Laura Collett and Hester. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Is this a touch of deja-vu were feeling here? Last year, we saw Laura Collett take the first-phase lead with London 52 in Luhmhlens five-star, and then hold it all the way through to take the win. Today, shes right back where she likes to hang out: on top of the leaderboard, this time with the much less experienced Hester.Okay, okay, we wont get ahead of ourselves here. Hester is, of course, in a much different stage of her career, and with different goals and intentions this week than her stablemate, who returns to the event, too, to tackle the CCI4*-S and, hopefully, secure his spot on the British team for the Olympics.For Hester, this is a reroute from Badminton, and a chance to learn from that experience, which saw her retired on course after going green after the Lake. And for Laura, its an opportunity to really get to know her and see what shes made of in the third year of their partnership.What a jolly start, though, isnt it? This afternoons CCI5* dressage felt like a bit of an uphill battle at times, because there wasnt an ounce of leeway in the marking and at the end of the session, none of the 21 horses and riders we saw in the ring today managed to go sub-30. And so a 30.6, which is what Laura and the thirteen-year-old British-bred Hanoverian mare scored, probably felt a bit like a 25 on any other day, even with a couple of changes that were, perhaps, slightly interpretive rather than textbook.Im absolutely delighted with her, says Laura, who scored a 34.1 with the mare at Badminton. Shes just getting better and better, and starting to trust me and realise its not going to be the end of the world when she goes into a dressage arena. So each time she goes in and doesnt lose her mind, its a step in the right direction, to be honest. Her trot work is stunning. She really feels secure in that now, and the next step is to try and get the canter just as secure. But to be honest for her, to get any flying changes is a massive highlight, so Im absolutely over the moon with her.Laura Collett and Hester. Photo by Tilly Berendt.The journey to getting to really know Hester, who was previously piloted by Tim and Jonelle Price and then Alex Bragg, has been a winding one, Laura explains.Ive had her nearly three years, but Ive never had a full run through [a season] with her, she says. Shes always had a little niggle here or there and had to have time off. Sosince Blenheim through to here has been the first time weve got any sort of consistent work into her.That consistent work had one simple goal: Its been figuring her brain out and to be honest, just getting her to take a deep breath. She can do all the moves, apart from the changes, as long as shes relaxed, so I only get on her ten minutes before, now. She lunges, just to switch her off, and weve found that process really, really helps and really works. She only makes mistakes from wanting to do it right and not actually waiting to be told what to do.One of the ways that Laura helps to take the pressure of Hester is by riding sans spurs.Now, shes looking ahead to Saturday, which remains something of a question mark but Lauras feeling confident that Hester is ready to step up to the plate after her early finish at Badminton.She started really well and felt great, and then I think, the amphitheatre of the Lake she just didnt know what was going on or what to look at or anything, and I think it was all just [a bit much], she says. Badminton is just a different level. Theres nowhere to put the wheels back on when they slightly fall off, and they very much fell off at the Lake. I then jumped a few more, and she just didnt feel like her at all. She was very cautious and every time I said go, she was backing off, so I thought, you know what, well go home and put the wheels back on.A few weeks later, she took her to run at Bictons CCI4*-S.Coming here was very much dependent on how she felt at Bicton, she continues. She came out of the start box at Bictonlike the normal Hester absolutely grabbing the bridle, ears pricked, and awesome. So I thought, while shes fit and well, just because weve had to miss so much with her, I thought, what else? Well bring her here. I think the track should suit her, but its a 5* and shes not a proven 5* horseyet but hopefully after this we can say that she is.Tom McEwen and CHF Cooliser. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Class pathfinder Tom McEwen held the lead for a fair stint with his former Pau runner-up CHF Cooliser on a score of 30.8, but will no doubt be happy enough to settle for provisional second overnight.Im delighted with the whole test, he says. I thought her trot work was really nice; sheactually showed some of her medium, and her lateral work was really nice and soft, and the walk was great.The one expensive mistake came in the reinback, which saw Eliza earn a 4, a 4.5, and a 5.5 after heading off in the wrong direction.Her halt and rein back is always her nemesis, so if we can usually get it over and done with as quick as possible it goes better but I thought the halt was so good I would wait a second, and so we went forward instead of backwards, laughs Tom. But she was great, and got all the changes, so for me that was a real good, clear round of a test.Eliza, whos often referred to as Queen Elizabeth at home to reflect her royal attitude, has often fulfilled a few of the more obvious stereotypes of a redheaded mare but now, at fourteen, the daughter of Womanizer is truly hitting her stride.With age, shes definitely growing up, says Tom. Shes seen a lot now this would be her fourth 5*, so shes been around andseen different things. So now shesreally maturing, whereas before, theres so much going on in this arena, shed have been looking around to see whats going on. I think a bit of it is maturing, and a bit of it is just continuous development of the way shes going.Tom will return tomorrow with a debutant horse in 15-year-old Brookfield Quality, as well as riding JL Dublin in the CCI4*-S in his bid for a spot on the British Olympic team.I couldnt have picked three more different ones to ride this weekend, laughs Tom. Im quite pleased that Eliza goes first, because she does her own thing. So then I can reassess on my riding and then go from there.Eliza loves cross country, so we let Eliza do what Eliza wants!Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hooney dArville. Photo by Tilly Berendt.The most emotional finish of the day was that of Belgian dynamo Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who took third place with Hooney dArville on the eleven-year-olds debut at the level, scoring a 31.6.Its just so, so special when its one youve bred yourself, she says through happy tears. Hooneys mother, Nooney Blue, was a particularly special horse for Lara: she was her partner through five total Junior and Young Rider Championships, and then in her debut at Senior Championship level at the World Equestrian Games in 2010. The production of her talented daughter, though, has been something of a labour of love in more ways than one.With Hooney, it has been a long way Im going to be emotional again, she says with a laugh. It has been a long way, and it has been difficult. A lot of people said to me, shes so talented, butit was difficult all the way. She has been tricky in the past, but I think shes much more reliable now.And so, she says, today, I expected nothing just to enjoy riding a 5* again. Her mother had her last run here; she was brought down on cross country one combination beforethe last. So this is my little revenge on the past. Im delighted with the test.Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Hooney dArville. Photo by Tilly Berendt.Laras last ride at five-star was in 2017, when she rode here with Alpaga dArville and returning to this level took a bit of convincing, not of Lara herself, but of her husband, Belgian chef dequipe Kai Steffen Meier.Kai was a little bitnot convinced about me riding 5* here because of the Olympics, because I have a strong position. I have five horses qualified, which are all competitive, she explains. So he thought it was maybe a risk not to take the Olympics is every four years, while 5*s are all the time. But I felt I wanted to stay sharp and, you know, we can fall at home,so I dont need to be scared of my own shadow. I dont expect much from this 5* its just to keep me on the nice road for Paris.The track, she says, will suit her, I think. It requires a lot of forward riding; theres a lot of technicity with that. Shes quite okay with that. Im confident if I ride well, she will be good. Im not sure about the speed though she has blood, but she needs a lot of preparation for every combination, which is where Im losing a bit of time. I didnt have the gallops I wanted, because of the rain weve had in Europe, but she has a lot of stamina. The last two minutes could be quite something for her, because Im confident she wont be tired at the end. But I never did an eleven minute course with her, so I still have a lot of question marks but Im sure if I ride her well she might be really good.Im confident its the right choice, she continues. I had a super preparation. She was really good in Baborowko and Strzegom She had a super run up to here, so Im confident shes ready. It just depends how I feel when I leave the start box if she feels like shes ready to tackle the speed and everything. Im not going flat out to win it, but Im definitely a competitive person so Im going to try to make the best out of it.Luhmhlen is so often a fantastic showcase of up-and-coming talent, and today has been no exception: fourth place is held overnight by French debutante Julie Simonet and her Sursumcordor, who posted a respectable 33.3, while fifth place goes the way of young British rider Storm Straker, who put a 33.6 on the board with Fever Pitch. Irelands Ian Cassells and Master Point sit sixth on a 33.9, while Britains Lauren Lillywhite and Hacien are seventh on 34.Katherine Coleman and Monbeg Senna. Photo by Tilly Berendt.The first of our two US riders in this class came forward today, and will sit eighth overnight on a score of 34.2. That was British-based Katherine Coleman and Monbeg Senna, who come forward for the 14-year-old geldings sophomore five-star, having finished just outside the top twenty at 2023s tough Badminton.Im really pleased with him. He did a 31 of Badminton, and then he did a 29 in Kronenberg, and so theyre marking hard today, but he was so good, says Katherine. Hes kind of like a big, gangly thing, so the changes on that short side [in this test] are a bit like, oh, where are my legs! But Im really pleased with him.Katherine had originally hoped to take Monbeg Senna to Kentucky this spring, but a minor injury sustained while jumping out of his field derailed his preparation. But Luhmhlen, Katherine thinks, will be the perfect re-route and stepping stone on the way to targeting Boekelo this autumn, and then Kentucky next spring.For me with him, I think this is like, a 4* plus, says Katherine. What I need to work on with him the most, his kind of weakness or Achilles heel, basically, is his speed. Hes just a little slow, and he spends a lot of time in the air. So this, to me, is a wonderful course its well within his jumping abilities, so Im like, actually, this time Im going to go out and try and be a little bit quicker. Thats the main goal this weekend. At Badminton, which was his first 5*, nobody was getting around. I was starting out like, okay, I just want to finish, because you dont know what youre going to have. But he finished that so full of running and with so much energy. I was like, oh, I could have gone faster. This time I dont want to finish and think that I could have gone faster.Samantha Lissington and Lord Seekonig. Photo by Tilly Berendt.New Zealands Sam Lissington and her eleven-year-old five-star debutant Lord Seekonig very nearly stole the lead, until a few expensive wobbles in the canter work pushed their score down. Nonetheless, they sit in a very positive ninth place overnight on a 34.7.The quality is all there, and I think hes going to be a low 20s horse at 5*, she says. We had just a few little wobbles today which then meant all my aids then havd a little bit of a different impact, so those are just little work-ons. But for a first 5* test, I think the quality is all there and theres more yet to come.Tenth place is held by Britains Caroline Harris and D. Day, who scored a 34.9. The scores across the board are achingly tight just nine points covers the entirety of the class at this stage.Tomorrows 5* will continue from 13.30 local time (12.30 p.m. BST/7.30 a.m. EST), and will feature some big names including Pau winners Ros Canter and Izilot DHI. You can follow all the action on Horse & Country TV, and join us after the fact for an in-depth debrief on the layout of the leaderboard.The top ten after day one of dressage in the CCI5* at Luhmhlen.ENs coverage of the Longines LuhmhlenHorse Trials is brought to you by Kentucky Performance Products, your go-to source for science-backed nutritional support across all types of horses, disciplines, and needs. Click here to learn more about what KPP can do for your horse thank you for supporting our wonderful sponsors!Longines Luhmhlen:Website | Entries | Timetable | Live Scores | Tickets | Livestream | ENs Coverage