FRESH from finishing fourth behind winner Lewis Hamilton in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year poll, Charlotte Dujardin broke her own grand prix world record on the London International Horse Show’s opening night at Olympia.
The reigning Olympic, world and European champion delivered a blistering performance on the multi-gold-medal-winning horse Valegro to take the Reem Acra FEI World Cup grand prix class with a score of 87.46%.
It eclipsed the combination’s previous best of 87.129% set at the World Cup final in France earlier this year.
Dujardin, 29, will now set her sights on Wednesday’s freestyle-to-music competition, which saw her and Valegro post new world-record figures of 93.975% at Olympia 12 months ago.
The world number one dressage partnership holds every major championship title in the sport and all three world records – grand prix, grand prix special and freestyle.
Newent-based Dujardin emerged grand prix victor by a seven per cent margin from Holland’s Edward Gal.
qFORMER champion racehorse Kauto Star was back in the limelight at Olympia, when the five-times King George VI Chase winner was ridden by Laura Collett in a dressage demonstration that showcased how the 14-year-old gelding has adapted to his new career since being retired from racing.
qTHE Commonwealth Games medal-winning gymnast Laura Halford, from Cricklade, and World Equestrian Games team silver medallist Harry Meade, from Luckington, were among local sportsmen and women in the audience at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
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