Dressage’s golden girl Charlotte Dujardin has been knocked off the number one spot in the FEI rankings, after a 30-month reign.
German rider Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados FRH (pictured, below) are the new world number ones.
Kristina and the 15-year-old Hannoverian stallion were in the silver medal-winning team at the London Olympics.
It is the first time that the 29-year-old rider has topped the world rankings list.
Charlotte and Valegro have been relegated to second place, with four-times Olympic gold medallist Isabell Werth in third with Don Johnson FHR.
Kristina also secured team gold and individual bronze at the 2014 World Equestrian Games with Desperados FRH.
Carl Hester and Nip Tuck now sit in 11th position, down from ninth.
Charlotte and Valegro shot to number one for the first time in September 2012 after winning two gold medals at London 2012.
They knocked the Netherlands’ Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival off the top spot after 13 months as the leaders.
In August 2013 Adelinde regained the crown, before being quickly usurped by Charlotte a month later following the European Championships where she won two individual golds and team bronze. Charlotte has remained at the top until now.
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Kristina represented dressage athletes around the world last November when International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach visited the FEI’s Headquarters in Lausanne.
“Equestrian is the only Olympic sport where men and women compete against each other for medals in all the disciplines,” she said.
“It’s only when you get a bit older that you realise just how special this is, and it’s one of the many reasons why equestrian sport is so popular with women of all ages.”
