Harmony rules as Britain takes gold

Union flags at the ready? Pippa Roome kicks off our series looking back at London 2012 with our brilliant dressage golds

- Pippa Roome

AH, London 2012. That gloriously patriotic two weeks, when Britain seemed to come together to celebrate sport, our Team GB athletes and the spirit of the Games. From the opening ceremony to the closing, the Games of the XXX Olympiad was a triumph.

As Tokyo 2020 has been postponed a year, we thought we would keep the Olympic fire burning with a look back at the Games eight years ago. Over the next month, we will bring you a retrospective on London in each issue, with dressage this week, then eventing (30 July), showjumping (6 August) and para-dressage (20 August).

Get out your Union flags, hang your bunting and prepare to be transported back eight years…

IT seems extraordinary now to remember that London marked Britain’s first-ever Olympic dressage medals – and what a way to win them, with team gold topped off by individual gold and bronze.

“I give a big A-plus to London 2012”

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro broke the Olympic record in every test, while Carl Hester trained Charlotte to glory as well as capping his long career in dressage with a team gold for himself. Meanwhile, Laura Bechtolsheimer (now Tomlinson) and Mistral Højris were rewarded for years of hauling British dressage to medals with their very own individual bronze.

It was the perfect end to two weeks of sporting glory at Greenwich.

The medallists

TEAM

Gold Great Britain