Could it be gold for Charlotte out in Rio?

Golden girl Charlotte Dujardin has been battling to repeat her London success at the Rio Olympics.
Charlotte DuJardin, equestrian gold medallist ENGPNL00120130301170902Charlotte DuJardin, equestrian gold medallist ENGPNL00120130301170902
Charlotte DuJardin, equestrian gold medallist ENGPNL00120130301170902

The former Vandyke Upper School pupil has already won silver for team dressage on Thursday.

She is now battling for medal glory in the dressage event as the Observer went to press, gaining a staggering 93.928 to give her a comfortable lead over her nearest rival with six riders to go.

In a bid to defend her Olympic title she and Valegro performed to a specially written piece designed to reflect the music of Brazil.

It’s been a hectic four years for Charlotte after she and horse Valegro were part of the team which won gold for team dressage followed by her gold medal glory in the individual dressage event.

Since then the 31-year-old has received an OBE and has been described as the most successful British dressage rider in the history of the sport.

Born in Enfield, Charlotte, who started riding at the age of two, moved with her family to Leighton Buzzard.

She left Vandyke at 16 to take up horse riding full time..

Her mother Jane Dujardin bought and sold ponies for her daughters to ride to enable them to continue ridin

In 2015, Charlotte became Global Ambassador for the Brooke Hospital for Animals – an equine welfare charity that focuses on improving the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules in 11 countries around the world.

Riding Valegro, Charlotte currently holds the complete set of the available individual elite dressage titles; the individual Olympic freestyle, World freestyle and Grand Prix Special, World Cup individual dressage and European freestyle and Grand Prix Special titles.

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