REIGNING Olympic champion and world number one Charlotte Dujardin completed an individual gold medal double at the FEI European Dressage Championships in Germany on Sunday, writes Andrew Baldock.

But the 30-year-old British star was given a huge fright by home favourite Kristina Broring-Sprehe, who went desperately close to inflicting a first major championship defeat on Dujardin since 2011.

Dujardin, drawn last to go immediately after Broring-Sprehe with her London 2012 horse Valegro, posted a freestyle score of 89.054 per cent to edge out Sprehe and Desperados FRH after they recorded 88.804 per cent.

And it meant that the Gloucestershire-based rider emulated her European grand prix special and freestyle successes of two years ago in Denmark, while she is also the current world champion and holds all three dressage world records.

Broring-Sprehe, though, left a significant impression as she fired plenty of warning signals from Aachen's main stadium just 12 months before Dujardin will defend the Olympic title in Rio.

The bronze medal went to Spain's Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and Delgado on 82.714 per cent, while Dujardin's London 2012 team gold medal-winning colleague Carl Hester – also based at Newent inn Gloucestershire – finished eighth with Nip Tuck and a third British rider Fiona Bigwood withdrew her European team silver medallist Atterupgaards Orthilia after the horse suffered a reaction in its back following Saturday's grand prix special competition.

Dujardin will return home with two gold medals and a silver from her latest successful major championship excursion, but rarely can the brilliant Valegro have been pushed so close by another combination when the stakes were at their highest.

"I knew what was going to come," said Dujardin, reflecting on Sprehe's performance.

"Being in Aachen with Kristina being with her home crowd, I was expecting it, just like I had in London three years ago. Following Kristina, you could feel how much the crowd were behind her.

"When I walked in, there was a huge atmosphere and they were applauding her score. There was a lot to deal with at the very beginning, but overall, I am thrilled.

"I was really happy with the start of the test, then there was a mistake in my one-time changes. I knew it was going to be a tough call here, but I am not going to moan. I am going away with two gold medals and a silver, and I am really happy with that."