Charlotte Dujardin facts for kids
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Dujardin in 2012
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| Full name | Charlotte Susan Jane Dujardin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 July 1985 Enfield, Greater London, England |
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| Height | 1.70 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 61 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Great Britain |
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| Sport | Equestrian dressage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | British Dressage Federation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Carl Hester, Ian Cast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Charlotte Susan Jane Dujardin (born 13 July 1985) is a famous British dressage rider. Dressage is an equestrian sport where riders guide horses through a series of complex movements. Charlotte is known for being one of the best dressage riders of her time.
In 2014, she held all the major individual dressage titles at once. This included Olympic, World, European, and World Cup titles. She was the first rider ever to achieve this amazing feat.
With six Olympic medals, including three gold, Charlotte Dujardin is one of Britain's most successful female Olympians. She shares this record with cyclist Laura Kenny.
In July 2024, Charlotte decided not to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. This happened after a video raised concerns about how a horse was being trained. She was temporarily not allowed to compete by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). This decision was confirmed in December 2024.
Contents
Charlotte Dujardin's Early Life
Charlotte Dujardin grew up in Leighton Buzzard, England. She started riding horses when she was just two years old. She would help her older sisters by bringing their horses back from the show jumping ring.
At age three, she won second place in her very first Pony Club show jumping competition. To help pay for their horse riding, her mother bought and sold ponies for Charlotte and her sisters.
Charlotte was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. She went to Vandyke Upper School but later said she "didn’t really attend school that much." She left school when she was 16.
Before focusing on dressage, Charlotte won the Horse of the Year Show four times. She also won at All England Jumping Course at Hickstead three times.
Charlotte Dujardin's Career Highlights
After her trainer Debbie Thomas encouraged her, Charlotte started focusing on dressage. She used money inherited from her grandmother to buy a horse for this new sport.
In 2007, she sought a job with famous rider Carl Hester. He saw her talent and offered her a job as a groom at his stables. She has worked there ever since. Charlotte also owns her own horse named Fernandez.
Developing Valegro
In 2011, Carl Hester asked Charlotte to train a young horse named Valegro. The plan was for Carl to ride Valegro himself. However, Charlotte and Valegro quickly became a strong team.
They competed in their first major dressage event, the Grand Prix, in 2011. They helped the British team win a gold medal at a European Dressage Championship event in Rotterdam.
Later that year, they won the FEI World Cup Grand Prix in London. In April 2012, they set a new World Record for the Olympic Grand Prix discipline.
In December 2012, Charlotte and Valegro won the World Cup freestyle event in London. In April 2015, they won the FEI World Cup again in Las Vegas. This was their fourth major world title in a row, a unique achievement for any competition pair.
In 2019, Charlotte was removed from a competition after a small amount of blood was found on her horse, Mount St John Freestyle. This is against the rules in equestrian sports to ensure horse welfare.
Olympic Success
Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro were chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In the first round, their team set a new Olympic Record.
On 7 August 2012, they helped the British team win the gold medal in the team dressage event. Two days later, Charlotte and Valegro won the gold medal in the individual dressage event. Their routine included music like Land of Hope and Glory and the chimes of Big Ben.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Charlotte and Valegro won two more individual gold medals. This made her the first British woman to win an individual Olympic title twice in a row. They also set a new Olympic dressage score.
Valegro's Retirement
On 14 December 2016, Charlotte Dujardin retired Valegro from competition at the age of 14. They performed one last freestyle test at the Olympia London International Horse Show. This event was shown live on the BBC.
Charlotte and Carl Hester, Valegro's owner and Charlotte's trainer, decided that Valegro had achieved everything possible. He had won three Olympic gold medals and many world titles. They wanted him to end his career while still at his best. Charlotte said, "I wanted to retire him on a high note, because he owes me absolutely nothing."
Charlotte Dujardin's Major Medals
Charlotte Dujardin has won many medals throughout her career:
- Olympic Games:
- 3 Gold medals (2012 Team, 2012 Individual, 2016 Individual)
- 1 Silver medal (2016 Team)
- 2 Bronze medals (2020 Team, 2020 Individual)
- World Equestrian Games:
- 2 Gold medals (2014 Individual Special, 2014 Individual Freestyle)
- 2 Silver medals (2014 Team, 2022 Team)
- 2 Bronze medals (2018 Individual Special, 2018 Team)
- European Dressage Championships:
- 6 Gold medals (2011 Team, 2013 Individual Special, 2013 Individual Freestyle, 2015 Individual Special, 2015 Individual Freestyle, 2023 Team)
- 2 Silver medals (2015 Team, 2021 Team)
- 4 Bronze medals (2013 Team, 2021 Individual, 2023 Special, 2023 Freestyle)
- Dressage World Cup:
- 2 Gold medals (2014 Individual, 2015 Individual)
Recent Events and Suspension
On 23 July 2024, Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. This decision followed concerns raised by a video showing her training a horse. British Equestrian and British Dressage reported these concerns to the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) for review.
The FEI stated that Charlotte's actions in the video were "against the rules for horse welfare." She was temporarily suspended from competing while a full investigation took place. Charlotte said she was "deeply ashamed" and that the incident "does not reflect how I train my horses."
After her suspension was announced, her funding from UK Sport was paused. She also lost her role as an ambassador for a horse welfare charity and some of her sponsors ended their agreements with her. In December 2024, the FEI confirmed a one-year suspension and a fine.
Writing and Television
In 2018, Charlotte Dujardin released her autobiography titled The Girl on the Dancing Horse: Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro. She also appeared as a guest star on the Netflix show Free Rein, which is about horses.
Charlotte Dujardin's Personal Life
Charlotte's fiancé, Dean Golding, famously wore a shirt that said "Can we get married now?" after she won a gold medal at the Rio Olympics. On 6 March 2023, Charlotte Dujardin became a mother to a daughter.
Honours and Recognition
Charlotte Dujardin has received special honours for her achievements in equestrianism. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013 and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2017.
A modern street of public housing in Enfield is named Dujardin Mews after her.
See also
In Spanish: Charlotte Dujardin para niños
- 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics gold post boxes
