Charlotte Dujardin reigns for a fourth year as the Dressage Future Elite Champion 2019

Suzanne Ashton
Dressage Future Elite Champion 2019, Charlotte Dujardin riding Mount St John Valencia © Julian Portch

Charlotte Dujardin did not let anyone else get a look in for the title of the Dressage Future Elite Champion 2019 during Horse of the Year Show that takes place this week at the NEC, Birmingham. Taking the title for the fourth consecutive year with four different horses just proves her sheer talent for producing horses to the highest level. Her win this year was with nine-year-old chestnut mare, Mount St John Valencia owned by Emma Blundell, who performed a beautiful freestyle to be awarded with a score of 78.041%. The young mare has only been with Charlotte for six months, but she joins Charlotte’s strong line up of horses ahead of Tokyo 2020.

Becoming a regular at Horse of the Year Show, Charlotte commented:

I’m really proud of her [Valencia]. She only did her first freestyle at the British Dressage Championships in September and to ride into an arena like this with a big crowd and the big screen, I think she found it a little daunting. She hesitated a little in the changes, but she stayed composed. It is such great experience for these young horses to be able to compete at a show like this; you can’t replicate this kind of atmosphere anywhere. I feel honoured to be able to bring different horses here each year and she shows a lot of potential, she just needs more exposure and experience in the arena.”

Dressage Future Elite Champion 2019, Charlotte Dujardin riding Mount St John Valencia © Julian Portch
FEATURE IMAGE: Dressage Future Elite Champion 2019, Charlotte Dujardin riding Mount St John Valencia © Julian Portch

Having ridden at Horse of the Year Show as a young girl, Charlotte is the idol of so many young equestrians in the audience this evening, she added:

It’s a privilege to be back here again this year, it was always a childhood dream to ride down that centre line under the spotlight at HOYS and I love coming here and seeing old friends that I grew up and competed with. For anyone out there wanting to follow their dream, I would say to just keep going.”

In second place was Katie Bailey, a student of the training duo that is Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester. Katie was delighted to have come placed behind Charlotte with Eagle Nouvelle, achieving an impressive 77.625%.

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For more information or tickets, for Horse of the Year Show visit hoys.co.uk

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