Gio

The bouncy little chestnut – nicknamed Pumpkin – looks all set to be Charlotte Dujardin’s next superstar. Polly Bryan finds out more about him

- Polly Bryan

Need to know

Age: nine

Breeding: Apache x Tango

Owner: Charlotte Dujardin and Renai Hart

Rider: Charlotte Dujardin

Breeder: HJ de Jong

Greatest achievements: elementary and six-year-old national champion 2017; advanced medium reserve national champion 2018; inter II national champion 2019; grand prix second with plus-79% and winner of freestyle with plus-83% on international debut at Keysoe CDI3* 2020

RIDER CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN

“I FIRST saw Pumpkin aged five while I was doing a symposium in the USA in 2016, and I instantly fell in love with him. He wasn’t actually supposed to be there at all, but one horse had gone lame and he was the stand-in horse. I managed to strike a deal to buy him, and now I’m very lucky to co-own him with my good friend Renai Hart.

“Carl [Hester] was originally meant to buy a share in him, too, but pulled out because he thought he was too small at 16hh. I said, ‘Just wait until you see him go’, and Pumpkin proved Carl very wrong!