Charlotte Dujardin and Gio.
© FEI/Jon Stroud
Charlotte Dujardin and Gio steal the London limelight
By Louise Parkes
Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and the fabulous little 10-year-old chestnut gelding, Gio, stole the show at the fourth leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2021/2022 Western European League in London (GBR) tonight.
Already victorious in yesterday’s Short Grand Prix, the pair who took team and individual bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July and team silver and Freestyle bronze at the FEI Dressage European Championships in Hagen (GER) in September posted a massive Freestyle score of 89.040 to put the result beyond doubt when last to go of the 15 starters.
And it was a British one-two when compatriot, Charlotte Fry, produced a fabulous test for a mark of 81.945 and second place, while Germany’s Fredric Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH slotted into third when putting 80.260 on the board.
Billed as the final ride for the winning horse/athlete combination as Gio has been sold to British junior rider Annabella Pidgley, tonight’s win was a particularly poignant one for Dujardin whose legendary partnership with the great Valegro secured three Olympic gold medals during their extraordinary career together.
Already heading the Western European League standings, Germany’s Wandres has now forged an even greater lead going into the next round of the eight-leg qualifying series in Amsterdam (NED) next month.
Result
Standings
Source: FEI press release
