Dujardin dominates

Charlotte Dujardin triumphs over Germany’s best, while Lottie Fry debuts her latest superstar stallion

- ANDREA OAKES

Hagen CDI4*, Germany

“SMALL but mighty” was how Charlotte Dujardin described Gio, her diminutive international star in the making, winner of the grand prix freestyle.

The same could be said of the British contingent at Hagen. The foursome – Charlotte, Carl Hester, Lottie Fry and Sonnar MurrayBrown – made a big impression, kicking off their Tokyo Olympic campaign with a clear message: Britain means business.

Charlotte dominated at her first show on foreign soil for more than a year, proving that the world stage is where she belongs. After finishing a close second with Mount St John Freestyle in the grand prix special qualifier, less than a percentage point behind Germany’s Jessica von BredowWerndl and her European team gold and individual bronze medallist Dalera BB, the British Olympian came out all guns blazing to head the evening finale.

“The horses had a 20-hour trip here and Freestyle was a little tired for the grand prix,” she said of Emma Blundell’s 12-year-old Fidermark mare. “I didn’t push and maybe sat a bit quiet in the piaffes, so we were just pipped.