more serious in some periods than others.

How do you prepare yourself for a show?

– I always make a good training plan with my coach around two weeks before the show. We talk about what the weeks leading up to the show have to look like to optimize my performance. I’m a big fan of having everything sorted out from home and having my basics on point. I also make sure that the horses have all the vitamins and minerals they need. And I also have a mental coach that I usually talk to before so I’m ready to go and nail it on the show day. I really hope that more equestrians start to use a mental coach – it’s really underrated. To me, it was a game changer. It’s really crazy what it’s done for me and it’s my biggest recommendation for every equestrian out there… Since I started to work with my mental coach, I’m having more good and clear rounds than ever before.

Which are your favorite MD products?

– The Camille Compression Breeches – and I’ve got so many comments about these breeches because the color is crazy beautiful. Then I love the Callie Long Sleeve Zipper. It’s a must-have. And then, of course the vest that started it all: the Rio Padded Vest. That vest was the whole start to this collaboration because it was my first MD product. I tried this vest, and I was totally in love. That made me think “OK, maybe I should do something with this amazing brand” – and here we are! I feel so powerful in these clothes, and I think they look so stylish and professional.