Photo – Anke Gardemann
Story – Christopher Hector
There was a dramatic reunion for Charlotte Dujardin at Amsterdam when she left the arena after the Grand Prix: “It was the same steward that eliminated me at Rotterdam, for everybody there it was a very sad moment and really soul destroying , and obviously that steward felt very emotional about what she had to do. I was always, like, she had to do her job, at the end of the day, that’s what they are there for. There was a bit of blood on her side, so she had to eliminate me, I understood the rules, the rules are the rules so she had to do it.”
Charlotte and Freestyle at Rotterdam (photo – Rebecca Ashton)
“Yesterday was the first time I’ve seen her since Rotterdam, and she was just so happy to see me, and I gave her a hug, because she feels guilty for having to eliminate me, but the rules are the rules. It was lovely. I appreciate all the stewards, they do a fantastic job and they are there for a reason and what had to happen, happened. It was nice that she was very friendly and supportive to me when I was eliminated. She knew how hard it was.”
“There was nothing there after. It was a shame, there was a slight mark and with the white tissue, there was a tiny spot of blood, and that’s that. It’s amazing when you read things online and you see how they can make pictures look as if you have done some real damage. There was absolutely nothing, after she was washed and dried, you wouldn’t have even known there was anything there. I rode her the next day and she was fine. She’s clipped now and I can ride her, it was just an absolute freak accident that happened. I can only put my hand up – it was there, the steward did her job and I had to take the consequences, and I did.”
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Photo – Anke Gardemann
I asked Charlotte what comes first in her freestyles, the movements or the music…
“I do the choreography first, then I set the music to it. For this Freestyle, I had a theme in my head, obviously the theme is Frozen for the Disney film. That’s what I wanted for her, because I think she is quite light and elastic, quite like a ballerina, quite like that story, the fairy tale. That’s what I used and I think it really suits her and I really enjoy riding to that music.”
Tell me a little about Freestyle as a person?
“She’s an incredible horse. I’ve been riding her since she was five, she has now just turned eleven. When she was nine years old she did the World Equestrian Games in Tryon where she got two bronze medals, then last year was not the greatest year for us, but we learnt a lot, I discovered that actually I needed to do more shows, to get her in the arena and get her a bit more confident with the test and where she was going. It almost felt as if she was a bit lost in where I was going and what I was doing, so since Lyon, I’ve done a show every month, and it seems to be getting better and better each show I’ve done.”
Freestyle in the Grand Prix at Amsterdam (Photo – Jacob Mellisen)
“Today and yesterday in the Grand Prix, she gave me the best feeling she has in the arena.”
Going to more shows, that’s a big change to the Team Hester philosophy isn’t it?
“It’s not really. Carl, he still doesn’t do that many shows, and with a horse like Valegro who was so good you didn’t need to, he could go in the arena after a year out, and still do what he did every single time. He was just an absolute genius at going in there. That’s what I’ve learned with Freestyle, I didn’t want to push her too much as a nine year old because I think it’s a lot for a nine year old to do all the travelling, all the competing, I wanted her for the long term, so we kept it quite low key in terms of competitions. Last year she just did enough to get to Rotterdam but I said to Carl, I think I need to do a bit more with her. Just trying to work out her character. I felt I needed to up it, and do those shows, and it has really paid off.”
Between now and Tokyo, will you back off on her?
“No, I’ll keep going like I am. I hope to do Den Bosch with her, then the World Cup final, and I’ll just see what happens after the final.”
You call her Miss Valegro, but she looks so different to him, how did she get the name?
“Because she is as brave as him, she really is brave. She goes in any arena, I think with her she just so expressive, she almost does too much and then she gets a bit inwardly nervous. For me, that’s what I’ve learnt, she’s so confident in herself but when she’s in the arena, she goes inside herself, and once she comes out of her shell, and she is doing that more and more every time I go to a show, I think she is going to be a winner.”
Valegro at the WEG (photo Roslyn Neave)
“Valegro was a complete and utter powerhouse, he had incredible hind legs, he just powered his way around, but I think she’s Miss Valegro more for the fact that she goes in the arena, she’s not spooky, she’s the bravest thing, and I think she is as talented as him. If she can do what she can do at home in the arena, she’s as talented as him in a different way.”
Freestyle’s sire, Fidermark is dead, but you can breed to his best son, Fidertanz with frozen semen from IHB https://ihb.com.au/product/fidertanz/
Check out all our stories from Amsterdam
Sönke Rothenberger – on his new horse, and Cosmo’s campaign for Tokyo
She’s always a class act. Sidenote, not crazy about the photo of her speaking at the podium.