Valegro’s retirement confirmed
Valegro’s retirement has been confirmed along with the news that he won’t compete again.
His official retirement ceremony will take place at the London Olympia Horse Show during December (2016) which will be no doubt be a highly emotive time for all.
The good news is that Valegro will still be seen in public, in fact the Superstar and his rider, Charlotte Dujadin are currently over in the States at the Central Park Horse Show to wow spectators with a demonstration before returning home.
The Dutch Warmblood gelding, who is part owned by Carl Hester, has spent the past six years in the limelight, enjoying success with the exceptionally talented Charlotte Dujardin. Dujadin, who has just scooped more success at the national dressage championships riding a new ‘fleet’ of horses, has repeatedly commented on how Valegro, stable name Blueberry, consistently tries his heart out for her.
Major wins
His name will go down in history, as many other unforgettable horses do. Since Olympic success during London 2012 the pair have been unstoppable, claiming the European team Bronze and European individual Gold during 2013, Reem Acra World Cup Dressage in Lyon 2014, individual Gold during the World Equestrian Games 2014, the 2015 Reem Acra title and not to mention their recent success in Rio to name but a few.
No stranger to a 90%+ mark, Valegro has been the horse to watch now for a considerable period of time. He has, along with Duajardin and Hester, unmistakably been responsible for putting Dressage firmly on the map.
We salut you Valegro and wish you a long and happy retirement!
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.