The long-anticipated announcement has arrived and we now know for certain the British riders for the Olympic dressage in Paris.
The selected horse and riders are Carl Hester (Fame), Charlotte Dujardin (Imhotep) and Lottie Fry (Glamourdale), with Becky Moody (Jagerbomb) as the reserve. Let’s get to know them a little better…
- Previous Olympics: Despite being among the best dressage horses in the world, none of the horses travelling to Paris have ever competed at an Olympics. But that’s not the case for the riders. Carl will be competing at his seventh Olympics – becoming only the second Brit ever to do so. Charlotte – competing at her fourth Olympics – could become the most decorated British female Olympian of all time should she claim a medal of any colour in Paris. For Lottie, this will be her second Olympics, having competed in Tokyo with Glamourdale’s stablemate and Imhotep’s sire Everdale.
- Stable names: Imhotep is Pete, Glamourdale is Glammy, Jagerbomb is Bomb, and Fame – well he’s just Fame! All four are Dutch warmbloods, Imhotep and Jagerbomb are geldings, while Fame and Glamourdale are stallions.
Carl Hester and Fame finish their grand prix test at the 2023 European Dressage Championships. Credit: Benjamin Clark.
- Horse medals: Glamourdale, Imhotep and Fame were all part of the gold medal-winning team at last year’s European Championships in Riesenbeck. Galmourdale is also the reigning double world champion, having won the grand prix special (82.5%) and the freestyle (90.65%) at the 2022 World Championships in Herning – in doing so they became Britain’s first individual gold medallist at any championship since Valegro won gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Glamourdale also won individual silver in the freestyle at last summer’s European Championships, while Imhotep won individual bronze in both the special and the freestyle.
A delighted Becky Moody leaving the arena on Jagerbomb during the FEI Dressage World Cup freestyle at the 2023 London International Horse Show. Credit: Peter Nixon.
- Rider medals: As a trio, Charlotte, Lottie and Carl Hester are the most decorated British dressage athletes ever. Charlotte boasts an impressive record with six Olympic medals, including three golds and a silver with Valegro, and a double bronze with Gio. Additionally, she has secured six World Championship medals, 12 European Championship medals and has twice won the Dressage World Cup. Carl Hester is not far behind with three Olympic medals: team gold in London with Uthopia, team silver in Rio with Nip Tuck, and team bronze in Tokyo with En Vogue. He also has three World Championship medals and eight European medals. Lottie Fry, the youngest of the three, was part of the bronze-medal-winning team in Tokyo on Everdale who she also won team silver with at the 2021 European Championships. With Glamourdale, she has added three World Championship medals and two European medals to her name.
Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep after their grand prix at the European Dressage Championships. Credit: Benjamin Clark.
- Youngest and oldest horses: Jagerbomb is the youngest at 10 and Fame is the oldest at 14. Glamourdale is 13 while Imhotep is 11.
- Youngest and oldest riders: Lottie is – remarkably – still only 28, Charlotte is 39, Becky 44, while Carl Hester will be Team GB’s oldest athlete at 57.
- What the riders say: Becky: “Jagerbomb has such an incredible brain and a heart that just wants to do it… there’s still so much to come from him.” Charlotte: “Imhotep has taken on so much as a young horse… he’s incredible and he’s getting better and better.” Carl: “Occasionally in your life, you get a horse who you feel just fits you, and Fame fits… his enthusiasm makes him a dream horse.” Lottie: “I’ve never sat on anything like Glamourdale before, he’s always been so special… he’s a showman and wants everyone’s eyes on him.”
It’s a stellar team and we can’t wait to cheer them on in Paris. Look out for more coverage online in the build-up to the Games, plus our full magazine preview (18 July) and form guide (25 July), which will cover all three Olympic equestrian disciplines.
You may also be interested in:
Imhotep – Charlotte Dujardin’s ‘sensitive’ but ‘brilliant’ partner who lives out all year round
Glamourdale – Lottie Fry’s world champion dressage stallion who makes crowds gasp
Fame – the dream horse who ‘just fits’ Carl Hester in more ways than one
Jagerbomb – meet Becky Moody’s charismatic home-bred star and ‘total legend’
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